American Strategic Deception Bureau

　After the report, Secretary Rusk stood up with a smile, thanked the new cabinet for their work on behalf of the cabinet, and announced that on January 28, President Kennedy would convene the first White House plenary meeting to discuss the "Pluto Project" and the future of the 2506th Brigade of Mercenaries.

　Director Dulles left with General Lanitzer in great satisfaction, without hearing the three cabinet members' comments on him.

　"Hey, Mr. Director, when he speaks, he really sounds like Goebbels of Nazi Germany! Just as confident, just as unbridled! If that young captain from the Jin family hadn't informed me about this matter in advance, I would have almost been intimidated by him!"

　"Alas, I never thought that the CIA has become so arrogant!

　He actually lied to the cabinet members? Is he going to lie to the president next? Does he think he is the Soviet Union's Beria?

　"Forget it, let's ensure a smooth transition first. The next Dominican Republic attack will still depend on the CIA's efforts!"

　By the way, what should we name the battle plan for the Dominican Republic? How about calling it "Operation Crusade"?

　After that, I was not allowed to stay.

　Moreover, after April it is the rainy season in Central America, with heavy rains and floods everywhere, and roads turning into swamps, forcing all military operations to be suspended.

　Therefore, this group of Cuban exiles must either be sent to Cuba to land before the rainy season, or be brought back to the United States.

　Rather than allowing a "foreign volunteer army" of thousands of people to emerge in the United States, it would be better to let them go to Cuba to realize their surplus value.

　What is even more troublesome is that if the United States delays taking strong action against Cuba, which has already raised the flag of rebellion, then Latin American countries will get a wrong signal, thinking that as long as they dare to rely on the Soviet Union as a backer, they can safely infringe on the interests of the United States in their countries.

　As a result, challenges to US hegemony will only increase in Latin America, overwhelming the US. For example, the recent uproar over the "Dominican dictator Trujillo's defection to the US and communists" incident – ​​to serve as a warning to others, Cuba, the first offender, must be eliminated.

　As for specific plans for counterattacking Cuba, Director Dulles had already prepared two.

　Plan A is to land in the port of Trinidad in the central part of Cuba. This port is located about 270 kilometers southeast of the Cuban capital Havana. It has good port facilities, is close to the Escambray Mountains where many Cuban anti-government armed groups are entrenched, and has an easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack beachhead.

　Once the mercenaries landed and captured the port of Trinidad, they would be able to collect a large amount of supplies and rely on the city's defenses to resist the counterattack of the Cuban revolutionary army.

　Even if the port of Trinidad were recaptured by Castro's forces, the mercenaries would have an escape route into the Escambray Mountains.

　Despite the above advantages, the port of Trinidad also has a flaw, that is, the local airport is too small and the runway is too short to accommodate the take-off and landing of B-26 bombers. According to the plan, B-26 will play an important role in this invasion.

　If the B-26 bombers assigned to the mercenaries were unable to use the airport at the landing site on Cuban Island, but had to fly thousands of miles across the sea from airports in Central America to participate in the war, then the attack efficiency and bombing frequency would be greatly reduced, making it difficult to provide continuous air cover for the mercenaries.

　——It has only been fifteen years since the end of the Pacific War. Everyone still remembers how those Japanese pilots who flew a long distance from Rabaul in Zero fighters during the Battle of Guadalcanal were taken advantage of by the American planes at Henderson Field on Guadalcanal and were blown up in batches.

　Therefore, the CIA also made a backup plan, Plan B, which was to land at the Bay of Pigs, 150 kilometers southeast of Havana.

　According to Director Dulles, the Bay of Pigs was swampy and inaccessible (as shown on an 1893 map), giving it a "high probability of landing success." Furthermore, the Bay of Pigs boasted a large airfield capable of accommodating B-26 bombers. Once the landing force secured the designated landing site, they could, much like the Americans defending Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, wait for the enemy to crash into their defenses.

　The disadvantage was that the Bay of Pigs was far from human habitation, making it difficult to gather supplies locally. The landing troops could only obtain supplies from the rear. If the supplies were not kept up, the Cuban mercenaries would encounter great difficulties in continuing to fight.

　In addition, the Bay of Pigs is 80 kilometers away from the Escambray Mountains, making it difficult for the landing troops to coordinate with the anti-Castro forces in the mountains.

　After introducing the advantages and disadvantages of the two operational plans, Director Allen Dulles told the president not to worry, he could guarantee that there would be no loopholes in the two plans, all the precautions had been made strict, and the chance of success was 100%!

　Dulles also asked the president to give him more credit, as the CIA had overthrown Guatemala's anti-American government in 1954 with a much weaker force.

　“And now, Mr. President, the prospects for our plan are even better than the one in Guatemala.

