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SUMMARY CONTENTS
I. No change has been noted ln the scope or pace of the construction at tbe IRBM and MRBM missile sites in Cuba. Cuban araed forces continue their alert, vitbaircraft on standdown since the morning of 23 There are Indications that known and suspected dissidents are being rounded up.
XI. As0 EOT at leastf tbeoviet ships which were known to be en route to Cuba had turned back. Five of tbe remaining eight are tankers. Two of tbe dry cargo ships not known to have reversed coursebe carrying nop-mllltary cargo, but tbeB
ters.Changes tneen executed in midday onctober, before the President signed theestablishing the quarantine.
III. We still see no signs of any crash procedure in measures to increase tbe readiness of Soviet armed forces. Bloc media are playing up Khrushchev'sctoberthat he wouldop-level meeting "useful."
IV. There is as yet no reaction to the turn-around of Soviet shipping, which bad not become publicly apparent. Attention remains centered on neutralist efforts in the UN to find machinery for easing tension. Canada hasubana airliner flying from Prague to Havana. Latin American countries are beginning to offer military units for the quarantine, and there is generally little adverse reaction ln the hemisphere.
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I. THE SITUATION IN CUBA
No change has been noted ln the pace of construction activities at the identified urdu and IBBM sites. Thedates of operational readiness for these sitesas previously reported. (Two KBBM sites are believed already operational, three others will probably become operational today, and the sixth onctober. Of the three 1RBM sites, one may become operationalecember, and the other two byecember.)
Photography onctober, revealed no new missile sites, and no additional missiles, missile transporters or erectors at already identified sites.
There is increasing evidence of camouflage at several
Among the Soviet ships formerly en route to Cuba which have reversed their course are three with hatches capable of handling ballistic missiles.
There is still no positive evidence that nuclearare deployed ln Cuba. If nuclear warheads are not there now, the USSR could deliver them by submarine or, moreby aircraft. ould fly non-stop to Cuba with up to ten nuclear warheads,reatclrcle route vhlch would not pass over any other country.
a recent refugee report indicates that Sovietequipment and material for the suspected nuclearbuilding at tbe Bemedios IRBH site had arrived in Seaedlos as early aseptember.
ctober speech referring to offensive missile bases in Cuba, "which was the direct reason for the steps taken against Cuba. " The newspapers and radio broadcaat&sj
only the parts of the speechB Ira^Pl^TrrT?rcCTrQTl and claimed that this was preparation for an attack on Cuba. Actually, at least one radio broadcast did refer to the President's statements about offensive bases ln Cuba, which it strongly denied. This was an earlyto the speech. Commentaries after thectober speech by Fidel Castro have followed the line he established. Be denied that any offensive weapons are in Cuba and did not once use the word missiles.
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II. SOVIET SHIPPING TO CUBA
Information available as0 hours EOT indicates that at leastf theoviet dry cargo ships and tankers which vere en route to Cuba onctober havecourse and are nov returning to Soviet porta. all the Soviet vessels may eventually turn back, tbe five tankers and three of the dry cargo ships appear to be continuing tovard Cuba.
There ls no indication at this time of any grouping of ships toonvoy.
Tbe BELOVODSK, one of the dry cargo ships vhlchbe en route, appears to be carrying non-military
route rrom the sovietTarTast and due to trans-it the Panama Canalovember, probably also iscivil cargo. No information on the third dry cargobeen received sincectober.
The tanker nearestto stop shortly before entering the US quarantine zone, but nov ls proceeding tovard Cuba. Anotherabout two days behind the BUCHAREST, also slowed downaccording4 October position report, but lt too now ls again beading toward Cuba.
Two of the dry cargo ships which have turned back were nearing waters north of Puerto Rico when they changed course onctober, but they now are back ln mid-Atlantic. One ship left the Baltic Sea onctober and returned onctober. Another was not lessay out of the Baltic Sea when it turned around and re-entered.
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Tbe East German passenger ship VOELKERFREUNDSCHAIT was en route to Cuba onctober with Tbe ship reported Its ETA Id Havana asrctober and is due to enter tbe quarantine zone aboutctober. The Czech dry cargo ship BXADKO is also ln the Atlantic and may be en route to Cubaargo ofnon-allltary goods. Its position and currant course are unknown.
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SOVIET SHIPS APPARENTLY STILL EN ROUTE (Information available as0 hoursctober)
ucharest (tanker)
(All Times Are EDT) Latest Position
*iles from Cuba
rozny (tanker
uba
arl Marx (tanker)
elovodsk (dry-cargo)
W South of Azores
W North of the Azores
asiraov (dry-cargo) ct
Out of Baltic
Appears to have slowed22 hours but still proceed-toward Cuba.
