Text of Khrushchev Message, October 28, 1962

FBIS 53 TEXT OF KHRUSHCHEV MESSAGE MOSCON DOMESTIC SERVICE IN RUSSIAN 1405 28 OCT 62 L (TEXT) ESTEEMED MR. PRESIDENT: I HAVE RECEIVED YOUR MESSAGE OF OCTOBER 27, 1962. I EXPRESS MY SATISFACTION AND GRATITUDE FOR THE SENSE OF PROPORTION AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE RESPONSIBILITY BORNE BY YOU AT PRESENT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF PEACE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WHICH YOU HAVE SHOWN. I VERY WELL UNDERSTAND YOUR ANX ETY AND THE ANXIETY OF THE UNITED STATES PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE FACT THAT THE VEAPONS WHICH YOU DESCRIBE AS "OFFENSIVE" ARE, N FACT, GRIM WEAPONS. BOTH YOU AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF WEAPON THEY ARE. 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, VHO, 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 BUILD NG SITES FOR THE MEAPONS, HAS ISSUED A NEW ORDER ON THE DISMANTLING OF THE WEAPONS WHICH YOU DESCRIBE AS "OFFENSIVE," AND THEIR CRATING AND RETURN TO THE SOVIET UNIONS 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 TME CUBAN GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC AID, AS WELL AS ARMS, INASMUCH AS CUBA AND THE CUSAN PEOPLE HAVE CONSTANTLY BEEN UNDER THE CONTINUOUS DANGUR OF AN INVASION. THE SHELLING OF HAVANA TOOK PLACE FROM A PIRATIC SHIP. IT S SAID THAT IRRESPONSIBLE CUBAN Emigres DID THE SHOOTING. THIS IS POSSIBLY THE CASE. HOWEVER, THE QUESTION ARISES: FROM WHERE DID THEY FIRE? AFTER ALL, THEY, THESE CUBANS, HAVE NO TERRITORY, THEY HAVE NO PRIVATE MEANS, AND THEY HAVE NO MEANS TO WAGE MILITARY ACTION. THUS SOMEBODY PUT THE ARMS NEEDED TO SHELL HAVANA2 AND CARRY OUT THEIR PIRATIC ACTIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN-- IN CUBAN TERRITORIAL WATERS-- IN THEIR HANDSI IT IS UNTHINKABLE IN OUR TIME NOT TO NOTICE A PIRATE SHIP, PARTICULARLY IF ONE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT SUCH A SATURATION OF AMERICAN SHIPS IN THE CARIBBEAN FROM VHICH ACTUALLY ALL THIS IS WATCHED AND OBSERVED. IN SUCH CIRCUMISTANCES, PIRATIC SHIPS ARE FREELY MOVING AROUND CUBA, SHELLING CUBA, AND CARRYING OUT PIRATIC ATTACKS UPON PEACEFUL TRANSPORT VESSELS! IT IS, AFTER ALL, KNOWN THAT THEY EVEN SHELLED A BRITISH FREIGHTERI IN SHORT, CUBA HAS BEEN UNDER THE CONSTANT THREAT OF AGGRESSIVE FORCES WHICH DID NOT CONCEAL THEIR INTENTIONS TO INVADE CURAN TERRITORY. THE CUBAN PEOPLE WANT TO BUILD THEIR LIFE IN THEIR OWN INTERE T WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM WITHOUT. YOU ARE RIGHT IN THIS, AND ONE CANNOT BLAME THEM BECAUSE THEY WANT TO BE MASTERS OF THEIR OWN COUNTRY AND DISPOSE OF THE PRUITS OF THEIR LABOR. THE THREAT OF CUBA'S INVASION AND ALL THE OTHER VENTURES AIMED AT BRINGING ABOUT TENSION AROUND CUBA ARE DESIGNED TO ENGENDER UNCERTAINTY IN THE CUBAN PEOPLE, INTIMIDATE THEM, AND HINDER THEM IN BUILDING THEIR NEW LIFE UNDISTURBED. MR. PRESIDENT, I WANT TO SAY CLEARLY AGAIN THAT WE COULD NOT BE INDIFFERENT TO THIS. THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO HELP CUBA NITH MEANS OF DEFENSE AGAINST A3GRESSION--AND ONLY WITH MEAM FOR PURPOSES OF DEFEWSE. (MORE) 28 OCT 1004A MML/HM