American Strategic Deception Bureau

　Therefore, the most rational and calm top international strategic operators in the United States during the Cold War, such as Kissinger and Brzezinski, all knew that the United States actually had no institutional advantages at all and could not add any positive buffs to its loyalists, but would instead add negative buffs.

　If the United States, which runs such a garbage system, wants to win the Cold War, the only way is to destroy the enemy's institutional advantages, pull the enemy down to the same level as itself, and then rely on its richer financial resources to "hurt the enemy with its own strength" and kill the opponent by spending money.

　After all, the various tangible and intangible assets accumulated by the 500-year colonial order of European and American Western civilization are still huge, enough to be squandered for a long time.

　As a result, the United States had to play the role of a money-giving boy during the Cold War, relying on bribery and violent beatings to implement poaching tactics. The more troublesome the troublemakers in the Third World were, the more money they had to spend to buy them off - whether they would be settled later was another matter.

　If the US government pursues any Third World leader with a history of collusion with Russia, imposing a "pass-the-door" policy and a "loyalty that's not absolute is disloyalty," then the Western bloc itself will collapse. This is because Europe is rife with "disloyal servants." The Nordic countries have long flirted with the Soviet Union, and France, under Charles de Gaulle's leadership, has repeatedly stabbed NATO in the back.

　But, haven't successive US governments just had to endure it? At most, they'd put it on the black list and retaliate when the opportunity arose.

　——After the Cold War, the United States did have the power to suppress the whole world for a time, but during the Cold War, it was temporarily unable to do so.

　In order to win the Cold War, the US government had to keep its doors open to recruit surrenders and defections, and to welcome with a smile any enemy who "repented and returned to the right path."

　Even during the most frenzied years of McCarthyism in the United States, the White House did not carry out "cross-border law enforcement" overseas.

　For example, South Korean President Park Chung-hee was also a member of the "Northern Puppet" organization in his early years. But when did the United States start to hold this accusation against him?

　By analogy, as long as Castro and his Cuban revolutionary government are willing to give in, the current White House does not necessarily want to kill them.

　Just like the famous "Black Hawk Down" incident, the United States also

　Instead of sending large-scale troops to retaliate against Somalia, they ran away at the speed of light and left it alone.

　In fact, in the bizarre Cold War era, Firi's plan to "change Castro's name to Kakarot" could only be described as a tactical deception derived from the existing routine. It was far from being a truly innovative and strategic deception that could take over the world!

　"Dear Fili, even if your plan to persuade Castro to surrender and pretend to have won the war was approved by the CIA and the White House, the question is, why would Fidel and his Cuban revolutionary government cooperate with a big liar like you to deceive the world?"

　Marita bit her lip and thought for a moment with her not-so-bright little brain before finally discovering another blind spot. "The US Air Force has been bombing Cuba for so long. It's said that seven hydrogen bombs killed a million people. The Cubans must hate the United States, right?

　Faced with the corpses of their loved ones and their burned homes, will the hatred-filled Cuban authorities be willing to end the war and restore peace with the United States?

　"Hey, dear, it's never hatred that leads to war, but interests! Seventeen years ago, when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan, the Japanese didn't actually "die 100 million people in battle." Instead, they ran to the battleship Missouri and signed an unconditional surrender!

　For a responsible nation, failure is common; survival is the top priority. Any nation or people with a long history has experienced many setbacks. Yet, they have managed to survive, no matter how humiliating their lives may have been.

　Fili curled his lips in disapproval, "Because, failure is not terrible, what is terrible is giving up on yourself and giving up hope of survival.

　Then, ordinary people may be able to act on their emotions, but rulers must have cold considerations of interests and cannot be blinded by personal emotions!

　Considering how Fidel Castro led the Cuban Revolution and ultimately achieved victory over the past few years, he must have been a rational and cunning man who knew how to humble himself and change his stance when necessary. Otherwise, he would not have been able to win widespread support from the European and American civilized world.

　When it comes to deceiving the world, this bearded Cuban is my predecessor! He truly fooled the entire planet!

　Although he messed up in the end, it was not mainly because of his lack of skills, but because he had too little capital and bad luck.

　I believe that after experiencing such a brutal nuclear war, he should have a clearer understanding of his current situation.

　As long as the United States is willing to give him a way out, he will most likely try to grab the olive branch - even if he doesn't, someone else will..."

　——Ordinary people may talk about feelings, but politicians only talk about interests.

　According to Firi, the CIA-initiated "Tropic Thunder" operation in Cuba has gone through so many twists and turns that the United States has been exhausted and has even given up all practical interests in Cuba. The only war goal left is face-saving.