Appeared to be still en route as of this time.
Appeared to be still en route as of this time.
ppears ing civil goods: vehicles and unspecifiedonnage ofons suggest non-military No indicationurnback as yet.
May have turned around, but no information as yet.
Mir (tanker)
Emelyan Pugachev (dry-cargo)
Bakalava (tanker)
0 In the Med
In the Pacific
Out of the Baltic Sea (No specific report)
further information.
Due Panama Canalov.
No further information.
uri Gagarin
had altered course by noon onctober and ls nov en route tovard the USSR. Wasmiles from Cuba when course vas
Klmovsh
altered course around noon onctober and ls nov en route tovard the USSR. essage Indicated it vas en route to the Baltic Sea. iles off Cuba vhen turned back.
Poltava
altered course around noon onctober "and is nov en route tovard tbe Mediterranean. Was in'mid-Atlantic vhen lt turned around.
Metallurg Kurako
altered course around noon onctober and is now headed in easterly direction. Was in mid-Atlantic vhen it turned around.
Kislovodsk
altered course around noon onctober and is nov headed toward the Baltic Sea.
Dolmatovo
route to the Black Sea. Probablycourse around noon onctober.
Bolshevik Sukhanov
route back to the Baltic. Probably altered at same time.
7izlk Vavilov
route back to the Black Sea.
Left the Mediterranean aboutctober and re-entered onh. En route to the Black Sea.
Krasnograd
the Baltic onctober and returned onh.
Kfairug Vishnevsky
the Black Sea onours later the same day.
Okhotsk
around in tbe Med onctober and headed back to the Black Sea.
Mednogorsk
around in the Med onctober and headed back to the Black Sea.
Sergei Botkin
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III. THE SITUATION IN THE BLOC
We have noted the following Soviet Militaryan assessment of their significance will be Issued by the DSIB Watch Committee. We find no indication ofmovements or deployments in the bloc military Activities appear generally normal
Recent increased exercise activity in the Black Sea appears toeflection of general readiness training. Large-scale training, which probably was scheduled prior to the President's speech, has also been noted in the Pacific Fleet.
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TOP .SECRET
Khrushchev'sctober statement tbat he vouldtop-level meeting useful" is front paged bynevspapers and has been carried on both Moscowbroadcasts and TASS. At least one Soviet commentary beamed to Morth America has quoted froa the Soviet'a message to Bertrand Mussel ln urging the US to be reasonable on the Cuban lasue. Except for thesehowever, there has been no further Moscow emphasis on the urgencyeads of governaent aeetlng. There has been no mention by Soviet communication media of the diversion of Soviet ahipplng froa tbe US quarantine zone.
Moscow continues to skirt the lasue of specificaction against the US. Yesterday's Izvestlya maintained the Soviet charge that tbe US Is obsessed with the Idea of soae "aythlcal threat froa Cuba."
Soviet Defense Minister Mallnovsky today reiterated the USSR's position that the Soviet araed forces now aretate of "highest battlend declared that at the "first signal all the algbt of all our araed forces aust be brought into immediate action against the eneay."
In the first public treatment of the Sino-Indianclashes, the USSR, in endorsing Pelplng's proposals to resolve the dispute, contrasted tbe Bloc's willingness to negotiate such probleas with the "aggressive actions of the US aimed at Cuba and the whole vorld." Soviet com-aentary to its home audience continually refers to the "false allegations" of the US concerning Soviet offensive rockets. These broadcasts are again citingoviet contention that tbe USSR has no need for als-sile sites outside Its on territory.
Reports froa Soviet officials provide no firs evidence as to future Soviet intentions. zech official in Vienna has reportedly taken the line that there will be lengthy discussion at the UN. The polish ambassador to Austria dis-alased asuggestion that tbe situation alght lead to war. Onoviet diplomat ln Vashlngton stated that Soviet ships bad been ordered to proceed to Cuba.
East European satellites are continuing tbelragainst any direct US Intervention in Cuba. Hungary
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Rumania now have Issued statements in full support of thectober Soviet statement and have urged effective DM action to dissuade the OS from its "warlikeito has also called for UN intervention. Poland charged that US aggression vas being planned at the very timeon "most urgent international problems "vere already ln progress. Albania, ln its first monitoredon the situation, has charged the US vlthanother aggression against Cuba" but failed to mention the formal Soviet statement. Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko In an Impromptu speech yesterday in East Berlin, omitted any reference to the Cuban situation. His remarks on tbefirst direct commentaryigh Soviet official on tbis issue since the President's address on Cuba-contained oo hint of retaliatory measure against the Western position ln Berlin. While be reiterated standard Soviet themes on the necessity for the Western povers to vltbdrav their "occupation troops" from Berlin, he repeated bisthat an agreement ls possible.
