Castro blames Soviets for crisis

CUBA’S President Fidel Castro has said on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis that Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev helped create the conflict

Castro’s comments, which came in an interview with ABC’s “20/20” programme, coincided with a conference in Havana bringing together Cubans and Americans who played roles during the Cold War drama. ABC, which will broadcast the interview today, made the transcript public yesterday.

“He believed what Khruschev told him,” Castro said during the interview, conducted this week in Havana. Therefore, Kennedy was misled. That was a very big mistake on the part of Khruschev... one that we opposed vehemently.”