At the time of the proposal, Cuba had recently become communist under Fidel Castro . The operation proposed creating public support for a war against Cuba by blaming it for terrorist acts. [ 3 ] To this end, Operation Northwoods proposals recommended hijackings and bombings followed by the introduction of phony evidence that would implicate the Cuban government. It stated: The desired resultant from the execution of this plan would be to place the United States in the apparent position of suffering defensible grievances from a rash and irresponsible government of Cuba and to develop an international image of a Cuban threat to peace in the Western Hemisphere. Several other proposals were included within Operation Northwoods, including real or simulated actions against various US military and civilian targets. The operation recommended developing a "Communist Cuban terror campaign in the Miami area, in other Florida cities and even in Washington". The plan was drafted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff , signed by Chairman Lyman Lemnitzer and sent to the Secretary of Defense . Although part of the US government's anti-communist Cuban Project , Operation Northwoods was never officially accepted; it was authorized by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but then rejected by President John F. Kennedy . According to currently released documentation, none of the operations became active under the auspices of the Operation Northwoods proposals. Contents The main proposal was presented in a document titled "Justification for U.S. Military Intervention in Cuba (TS)," a top secret collection of draft