Dec. 10, 1962 - The U.S. expressed renewed impatience today with the continued presence of Soviet military forces in Cuba. Secretary of State Dean Rusk (pictured right with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko) told a Washington press conference there still are several thousand Russian military personnel in Cuba and that the U.S. could not accept such a force in Cuba as a normal situation. The Secretary said some Soviet personnel had been removed from Cuba but that many still remain, adding: “Some of them appear to be organized in combat units.” He also said they are “well armed.” Rusk also said the continued Communist refusal to permit inspections to verify that all offensive weapons have been removed is a “very serious deficiency.” He said the U.S. is reluctant to discuss other cold war problems with the Soviets until the Cuban situation is resolved.
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