Communist China's first official reaction to the crisis vas containedovernment statement ofctober"great indignation" at the "serious warof tbe US. Pelping declared it wouldresolute struggle" against the US action, but gave no indication that it is planning any specific countermoves. The Chinesebriefly to thectober Soviet statement on Cuba, and expressed full support for Moscow.
There la no observable reaction as0 EOT to tbe diversion of most Soviet shipping from courses for Cuba,because the fact bas not yet become known. esult, the ON remains the principal arena for developments.
Neutral nation representatives ln New Tork continued their search yesterday for means of lowering tension, and after consulting their governments overnight, are planning to meet again at about
A Joint UAR-Ghana resolution requesting the principal to refrain from actions which might aggravate (he situation failed to win widespread support. During theS UN briefing of African nations, theambassador stated heignificant change toward greater "realism" ln African attitudes. He reported this would be reflectedew draft of the UAR-Ghana resolution now being prepared. The UN Security Council debate was limited to several expressions of support for the United Statesomanian statement.supportlng the Sovietcondemning the United States.
During thehant addressed appeals toKennedy, Premier Khrushchev, and Cuban leaders. Hesuspension of tbe blockade, halting of armsto Cuba,eaceful attitude on the part of Cuba itself. President Kennedy's replyhant sent in the early morning hours ofctober, has as yet elicited no reaction.
Official and unofficial expressions of support, sympathy, or understanding for the US position onovertly or privately expressed by governmentreached an impressive volume fron all parts of tbe world. Nations from which such expressions have recently been received are Austria, Portugal, Luxembourg, Ireland, Syria, Iran, India, Thailand, Congoudan, Jamaica, and Panama. Among the very few nations or groups expressing opento the US stand vas the Algerian National Liberation Front, which termed the blockade of Cuba "an Intolerableln tbe Internal affairs of that country." AnIraqi statement also says the US blockade la aviolation of tbe principle of freedom of theseas"regression for the organization ofsociety."
In response toOS iquest that governments prevent landings or overflights r Soviet aircraft carryingcargoes to Cuba,Sudanese Foreign Minister said any Soviet request for military overflights or forflights carrying military equipment vould be denied as would any request for "commercial" flights beyond Libya Indicated it would not grant overflights to Cuba either directly or via South America. The Moroccan lOZZ Ra proposed air agreement with the USSR had not yet been signed and that biswould "try to do something." The Foreign Minister of Senegal stated that, accordingabinet decision, Dakar would be closed for military use by either side. Tbe government of Jamaica will not grant regular landing or overflight rights to Soviet aircraft bound for'Cuba.
An Air Cubana plane coming froa Pragueechnical stop at Goose Bay, Labrador, onctober, and was searched by Canadian authorities before being allowed to continue to Havana. Two East German missile technicians and five Czech technicians were on board.
ljnl"terthough publicly welcoming tho US decision to take tbe Cuban issue to the UN Security Council, has refused to be pinned down by oppositionas to whether his government will give full support to US policy on Cuba.
The press generally supports US moves regarding Cuba but offers some critlclsa of the US for acting unilaterally and sees very serious dangers in the situation.
The British government has emphasized its support for the US position and ordered support in the United Nations, but public opinion remains somewhat skeptical and the press keepsritical tone. Gaitskell has privately told US officials he is concerned over Washington's unilateraland personally doubts that the USSR has aggressiveagainst tbe American mainland.
In Latin Aaerlca, military support for the quarantine action has been offered by Argentina, Guatemala, Peru, Costa Rica the Doninlcan Republic, and Honduras. Enthusiastic backing for the US position is reported among the Chilean armed forces, particularly on the part of air force officers. The Argentine government has offered two destroyers on three days notice,arine battalion withand other units if required later. The Argentine air
force commander ham ecnt messages to Genernl LeMay and otber hemisphere air forco commanders pledging readiness to participate ln any joint measures requ'-'ed by the Cuban crisis.
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The Peruvian offer ls qual"ledequirement of unanimous OAS approval. Tbe Uruguayan government,to press reports, has now decided to support the OAS resolution, but with certain reservations on the use of armed force.
Original document.
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