　On the other side of the war, after the Cuban revolutionary government accidentally achieved its interests, the only motivation left to maintain the war was hatred.

　However, in the face of absolute strength suppression, even the most blazing flame of hatred can be forcibly extinguished.

　For example, during the westward expansion of the United States, the Indians on the Great Plains were practically scalped. Massacres of women and children and bullying of men and women were commonplace. They even did such unscrupulous things as giving away smallpox virus blankets to create plagues.

　However, even in the face of such a deep blood feud, the vast majority of Indian tribes did not choose to perish together with their own people.

　Even the two chiefs who defeated the US military in the Battle of the Big and Small Horn, the famous Indian war heroes "Crazy Horse" and "Standing Bear", finally bowed their heads in the face of a completely hopeless war situation. One was assassinated while negotiating with the US military, and the other was framed and killed twenty years after surrendering.

　Was it cowardly? It was indeed cowardly, but without such cowardice, their people would not even be able to enter the reservation and would have been killed directly.

　Enduring humiliation like this is the sorrow that any small tribe or country must endure.

　In order to survive and reproduce, they must learn to kneel down before the strong who slaughter their compatriots, and learn to show flattering smiles to the enemies who killed their fathers.

　Being resolute and brave is for the survival of the tribe, and enduring humiliation is also for the continued existence of the tribe.

　Everything is for existence, and existence is everything!

　His hometown turned into a radioactive wasteland...

　Of course, even if Castro suddenly lost his former flexibility and became stubborn and inflexible, even if he remained unmoved and refused to negotiate in the face of a desperate situation, Firi had a backup plan - he could find someone within the Cuban revolutionary government who was willing to negotiate!

　However, this will make the whole process much more troublesome, not only will the number of uncontrollable factors increase greatly, but it will also take a very long time.

　The more critical issue is that Firi only has about 50 million US dollars in funds, which is not enough to sustain a protracted war.

　Therefore, Firi still hoped to get it right in one go, directly recruit Castro, have him shave his beard and change his name to Kakarot, and be done with it...

　——In addition to this, Fili actually had a selfish motive, that is, when his bedmate Marita talked about the past, she would always hold Monica and feed her while mentioning "that interesting Cuban bearded man" in a nostalgic tone.

　It is conceivable that for Fili, the scapegoat, every time he hears this word, he feels uncomfortable as if he has suffered a mental blow.

　Although he knew that Marita's current condition meant she couldn't possibly rekindle her relationship with Castro, he still felt a bit jealous after hearing it so many times, and couldn't help but be aroused by the competitive spirit that every man has - why can't I be as good as him?

　Marita, I'm going to shave his beard right now! Let's see who's more powerful!

　Well, this idea is indeed naive and childish. But men are prone to losing their minds in front of women...

　Otherwise, how did all this stupid jealous competition come about?

　Isn't it because it is engraved deep in the genes of every male human being, the innate instinct to compete with each other for the right to mate with females?

　Well, it’s decided. After Operation Tropic Thunder, the next phase of the Cuban offensive will be called Operation Razor!

　So, after dragging his "foursome of the old, weak, sick and disabled" and two speechless American staff officers to draft a preliminary plan for the Cuban invasion, Fili excitedly rushed to Washington to report his deceptive plan... no, his battle plan to the bureau.

　-

　"What? Force Castro to land? The goal is to urge Castro to shave his beard and change his name? What kind of nonsense is this?"

　A few days later, in the director's office at Langley Building, CIA Director Dulles, looking at the Operation Razor plan presented by Fieri, was so overwhelmed by Fieri's brainstorming that he jumped up from the sofa in astonishment, nearly hitting the ceiling.

　Well, the above is of course an exaggeration, but Director Dulles really did jump up from the sofa in an instant as if a spring was sitting under his butt.

　"Major King! The country has entrusted you with an important task in the hope that you can bring victory and glory to America, not mess around like this!"

　Director Dulles angrily slammed the stack of reports that Fieri had handed him on the table and asked, "Do you deserve the training and promotion you received from the bureau?"

　But unfortunately, Major Ferry King does not accept this workplace PUA at all, and has no respect for him as the director who should have been dismissed long ago.

　"An important task? Director, you've clearly given me an impossible task! Let's not even talk about how many Castro's Cuban revolutionary troops are left. The Soviet troops aiding Cuba alone number at least several thousand, perhaps even more than ten thousand!

　If we count the Cuban militia, Castro's side can still muster at least 30,000 to 50,000 people! On our side, we only have one 2506th Brigade, half of which was destroyed by the atomic bomb in Trinidad, and two-thirds of the remaining half were scared away before the expedition.

