Did Castro REALLY repent on threat to annihilate U.S. with nuclear strike? Questions over Dictator's admission that Cuban missile crisis 'wasn't worth it all'



Though Fidel Castro has expressed regret for his belligerence during the Cuban missile crisis, some expect the former leader's reflection of his passed transgressions only came because the 86-year-old was physically weak as he recovered from intestinal surgery.



To mark the 50th anniversary of the terrifying 13-day ordeal, when Cuba threatened the U.S. with nuclear war, Castro's 2010 admission that his call to launch a preemptive nuclear strike on the U.S. just 'wasn't worth it all,' is facing further scrutiny.



The revolutionary leader's surprising remark has been called a 'deathbed confession' from an aging leader but some believe Castro is merely pondering his legacy.



Allies: Fidel Castro, center, speaks with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, right, as his Foreign Minister Raul Roa, left, looks on at the Hotel Theresa during the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 20, 1960 Diplomacy: South Dakota Senator George McGovern (who died at age 90 October 21) is pictured on May 8, 1975 visiting with Cuban Premier Fidel Castro (behind the wheel) during the senator's visit to Cuba The Cuban missile crisis lasted from October 16 to October 28, 1962, during the Cold War when the Soviet Union and the U.S. revved up for a potential nuclear conflict.

After the disastrous U.S. attempt to invade Cuba in the Bay of Pigs, in April 1961, Castro agreed to let Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev ship nuclear weapons to the tiny island off the coast of Florida, to prevent the Americans from trying to launch another invasion. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Saddam Hussein gave £840,000 fortune to family of British... Share this article Share In October of 1962, U.S. surveillance photographs showed missile sites under construction in Cuba that were capable of launching medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles straight into major U.S. cities.

Hoping to avoid a strike, President John F. Kennedy called for a military blockade, to prevent any shipments from the Soviets to Cuba, and called on the Soviets to dismantle the missile bases.

Khrushchev called Kennedy's blockade 'an act of aggression propelling humankind into the abyss of a world nuclear-missile war' and Castro, then aged 36, even called on the Soviets to launch a preemptive nuclear strike on the U.S., convinced that the Americans had planned to invade Cuba. Strong: Castor (pictured in February 2012) met with Cuban intellectuals in order to dispel a rumor that he had suffered a massive stroke, was in a vegetative state, and had only weeks to live

Still here: Fidel Castro (pictured left: in February 2012 and right: in October 2012) has repeatedly denied claims he is gravely ill and reports that he has already died



As the American military prepared for a full-out war, back channel discussions with the Soviets ultimately brought for an agreement in the United Nations and the confrontation formerly ended on October 28.



The Soviets agreed to dismantle their sites in Cuba and in turn, the Americans would take down their intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles that were located in Turkey and Italy, which had the capability to strike Moscow.



During the crisis, Castro pushed for the Soviets to be aggressive in protecting the sovereignty of Cuba - though Khrushchev ultimately dismissed his suggestion to launch a preemptive strike on the U.S.

But now Castro is revisiting this crucial moment in history.



After he fell ill in 2006 and handed over power to his brother, Raul, in 2008 - the former Cuban President is reflecting on his past actions and seemingly remorseful of his pugilism.

In 2010, after a long absence from public life, Castro stepped back into the limelight when he invited Jeffrey Goldberg, from The Atlantic Monthly, to visit him.

The former Cuban leader had appreciated a piece Goldberg had authored in the monthly magazine, regarding Iran and Israel, and he wished to discuss it with the American journalist.

Describing the leader as 'frail and aged,' Goldberg detailed their conversation in a write-up on their encounter in September 2010.

Threat: President John F Kennedy (on October 29, 1962) meets with members of the Executive Committee of the National Security Council (EXCOMM) regarding the crisis in Cuba

Preparing for war: President Kennedy meets with U.S. Army officials during the Cuban Missile Crisis of October-November 1962