　But whether we choose Trinidad or the Bay of Pigs, we have to hurry! Because when the rainy season comes, there will be nothing we can do."

　——The enemy is growing stronger, the allies are driving people away, the warriors are seeking battle, and the plan is ready... So, President, make up your mind and do it!

　Watching Director Dulles's performance, President Kennedy muttered inwardly with a bit of amusement, while secretly thinking:

　How bold is this guy to lie in front of the president?

　Or was he so foolish and incompetent that he was deceived by his subordinates and was completely unaware of it?

　In short, although Director Dulles repeatedly urged the President to make a quick decision and guaranteed that the operation would be a great success, President Kennedy still said that the matter was of great importance and that he had only been president for a week, so he had to listen to opinions from all sides and act prudently.

　William Fulbright, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also expressed his objection, arguing that the mercenaries of the 2506th Brigade had just been formed and had not been tested in actual combat. It was difficult to say how much combat effectiveness they had, and it was difficult to guarantee that they would not perform poorly on the battlefield.

　So, the impatient Director Allen Dulles simply stood on the high ground of political correctness and put further pressure on the president.

　He said very bluntly at the meeting: If President Kennedy does not approve this plan, it will be tantamount to not allowing those freedom-loving exiles to liberate their homeland from the red dictatorship, and it will be tantamount to encouraging red Cuba to subvert the American-style democratic governments in Latin America.

　It would also create a problem for President Kennedy's re-election in 1964, as disillusioned Cuban mercenaries would be

　After the disbandment, they will probably receive funding from the Republican Party and travel around the United States to expose how Kennedy betrayed them and the cause of the liberal camp.

　Next, Dulles bluntly questioned Kennedy in public, asking whether the President was prepared to tell those "outstanding young Cubans" who "simply hope for a chance to restore a free government in their country" that they "will not receive sympathy, support, or assistance from the United States"?

　——Fortunately, President Kennedy had good self-control, otherwise he would have lost his temper in the face of such a disrespectful attempt to force him to abdicate.

　In addition, General Lyman Lanitzer also chimed in, saying that the Joint Chiefs of Staff unanimously agreed to the plan.

　In addition, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Arleigh Burke (a famous general in the Pacific War, a class of destroyers was later named after him) also echoed this sentiment, saying that it was better to start the Cuban War sooner rather than later. As long as we show enough courage and determination, we will surely win the war.

　The admiral also put forward this argument: Since the government is preparing to send people to Vietnam on the other side of the world to wipe out the Viet Cong (US military advisers stationed in South Vietnam), how can it ignore another aggressive red regime only a hundred kilometers away from Florida?

　In response to the Joint Chiefs of Staff's strong support, President Kennedy exchanged a meaningful glance with his brother, and then asked the military to quickly form an investigation team to go to Guatemala to assess the combat effectiveness, morale, and mental state of the Cuban mercenaries of the 2506th Brigade.

　The Joint Chiefs of Staff readily complied with the order and immediately dispatched a Marine colonel with a distinguished military record to lead a team to Guatemala.

　In early February, the investigation team returned from the mercenary training base in Guatemala and submitted a vivid report.

　-

　"Mr. President, my observations have strengthened my confidence that this force is capable not only of completing its initial combat missions but also of achieving its ultimate goal of overthrowing Castro.

　The brigade and battalion commanders were now fully informed of the details of the Trinidad landing plan and were in high spirits. These Cuban officers were young, strong, intelligent, and enthusiastically eager to fight...

　They said they knew the nature of their people well and believed that if they could inflict a heavy blow on the enemy army, it would crumble and they would immediately abandon Castro, whom they had no intention of supporting. They said it was Cuban tradition to side with whoever won.

　No matter how much force Castro could exert, they were absolutely sure of victory.

　I have the same belief..."

　"The writing is very sentimental, yet it often evades the main point. It spends a lot of space describing the mercenaries' enthusiasm and confidence, but fails to describe the actual number of people, equipment, and combat skills of the brigade. It reminds me of the war reports from the Imperial Japanese Headquarters!"

　Just as fanatical, just as empty, just as unrealistic... But I'm not Emperor Hirohito!"

　In the Oval Office of the White House, President Kennedy, who once drove a torpedo boat to ram a Japanese destroyer during the Pacific War, sat behind the famous "Resolute Desk" and flicked his fingers on the investigation and assessment report on the 2506th Brigade of Cuban mercenaries, and said this jokingly with a smile.

　"What's even more interesting is that I still haven't decided whether to land in Trinidad or choose the backup plan, the Bay of Pigs. How come those Cuban mercenaries in Guatemala are so sure they will be sent to the port of Trinidad?

　By the way, Robert, is there any news about the little guy from the Jin family? " He turned and asked his brother.

