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Nixon Claims Kennedy Flouted Security Restrictions in 1960 Campaign

Mar. 19, 1962 - Richard M. Nixon has charged in a new book that President Kennedy endangered security restrictions in 1960 with his campaign call for intervention in Cuba. Mr. Nixon wrote Mr. Kennedy had been given a secret intelligence briefing in which he was told that the Eisenhower Administration was training Cuban exiles for an invasion of Cuba. The briefing was given by Allen Dulles, then director of the C.I.A., Mr. Nixon said. It came before Mr. Kennedy declared on Oct. 20: “We must attempt to strengthen the non-Batista democratic anti-Castro forces in exile and in Cuba itself, who offer eventual hope of overthrowing Castro. Thus far, these fighters for freedom have had virtually no support from our government.” The charge is contained in “Six Crises,” a book by Mr. Nixon to be published on March 29. “Kennedy was now publicly advocating what was already the policy of the American government — covertly — and Kennedy had been so informed,” Mr. Nixon wrote. In addition, “Kennedy was endangering the security of the whole operation by his public statement.” Mr. Nixon, now a Republican candidate for Governor of California, added: “For the first and only time in the campaign, I got mad at Kennedy — personally.”

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