Source+B

__Cuban Missile Crisis__


 * //Excerpt from "Communiqué to President Kennedy Accepting an End to the Missile Crisis , October 28, 1962"//**
 * Originally published in //The Cuban Missile Crisis , 1962: National Security Archive Documents Reader,// 1992**

//...In order to complete with greater speed the **liquidation** of the conflict dangerous to the cause of peace, to give confidence to all people longing for peace, and to calm the American people, who, I am certain, want peace as much as the people of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Government, in addition to previously issued instructions on the **cessation** of further work at building sites for the weapons, has issued a new order on the dismantling of the weapons which you describe as "offensive," and their crating and return to the Soviet Union.// //Mr. President, I would like to repeat once more what I had already written to you in my preceding letters—that the Soviet Government has placed at the disposal of the ** Cuban ** Government economic aid, as well as arms, inasmuch as Cuba and the ** Cuban ** ////people have constantly been under the continuous danger of an invasion// [from the United States].… //We stationed them there in order that no attack should be made against Cuba and that no rash action should be permitted to take place.// //I regard with respect and trust your statement in your message of October 27, 1962, that no attack will be made on Cuba—that no invasion will take place—not only by the United States, but also by other countries of the Western Hemisphere, as your message pointed out. Then the motives which promoted us to give aid of this nature to Cuba cease. They are no longer **applicable,** hence we have instructed our officers—and these means, as I have already stated, are in the hands of Soviet officers—to take necessary measures for stopping the building of the **said projects** and their dismantling and return to the Soviet Union.…// //I note with satisfaction that you have responded to my wish that the said dangerous situation should be liquidated and also that conditions should be created for a more thoughtful appraisal of the// //international situation which is **fraught** with great dangers in our age of thermonuclear weapons, rocket technology … global rockets, and other lethal weapons. All people are interested in insuring peace. Therefore, we who are **invested** with trust and great responsibility must not permit an **exacerbation** of the situation and must liquidate the breeding grounds where a dangerous situation has been created fraught with serious consequences for the cause of peace. If we succeed along with you and with the aid of other people of good will in liquidating this tense situation, we must also concern ourselves to see that other dangerous conflicts do not arise which might lead to a world thermonuclear catastrophe.…// //Mr. President, I trust your statement. However, on the other hand, there are responsible people who would like to carry out an invasion// //of Cuba at this time, and in such a way to spark off a war. If we take practical steps and announce the dismantling and evacuation of the appropriate means from Cuba, then, doing that, we wish to establish at the same time the confidence of the ** Cuban ** people that we are with them and are not **divesting** ourselves of the responsibility of granting help to them.// //We are convinced that the people of all countries, like yourself, Mr. President, will understand me correctly. We do not issue threats. We desire only peace. Our country is now on the **upsurge.** Our people are enjoying the fruits of their peaceful labor.…//