　"Yes, Mr. President. Captain King was worried his phone was being tapped, so he flew to Washington to see me personally."

　Robert Kennedy nodded and replied, "According to Captain King, it seems the investigation team didn't go to Guatemala at all. Instead, they spent a few days enjoying a comfortable vacation at Camp Wave in Florida—the same place the CIA had converted into a brothel."

　Hearing this, Secretary of Defense McNamara's face suddenly darkened. "Damn it! Not only is the CIA using fake news to fool the White House, but the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the entire Pentagon are now in cahoots with the CIA?"

　As a parachuted civilian defense minister, he was naturally most dissatisfied with the military's loss of control and petty maneuvers.

　"It may not be that serious, Mr. Secretary of Defense. The military may just want to make a fool of the CIA."

　Treasury Secretary Douglas Dillon said calmly, "Besides, it's probably just a desire to fight. Officers who graduate from military academies always yearn for war. No one wants to retire without ever having seen the battlefield, right?"

　"As long as Mr. President is determined, it will not be difficult to achieve a military victory. Our army can easily sweep the entire island of Cuba."

　Secretary Rusk added, “The real problem is that the international impact that follows is completely unpredictable and there is a great risk of it getting out of control, just like the Suez Canal War four years ago - except that we may have to play the role of the British and the French at that time…”

　——The Suez War of 1956, also known as the Second Middle East War, was a war between the two old imperialist countries of Britain and France and Israel to send troops to Egypt to teach Egypt's Nasser regime a lesson in order to compete for the ownership of the Suez Canal.

　On the battlefield, the sword

　The still-strong British and French forces did indeed easily defeat the Egyptian resistance and invade the Suez Canal zone.

　But the problem is that in terms of public opinion, this "imperialist punishment" of the Anglo-French coalition aroused strong opposition from the entire international community. The two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, even joined forces to force Britain and France to withdraw their troops. The Soviet Union directly issued a nuclear threat, and the United States massively shorted the pound and sniped British finance.

　Thus, the British and French forces that had invaded Beijing and burned down the Old Summer Palace were defeated without any intention of winning, and had to retreat in disgrace, becoming a disgrace to the five permanent members of the United Nations.

　Despite being utterly defeated on the battlefield, Egyptian leader Nasser ultimately triumphed, his reputation soaring. He seemed the chosen one to lead the Arab nation to revival... until his crushing defeat in the 1967 Middle East War, when he was struck down by Israel's "Sword of King David," and Colonel Nasser's true form was revealed, his mummy-like decay revealed.

　Now let's get back to the Cuban issue. If the United States chooses to break off relations and send troops directly, it will not be difficult to achieve a military victory. The real problem lies in the subsequent international impact. Most Latin American countries will probably attack the United States at the United Nations, and the rest of the countries will probably also join in the attack.

　After all, during the era of the US-Soviet rivalry, global public opinion wasn't dominated by the United States. Especially at this critical juncture, the US itself had just endured more than a decade of McCarthyism's cultural purge, leaving Hollywood's soft power practically on the brink of collapse.

　Just think about it, how could a country that has been constantly engaging in literary inquisitions still have such a strong appeal to the global cultural community?

　The United States' current control over Western Europe relies mainly on the deterrence and pressure of its military presence, which is far from the pervasive level of the 21st century.

　Therefore, France and Britain, which still have a strong voice in public opinion due to their past heritage, may not necessarily stand on the side of the United States in everything - not to mention, Britain and France may still remember the old hatred of being stabbed in the back by the American boss in the Suez War four years ago, and are looking forward to finding a place to take revenge!

　By then, the Soviet Union will attack from the front, Britain and France will stab it in the back, and the third world countries will act as atmosphere creators. The United States will definitely be humiliated.

　Even more devastating was the fact that President Kennedy had many political enemies at home. If the invasion of Cuba was condemned by the international community, and lawmakers from both parties seized the opportunity to attack him and launch a smear campaign, the new administration's poll numbers would surely plummet!

　For American politicians who come to power through elections, this is a matter of life and death.

　"Using Nixon's legacy plan to attack Cuba is too risky, as there are too many uncontrollable factors.

　Even if we really want to eradicate the Castro regime in Cuba, we must follow our own plan! We can't let Allen Dulles lead us by the nose! "

　President Kennedy made the final decision: "This spring, we will launch a righteous Caribbean crusade, sweeping the Dominican Republic and bringing that old bastard Trujillo to justice. This will establish our authority internationally and satisfy our domestic needs. The American countries will not be able to object."

　As for the invasion of Cuba, let's leave Castro and his troublemaker club alone and wait until this fall or next year!

　Of course, the work of assassinating Castro must continue. It would be great if he could meet Marx before we send troops..."

