Operation Northwoods
EstablishedConfirmed as fact in the official record
The claim
US military leaders were said to have drawn up plans for staged attacks against their own side to justify an invasion of Cuba.
Where it started
The document was written in 1962 and its existence was unknown for about thirty years. It was declassified and released in 1997 during the work of the Assassination Records Review Board.
Where it stands
A March 1962 paper from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense sets out provocations meant to be blamed on Cuba, including faked hijackings and a faked sinking. What is established is that the planning document exists. It was not approved and was never carried out.
Primary sources
- 미국 국립기록관리청, 케네디 암살 기록 컬렉션archives.govOfficial source
- 국가안보문서고, 관련 문서 해설nsarchive.gwu.eduPress report
checked 2026-09-07
This site carries only what has been officially established or conclusively refuted. Source texts are not reproduced; we link to them. When a finding changes we revise the entry and the check date with it.