Cuba after Fidel Castro: Issues and Strategic Considerations for the Employment of United States Armed Forces.

Abstract

Cuba is an important interest of the United States and at times, a vital one. The situation in Cuba is tenuous, considering the strained political, social, and economic conditions, and exacerbated by questions about Castro's health. This paper proposes and analyzes strategic considerations for the potential employment of United States armed forces in a post-Castro Cuba. It describes possible scenarios as well as the issues, interests, and players that strategic decision-makers need to be aware of in order to understand the dynamics of United States and Cuba relations. The issues include the potential for mass refugee migration, internal conflict that could spill into the region, and demands that the United States intervene for humanitarian reasons. This paper will provide decision-makers another source from which to develop more cohesive military strategies with regards to the potential future changes in Cuba and the high probability of United States involvement. Cuba is an important interest of the United States and at times, a vital one. The situation in Cuba is tenuous, considering the strained political, social, and economic conditions, and exacerbated by questions about Castro's health. This paper proposes and analyzes strategic considerations for the potential employment of United States armed forces in a post-Castro Cuba. It describes possible scenarios as well as the issues, interests, and players that strategic decision-makers need to be aware of in order to understand the dynamics of United States and Cuba relations. The issues include the potential for mass refugee migration, internal conflict that could spill into the region, and demands that the United States intervene for humanitarian reasons. This paper will provide decision-makers another source from which to develop more cohesive military strategies with regards to the potential future changes in Cuba and the high probability of United States involvement.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1998
Accession Number
ADA344899

Entities

People

  • Michael R. Wood

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Command And Control
  • Commerce
  • Department Of State
  • Employment
  • Foreign Policy
  • Governments
  • Hispanics
  • International Relations
  • Latin America
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • United States
  • United States Southern Command
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Strategic Security Studies