572. Telegram 1512 to USUN, December 61
Eyes Only for Stevenson and McCloy. Re Deptel 1511.
Draft US Statement on Cuba in Security Council
In letters of President Kennedy on October 27 and of Premier Khrushchev and President Kennedy on October 28, 1962, firm undertakings were made regarding the settlement of the Cuban crisis.
These undertakings were stated in President Kennedy’s letter of October 27 along the following lines:
(1) The USSR would agree to remove from Cuba, under appropriate United Nations observation and supervision, all weapons systems capable of offensive use and would undertake, with suitable safeguards, to halt the further introduction of such weapons systems into Cuba.
(2) The United States would agree—upon the establishment of adequate arrangements through the United Nations to ensure the carrying out and continuation of these [Facsimile Page 2] commitments—(a) to remove promptly the quarantine measures now in effect, and (b) to give assurances against an invasion of Cuba. The President also expressed his confidence that other nations of the Western Hemisphere would be prepared to do likewise.
The United States notes the statement made by the Soviet Union that all medium and intermediate range missiles, all nuclear weapons and components have been removed from Cuba, that all IL–28 bomber aircraft will be removed by December 20th, and that all sites for medium range and intermediate range missiles have been dismantled. (It notes also that the USSR has stated its intention to withdraw all military units and personnel placed there for the servicing or guarding of these weapons systems.) The United States notes further the statements of the USSR that no weapons capable of offensive use will be introduced into Cuba in the future. We welcome these statements and assurances.
[Typeset Page 1523]The undertakings in the President’s letter of October 27, that the United Nations would be enabled to verify the removal of missiles and bombers and the destruction of sites, and that United Nations safeguards would be agreed upon to ensure against further introduction [Facsimile Page 3] into Cuba of weapons systems capable of offensive use, have not been fulfilled. A procedure was arranged in cooperation with the USSR, under which United States naval vessels have received substantial verification that Soviet vessels leaving Cuba have carried away the number of missiles which the USSR had certified to the United States as having been in Cuba. The Soviet Union has also agreed to similar form of verification of the impending withdrawal of all IL–28 bomber aircraft introduced into Cuba.
In view of the steps that have been taken by the Soviet Union to date:
the United States on its part, as of November 20, 1962, lifted the quarantine instituted on October 23, 1962, and the United States further gives assurance that, provided no nuclear weapons and no offensive weapons systems are present in or reintroduced into Cuba, and provided Cuba does not commit aggressive acts against any nation of the Western Hemisphere, it does not intend, as the President made clear at his press conference on November 20, to invade Cuba or support an invasion of Cuba.
Pending such time as arrangements can be effected to provide the safeguards necessary to ensure that no such weapons systems are [Facsimile Page 4] maintained or reintroduced into Cuba, the United States will employ such other means of observation and verification as may be necessary.
The undertakings stated herein do not alter or impair the rights and obligations under all existing treaties to which the United States is a party.
- Transmits draft U.S. statement on Cuba for presentation in Security Council. Top Secret. 4 pp. DOS, CF, 737.56361/12–662.↩