　Now, you want me to use 1,500 poorly trained and demoralized mercenaries to actively attack an enemy force that is 20 or even 30 times larger than my number!

　God! Hannibal, the Carthaginian god of war, only annihilated a Roman legion twice his size in the Battle of Cannae!

　Do you think my IQ is fifteen times higher than Hannibal's?

　Or, Director, can you find a way to get the Pentagon to hand over the 2nd Marine Division at Guantanamo Bay to me?"

　"You want to command a division of Marines? Are you kidding? You're just a major! Not a major general!" Director Dulles shouted.

　"So, the Bureau is just kidding when they ask me to conquer Cuba with half a brigade of new and remnant soldiers?

　General Clark commanded ten American divisions, but he still couldn't win the Korean War. I only have half a brigade now, what good can I do?"

　Firi rolled his eyes unceremoniously, "Director, have you forgotten that Castro still has the atomic bomb? From the perspective of a member of the Nuclear Weapons Club, his current status is even higher than that of India's Nehru and China's poet!

　Rather than fighting on the battlefield, it would be better to use the $50 million to hire 50 assassins to line up and execute the assassination. Perhaps the success rate would be higher!"

　(China's atomic bomb was to be successfully developed in 1964. So now Cuba is a nuclear power, but China is not.)

　Seeing Feely's rebellious appearance, Director Dulles was also very troubled - the "Tropic Thunder" operation that brazenly invaded Cuba, from full of confidence at the beginning to such a terrible situation now, the CIA, which provoked the war, is now in a very embarrassing situation.

　The members of Congress who were forced to retreat to the Blue Ridge underground nuclear shelter at the height of the nuclear crisis, spending a few days as "bunker boys," now, looking back at the Capitol building looted and set on fire by rioters, and the smoke and fire left in their offices, are filled with anger and shame.

　The generals in the Pentagon were shocked and angry after being hit head-on by medium-range missiles fired from Cuba.

　So far, the last time the US capital Washington turned into a battlefield seemed to be the War of 1812 between the US and Britain, right?

　One hundred and fifty years have passed, and the United States has risen to become a world hegemon. Why is its capital being bombed again?

　What a shame! It's a national disgrace!

　Then, when most people are unwilling to reflect on themselves, their first reaction will inevitably be to shift the blame, shirk responsibility, and put the blame on others as usual.

　Now that they have not been able to capture and chop the bearded Castro into pieces, the anger of the US military and political leaders has been directed at the CIA.

　After all, it was the CIA that initiated the war, and failed to detect the Soviet deployment of nuclear bombs and medium-range missiles in Cuba, allowing the US mainland to be attacked without warning. Ugh, the attack was on the US capital! Who else but the CIA could bear the brunt of this huge, round blame?

　If the Cuban War had not been over yet, Director Dulles and Deputy Director Bissell would probably have been kicked out and fired on the spot!

　Unless this war can be brought to a successful conclusion, Director Dulles and Deputy Director Bissell may be able to retire with honor.

　What? Keep your job? How could such a good thing happen?! It's good enough that they didn't send you to court and nitpick you for ten or eight years!

　But even if he managed to keep his job temporarily, the director was also at a loss as to how to deal with the blame that was put on the Pentagon and how to make it come back on his face.

　——The CIA in 1962 was still in its infancy and did not have such a large private army, so it was impossible to fight a war of annihilation.

　Not to mention, this is a fucking nuclear war!

　So, looking at Fieri who was stubborn and refused to take the blame, and remembering his previous record of reporting to the president, Director Dulles, who was already in a state of panic, could only sigh and reveal some of the real details to Fieri.

　——Of course, this is also because Firi, the follower of the Prince of Lies, used a little bit of "Charm" and "Suggestion" spells.

　Although the effect is limited, it can at least make the director's attitude towards him improve to "friendly": after all, there is no core conflict between the two sides.

　According to Director Dulles, he and the CIA top brass were not crazy. They never expected that when the US ground forces completely withdrew, Firi could create a miracle on the Cuban battlefield alone with only the remnants of the 2506th Brigade.

　In fact, at the same time that Firi was appointed as the new head of the Cuban Special Task Force, Director Dulles and Deputy Director Bissell had already bypassed the chain of command and directed CIA spies on the Caribbean front to launch a campaign to induce and bribe high-ranking officials within the Cuban revolutionary government.

　When the stick in your hand is not strong enough to sweep away all the debris, you naturally have no choice but to lower your stance and resort to soft tactics such as bribery.

　In order to recruit defectors, the CIA promised almost all important positions in the future "Free Cuba" provisional government.

