9781422280225

A U-2 reconnaissance photograph of Cuba, showing Soviet nuclear missiles, their transports and tents for fueling and maintenance.

The 1960s began badly. The Russians shot down the CIA’s U2 spy plane in 1960, and the next year, the agency was blamed for the Bay of Pigs failure, when it encouraged Cuban exiles in the United States to invade Communist Cuba. However, the CIA proved its worth in 1962, when a U2 flight discovered the Soviet missile buildup in Cuba, and President John F. Kennedy forced their removal. By the late 1960s, however, the agency had again lost the confidence of many Americans, who were protesting against the Vietnam War and questioning their govern- ment’s role in the affairs of other nations.

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