Photo Intelligence and the Cuban Missile Crisis Adam P
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University of North Florida UNF Digital Commons All Volumes (2001-2008) The sprO ey Journal of Ideas and Inquiry 2004 Photo Intelligence and the Cuban Missile Crisis Adam P. Bejger University of North Florida Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/ojii_volumes Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Suggested Citation Bejger, Adam P., "Photo Intelligence and the Cuban Missile Crisis" (2004). All Volumes (2001-2008). 78. http://digitalcommons.unf.edu/ojii_volumes/78 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the The sprO ey Journal of Ideas and Inquiry at UNF Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Volumes (2001-2008) by an authorized administrator of UNF Digital Commons. For more information, please contact Digital Projects. © 2004 All Rights Reserved Photo Intelligence and the Dino Brugioni calls the U-2 “the 2 Cuban Missile Crisis biggest intelligence bargain in history”. Brugioni, a senior photointerpreter, Adam P. Bejger makes this assertion because the U-2 gave the CIA unmatched access to Faculty Sponsor: Dr. David Courtwright, strategic intelligence within the Soviet Professor of History Union. Within two years the bargain began to pay off. U-2 photography Background provided much needed data regarding strategic weapons development within The Cuban Missile Crisis served the Soviet Union. Human intelligence as a prime example of the importance of sources were unable to provide photointelligence in the successful comprehensive data on the Soviet management of an international crisis. strategic weapons. The CIA began to fly President Kennedy was provided with U-2 photointelligence missions over the excellent, but not faultless, intelligence Soviet Union began on 4 July, 1956. through the use of photointelligence. Over flights of the Soviet Union ended Kennedy used photointelligence to in 1960, after Gary Powers was shot decide upon his policy of quarantine. down near Sverdlovsk. These missions The quarantine and subsequent proved that the Khrushchev was diplomatic efforts led to a successful exaggerating the number of nuclear resolution of the missile crisis, with a missiles and bombers that the Soviet minimum loss to American interests. Union could deploy. The U-2 also During the Crisis, Kennedy followed the provided vital information on the status example of President Eisenhower in of the Soviet space program. Finally, U- using photointelligence to make foreign 2 photographs were used to compile lists of important targets for the air force, in policy decisions. 3 President Eisenhower set the the event of war. precedent for the collection and use of Eisenhower used the U-2 to photoreconnaissance. In 1954, President obtain intelligence during the Suez crisis Eisenhower allocated $22 million for the of 1956. In many ways this crisis mirrors CIA to develop a high altitude the Cuban Missile Crisis. During the reconnaissance airplane. Lockheed Suez crisis U-2s provided indisputable accepted the contract and produced the intelligence. The photointelligence gave U-2 prototype. Allen Dulles, director of Eisenhower advance notice of military the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) action against Egypt. U-2 missions and President Eisenhower agreed to fund uncovered preparations for a joint the development of the plane. The CIA Anglo-French and Israeli strike against would be responsible for refining the the Sinai desert. U-2s also monitored the photographs into meaningful shipment of arms to Israel. During the intelligence. Less than three months later the first U-2 prototype was ready for cited as EtE. Prototype completed in three 1 months: Michael R. Beschloss. Mayday: testing. Eisenhower, Khrushchev and the U-2 Affair. (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1986) 1 Dino A. Brugioni. Eyeball to Eyeball: The 365. Hereafter cited as Mayday. Inside Story of the Cuban missile Crisis. (New 2 Brugioni. EtE. 18. York: Random House, 1991) 18-19. Hereafter 3 Beschloss. Mayday. 121,363-366 crisis U-2 photography revealed that declared his solidarity with the Soviet Israel was receiving advanced aircraft bloc, the CIA immediately began covert from France. During the crisis operations, including sabotage and Eisenhower objected to the Israeli psychological operations, designed to deception concerning the number of remove him from power. These French aircraft received. The Israeli operations culminated in the Bay of Pigs government claimed that had received invasion.6 only twenty-four jet bombers from On 17 April, 1961 1,400 Cuban France. Photointelligence revealed sixty exiles assaulted the Bay of Pigs in a US bombers in the Israeli Air Force paint sponsored invasion. The security scheme.4 surrounding the