European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes tuesday september 6,1988 soviet troop total in Cuba far above Juk s estimate stateside Washington a soviet scholars Are shed Ding new tight on the 1962 cuban missile crisis including the disclosure hat Moscow had almost twice As Many troops in Cuba As president John f. Kennedy and his administration believed says an american author. Startling new information will require a revision of historical and analytic accounts of the events of the cuban missile crisis Raymond l. Garthoff writes in the autumn edition of he journal foreign policy. Wanhoff a senior fellow at the Brookings institution and a stale department participant in the crisis based his article on soviet sources who under the policy of greater openness or glasnost Are beginning to publicly discuss formerly taboo subjects. Perhaps the most Eye opening revelation in Gar thefts article is the presence in Cuba of 42,000 soviet troops in the fall of 1962. While the United Stales had very Good intelligence on the missiles in Cuba in october and november 1962, its information on the number of soviet military personnel was weak Garthoff wrote official . Intelligence estimates Rose from 4,500 on oct. 3, to some 8,000-10,000 by oct. 22, to 12,000-16,000 by nov. 19, and finally to 22,000 in a retroactive estimate in Early 1963," he said. But it i urns out. This figure was still far too Low. Years later. Fidel Castro said the number was 40,000.sergio  a soviet scholar has now confirmed thai the full soviet military complement in Cuba in october 1962 totalled 42,000 men wrote Garth Oft among the other disclosures Nikita Khrushchev then inc Kremlin Leader decided to secretly place nuclear tipped ss-4 and ss-5 missiles in Cuba without a formal decision by the Rul ing politburo. Such Volun artistic actions led to Khrushchev s downfall two years later. Khrushchev considered running through a naval blockade ordered by Kennedy but was dissuaded by Anas Las Mikoyan then Deputy soviet Premier. Khrushchev did not authorize a proposal by the Kab station chief in Washington Aleksandr Fomin to . Journalist John Scali that was Long thought Mohave been the key to ending the Crisi. The Deal which was very close to the final Resolution called for withdrawal of soviet missiles from Cuba in return for re Moval of . Missiles from Turkey soviet leaders hurriedly Cut a diplomatic Leal to get their missiles out of Cuba because they thought . Invasion of the Caribbean Island was imminent the commander of soviet forces in Cuba at in time was a four Star general Issa Aliyev an Odd Choice because Aliyev was a career cavalry officer unfamiliar with missiles and with Only one previous foreign assignment in the far East before and during world War ii. The decision to shoot Down a . U-2 spy plane Over Cuba during the crisis was made by a soviet one Star general on the scene  and surprised Khrushchev helping to induce him to lower tension. Most of the new disclosures come from two intellectuals associated with the reforms of soviet Leader Mik Hail Gorbachev Fyodor Burlatskiy who was a member of Khrushchev s inner Circle and Sergio Mikoyan who is the son of Anas Las Mikoyan and is an expert on soviet cuban relations. Mikoyan Drew on his father s unpublished memoirs. Hartholt also quoted a number of unidentified soviet officials who he said Are Well placed but Are not ready to step into the spotlight. More disclosures Are possible at an International conference on the cuban missile crisis tentatively scheduled for january 1989 in Moscow. Despite the disclosures Little is known about soviet decision making in the crisis prompting Garthoff to conclude Hal crisis management even when handled Well is a poor alternative to crisis prevention. Glas nost in policy As in politics and history can help Avert new superpower  Titan 2 missile launched in California Vandenberg fab Calif at1 a Titan 2 mis Sile designed to launch a nuclear warhead soared on its Maiden flight As a space rocket Early monday carrying whal an expert said Likely was a set of Navy spy satellites. The 103-foot liquid fuelled Booster bearing what the air Force described Only As a classified payload lifted off Al 2 25 . From this sprawling coastal military base 140 Miles Northwest of los Angeles said Cap. Norma Payne. The missile look off in a fog shrouded sky. The rocket s deep throated Roar lasted three to five min utes. The Force of the Blastoff rallied windows in he nearby town of Lompoc where police said they received a half dozen Calls from residents asking whether it was an earthquake or a launch. It was a spectacular launch with All systems operating As expected said Payne who viewed the take off from a television screen inside the command Cen Ter. This is the year of space launch recovery said Edward c. Aldridge jr., Secretary of the air Force. Today s successful Titan 2 launch is the first of three new boosters the air Force win launch in the coming  the launch was expected a week earlier but apparently was delayed by a fuel leak. Dough kneading machine pulls in factory employee new Rochelle