Daigler Speaks to Pardee School Students on Cuban Missile Crisis
Ken Daigler, an acclaimed author and retired CIA officer, visited the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies on April 17, 2018 to give a presentation on the Cuban Missile Crisis to students in IR 581, “The Evolution of Strategic Intelligence,” taught by John D. Woodward, Jr., Professor of the Practice of International Relations at the Pardee School.
In his talk, Daigler offered an introduction to the crisis, and discussed the different views held by the United States and the USSR on nuclear engagement as a tool of war. He then discussed the intelligence capabilities each side had during the crisis, to include HUMINT, technical collection, and the USSR’s denial and deception plan for the installation of the missiles in Cuba. He also detailed critical U.S. intelligence activities in July and August 1962 leading up to the U.S. realization of the USSR’s military deployment in Cuba.
Daigler then discussed four topics with the students:
- What was the value of US and USSR intelligence activities in solving the crisis?
- How did “political and cultural” issues affect the decision-making during the crisis?
- What were the key factors in solving the crisis?
- What lessons learned here should be applied in future geo-political thinking?
Daigler writes regularly on intelligence-related topics. In May 2014, Georgetown University Press released his book, Spies, Patriots and Traitors, which describes American intelligence activities during the Revolutionary War period.
“Ken’s extensive intelligence expertise enables him to understand key historical events like the Cuban Missile Crisis with a unique and welcome perspective,” noted Woodward.