POSSIBLE CUBAN NAVAL TRANSIT OF GUANTANAMO BAY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-20-1-25-0
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: January 20, 1972
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/12/14: LOC-HAK-20-1-25-0
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MEMORANDUM FOR:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
DOS, NAVY,
JCS reviews
completed
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
qP
597
INFORMATION
January 20, 1972
DR. KISSINGER
ASHLEY. C. HEWITT,
Possible Cuban Naval Transit of
Guantanamo Bay
ON-FILE NSC
RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
Last weekend we received al (report from the
Naval Base at Guantanamo to the effect that during the course of this
week, three Cuban vessels carrying 400 members of a Cuban Commun-
ist youth organization would transit the US-controlled portion of
Guantanamo Bay en route to the .Cuban port of Boqueron for an outing.
According to the report, the vessels carrying the young people would
be escorted by two Cuban naval craft described as "frigates"
STAT
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The entry of Cuban naval craft into the waters controlled by the US
mould be in conflict with the 1903 lease agreement. The agreement
does provide for the transit of Cuban yessel,s engaged in Cuban trade.
Hence, the proposed transit of naval vessels described in, the intelli-
gence report would constitute a violation of the lease agreement-by the
Cubans, and perhaps a deliberate challenge to it. On the other hand,
there would be obvious dangers and public relations costs to a confron-
tation between-US naval forces and unarmed boats carrying young people,
even if these were escorted by Cuban naval vessels. In some ways the
report is reminiscent of the deliberate provocation carried out by the
Cubans last October, when they flew in an unarmed transport plane and
landed it in New Orleans in order to deliver an undocumented Cuban
delegation to an international conference of sugar technicians. That
incident was clearly a test of our isolation policy by Castro.
I was informed of this on Sunday and kept in touch with
developments as State and Defense worked out a position on what
action should be taken in the event it proved accurate. State and
Defense agree that Cuban naval vessels entering waters controlled by
the US under the lease agreement should be challenged and, if at all
possible, turned away. Normal rules of engagement- -fire if fired
upon--would prevail. However, CINCLANT has issued strict instruc-
tions that weapons or weapons systems (including warning shots) are
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/12/14: LOC-HAK-20-1-25-0
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/12/14: LOC-HAK-20-1-25-0
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not to be fired at the Cuban forces without specific approval from the
Joint Chiefs of Staff or higher authority Junless, of course, US forces
are fired upon).
There has been no further :indication
of any Cuban- attempt to penetrate Guantanamo Bay with naval vessels.
A nie no desc.ribing. the original report and the action taken since is at
Tab A.
Attachments :
Tab A - Memo from State
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/12/14: LOC-HAK-20-1-25-0
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