KHRUSHCHEV WARNS JFK BAY OF PIGS INVASION MIGHT RESULT IN AN "INCOMPARABLE CONFLAGRATION"
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On April 18, 1961, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev sent a message to President John F. Kennedy warning that his "little war" against Cuba* might result in an "incomparable conflagration** between the United States and Soviet Union."
President Kennedy responded with this message...
"I trust that this does not mean the Soviet government, using the situation in Cuba as a pretext, is planning to inflame other areas of the world."
JFK continued...
"The people of the United States do not conceal their admiration for Cuban patriots who wish to see a democratic system in Cuba."
Mr. Kennedy affirmed, however, that the government of the United States was not involved directly in the Cuban invasion.
*The invasion of Castro's Cuba by American CIA trained Cuban freedom fighters was launched on April 17, 1961. It ended in disaster for the United States and earned JFK a spot in "The Failures of the Presidents."
**conflagration is defined as a conflict or war