　——Anyway, all interest groups in the United States now look down on Cuba’s radioactive wasteland and even regard it as a hot potato.

　However, compared to sparing Castro's life, Director Dulles hoped to directly bribe traitors from within the Cuban revolutionary government, allowing them to find a way to get rid of Castro and put forward another "moderate (surrenderist)" leader to negotiate reconciliation with the United States.

　After all, when conditions permit, the US government and the CIA also want to save face.

　Castro and Khrushchev gave Washington such a grand "gift" this time, so of course President Kennedy wanted revenge!

　Even if they couldn't do anything to Khrushchev in Moscow for the time being, could they not deal with Castro in Cuba?

　Moreover, the CIA is indeed confident that it can contact and bribe a considerable number of traitors from Castro's subordinates!

　It was a mixture of a large number of speculators with impure motives and half-baked people with incompetence, and the degree of organization was not high in the early stages.

　Even though Fidel Castro had carried out several major purges of his government, he was ultimately unable to completely cut off US infiltration into the Cuban revolutionary regime. Furthermore, the overly simplistic and crude Cuban land reforms created countless domestic opponents for Castro...

　In general, in the eyes of Director Dulles, Castro's Cuban revolutionary government was just a somewhat decent makeshift team.

　Even if the Castro brothers had once built a cohesive team thanks to their personal charisma, after enduring so many hydrogen bomb attacks, their morale should have wavered. Isn't this the perfect opportunity to bribe traitors and have them eliminate Castro from within?

　Well, at least that's what Director Dulles and the CIA brass, and even most members of the White House cabinet, thought.

　Therefore, according to Director Dulles, all Firi had to do was remotely control the mercenaries of the 2506th Brigade to bluff and stir up some trouble around Guantanamo Bay, the easternmost part of the island of Cuba, to maintain military pressure on the Cuban revolutionary regime and remind them that "the war is not over", and he would have completed his mission.

　As for recruiting defectors, instigating a coup and civil unrest in the Cuban revolutionary government, and ousting Castro from power, it is better to leave it to someone more experienced!

　Phili rationally believed that the CIA's bribery strategy might be feasible, even a standard practice when one has the upper hand. But when the opponent is a "super evasive king" like Castro, who has survived over 600 CIA assassination attempts, wouldn't it be so effective?

　After all, this bearded Castro seems to be the perfect nemesis of the CIA!

　Of course, since Director Dulles was so confident in his "implosion tactics", it would be difficult for Ferry to pour cold water on him and spoil his mood at this time.

　Therefore, Firi temporarily put the planned "Razor" operation on hold and deployed military operations according to the director's instructions.

　——When something goes wrong with Director Dulles’ surrender plan, he will try to see if he can make Castro “keep his beard but not his head”!

　-

　In the following days, the war situation in Cuba continued to follow its original trajectory and evolved step by step.

　After a week of shipping and air transport, the remaining 1500 Cuban mercenaries of the 2506th Brigade, as well as their assigned artillery, tanks, armored vehicles, aircraft, etc., all arrived at the Guantanamo base in late January and moved into the barracks vacated by the US military.

　Since Brigadier General San Roman had been killed or missing on the battlefield in Trinidad, Firi announced that Deputy Brigadier General Irnedo Oliva would be the second brigade commander and asked him to lead 1000 soldiers to try to leave the Guantanamo base at the end of January and reoccupy the neighboring city of Guantanamo.

　The entire operation was very easy. The mercenaries encountered almost no resistance in the dilapidated Guantanamo Bay. More than a hundred Soviet officers and soldiers who had lost contact with their superiors and were abandoned in the ruins of the city surrendered to the mercenaries one after another because they had run out of ammunition and food and were demoralized.

　The CIA did not dare to push their luck further. They confiscated the weapons of the Soviets, interrogated them briefly, and then gave each of them a free boat ticket. They sent them to New York and handed them over to the Soviet consulate. As for whether any of them had bribed informants, that was another matter.

　At the same time, the 2nd Marine Division and other U.S. troops originally stationed at Guantanamo Bay began the process of rapid withdrawal.

　In just half a month, the number of US troops deployed in Guantanamo plummeted from more than 30,000 at its peak to less than 2,000. The most elite 2nd Marine Division was completely withdrawn, and the remaining ones were miscellaneous troops such as the National Guard, as well as some auxiliary personnel such as military doctors and maintenance workers.

　Fortunately, the 2nd Marine Division was quite generous when they left, leaving behind their tents, vehicles, surplus rations, medicines, fuel, and even their stockpiled ammunition. This allowed the mercenaries of the 2506th Brigade to pick up a lot of "loot" and maintain their logistical supply for a long time.