　Su--If Gaddafi had received such treatment at that time, he would not have died.

　After the CIA's defeat at the Bay of Pigs, Trujillo became even more sarcastic and showed no sign of repentance.

　Even after Trujillo's death, his family still gathered private soldiers to fight against the opposition supported by the US military for several months.

　It was only because the Air Force and Navy had completely defected and the Army had been bombed and defeated that they were forced to admit defeat and withdraw.

　Chapter 37: The decision that changed history!

　On February 16, 1961, another cabinet meeting on the Cuban issue was held at the White House.

　The ambitious Director Dulles was just about to take the Pentagon investigation team's assessment report on Cuban mercenaries and enthusiastically continue to persuade President Kennedy to support his "Pluto Plan" and Cuba strategy, but he was poured a bucket of cold water on his head.

　Because, before he could open his mouth at the meeting, President Kennedy had already announced his own plan to attack the Dominican Republic.

　President Kennedy said that Cuba's Castro regime not only confiscated American assets and instigated the people of Latin American countries to be anti-American, but also pulled Soviet influence into the Caribbean, giving the polar bear a bridgehead to spy on the US mainland. This is indeed an unforgivable crime.

　But the problem is that the troubles and provocations the United States is currently facing in the Caribbean are not limited to Red Cuba.

　As we all know, after being severed from diplomatic ties and sanctioned by the United States, and especially after being ordered by the White House to freeze assets and block trade, Dominican dictator Trujillo apparently went mad, even publicly clamoring that if the United States did not tolerate him, he would follow Cuba's example and become pro-Soviet and pro-communist!

　Obviously, in order to maintain its hegemony and prestige, the United States will never accept such ridiculous threats.

　President Kennedy said that since he had just become president and lacked experience, it would not be appropriate for him to do something overly challenging right away.

　When two anti-American "evil regimes" appeared simultaneously in the Caribbean, he planned to start with the easy and then move on to the difficult, and first practice on the Dominican Republic.

　Therefore, President Kennedy decided to temporarily shelve the "Pluto Plan" to attack Cuba, and at the same time ordered the CIA to quickly formulate a "police operation" combat plan to attack the Dominican Republic and overthrow the Trujillo dictatorship, and personally named it "Crusader Plan."

　The 2506th Brigade, originally used to counterattack Cuba, could be transferred to the Dominican Republic to cooperate with CIA agents to overthrow the Trujillo regime.

　Even if the Trujillo family's direct army was too strong and half a brigade of Cuban mercenaries couldn't defeat it, the Pentagon's Marines could still follow behind to support it! In any case, Trujillo had already made himself a world enemy through a series of crazy and suicidal actions.

　Under the triple excommunication certification of the Organization of American States, the United Nations, and the Vatican, it would be reasonable for the US military to directly send troops to the Dominican Republic.

　In addition, Trujillo has been clamoring to join the Communist Party since the end of December last year, and conservative forces in the United States have been unable to object to this.

　In short, it was happily decided to send troops to the Dominican Republic to enforce justice. This would be the new government's first major foreign policy initiative.

　This sudden blow immediately stunned CIA Director Dulles and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Lyman Lanitzer.

　what?

　Instead of attacking Cuba, attack the Dominican Republic first?

　Oh my God! How can this be possible!

　Even if the president decided to kill Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, there was no need to pull the 2506th Brigade over to start the fight!

　The CIA's elite team of agents had already infiltrated the Dominican Republic and successfully connected with the local opposition.

　As long as the White House gives the order, CIA agents will be able to help this "benefactor of the motherland" go to heaven in a decent manner in no time!

　So, how could the president send the 2506th Brigade to the Dominican Republic to do something unnecessary?

　Who on earth is trying to ruin my "Pluto Project"?!

　—In short, after hearing the President's "Dictatorship of the Sacred Heart," Director Dulles was caught off guard and immediately felt a wave of disgust and resistance in his heart.

　It’s not that Director Dulles had a favorable impression of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic and wanted to protect him despite pressure from the whole world. If he really wanted to protect Trujillo, he would not have sent agents and assassins to infiltrate the Dominican Republic to take the life of this "benefactor of the motherland."

　But according to the director's idea, apart from the various communist parties, the rest of the enemies are unimportant and not worth spending too much energy to pay attention to.

　Therefore, in order to overthrow the Castro regime in Cuba, he was willing to spend huge sums of money to raise a mercenary army of thousands of well-equipped soldiers.

　When dealing with Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, he simply sent a few agents with a box of weapons to contact local informants to carry out the assassination.

　Because, in Director Dulles's view, as long as Rafael Trujillo was killed, the Dominican Republic's troubles would be over.

　In the future, no matter who comes to power in the Dominican Republic, it will have no choice but to follow the baton of the United States.