planning for the Following the 1960 election, invasion had been severely breached in John F. Kennedy became the President. the months prior to the invasion. Castro Eisenhower directed senior intelligence was able to position his forces on the officers to brief the incoming president exact beaches the invaders landed on. on the collection and usage of President Kennedy, only partially photographic intelligence. During these committed to the plan, refused to briefings President Eisenhower provide American air support. This recounted how useful the intelligence incident severely tarnished Kennedy’s had been, and provided Kennedy with reputation at home and abroad. Kennedy examples of the intelligence. President believed that the Bay of Pigs invasion Eisenhower also informed Kennedy of was the largest mistake of his the various intelligence sharing presidency.7 agreements with the United Kingdom. Kennedy, just like Eisenhower before Arms Buildup in Cuba him, came to value photointelligence as a primary source for information on The American failure at the Bay Soviet military events.5 of Pigs pushed Castro closer to the Fidel Castro overthrew the Soviet Union. Castro feared that the Batista government of Cuba in late1958. United States would attempt another After assuming office Castro ordered the invasion, with more men and resources. kidnapping of U.S. nationals and In the months following the Bay of Pigs, taxation of American businesses on the Castro consulted with Soviet emissaries island; both of these acts earned him the about upgrading the Cuban armed enmity of the American government. Castro was decidedly anti-American, but 6 Castro’s victory and anti-American activates he had not yet declared himself as a recounted in James B. Nathan. Anatomy of the Communist. Initially, the Soviet Union Cuban Missile Crisis. (Westport, Connecticut: relied on foreign newspapers to monitor Greenwood Press, 2001.) Hereafter cited as Anatomy 22-25. Lack of Soviet connection with the situation in Havana. Within a few Castro in Nikita S. Khrushchev. Khrushchev months the Soviet Union was able to Remembers. (Boston, Little, Brown, & establish diplomatic relations with Company, 1970) 488-489. Hereafter cited as KR Castro’s government. When Castro 7 Nathan. Anatomy. 46-50; Thomas G. Patterson and William J. Brophy. “October Missiles and November Elections: The Cuban Missile Crisis 4 Brugioni. EtE. 33-34. Beschloss. Mayday. 136- and American Politics, 1962” The Journal of 139. American History, Vol. 73, No. 1 (June, 1986) 5 Brugioni, EtE. 56-57. 94. forces. Eventually, Castro asked the uncovered, the United States could Soviet Union for shipments of advanced remove the missiles through military or weaponry for the Cuban armed forces.8 diplomatic force. If the missiles were Premier Khrushchev agreed to Castro’s discovered before they could be made request for weapons. Khrushchev states operational, Khrushchev’s plan would be that he armed the Cubans in order to ruined.11 protect Cuba from American aggression. During the crisis that followed, Some weapons had been sent to Cuba President Kennedy made extensive use before the Bay of Pigs invasion, after the of photointelligence. This became the invasion, the Soviets sharply increased most important source of intelligence their arms shipments. Tanks, artillery, with regards to Cuba. The use of small arms and anti-aircraft guns were photointelligence took three distinct the primary weapons sent to Cuba.9 phases during the Cuban Missile Crisis. As Khrushchev considered the Starting in late July of 1962 U-2 problem of American intentions toward missions were used to monitor the flow Cuba, he became convinced that of Soviet arms in to Cuba. Photography conventional weapons might not be from the 14 October mission revealed enough of a deterrent. During a state Soviet ballistic missiles in Cuba. When visit to Bulgaria, Khrushchev decided to President Kennedy was informed of this deploy medium range ballistic missiles development, he ordered all knowledge (MRBM) to Cuba in conjunction with a of the missiles classified until he could group of Soviet forces. The introduction decide on a course of action. After 21 of nuclear missiles in Cuba would deter October, 1962, the President Kennedy the Americans from attempting another used photointelligence to inform the invasion of Cuba. Additionally, public of the Soviet missile threat. This stationing these forces in Cuba would publicity established credibility for the help to correct the strategic balance of quarantine. During the last days of the power between the Soviet Union and the crisis photointelligence was used for Americans.10 verification of Soviet compliance with Secrecy was vital to the removal agreement. In order to Khrushchev’s plan. Khrushchev had understand the contribution of planned to announce the