Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana

by William M. Leogrande, Peter Kornbluh

Challenging the conventional wisdom of perpetual hostility between the United States and Cuba -- beyond invasions, covert operations, assassination plots using poison pens and exploding seashells, and a grinding economic embargo -- this fascinating book chronicles a surprising, untold history of bilateral efforts toward rapprochement and reconciliation.

Since 1959, conflict and aggression have dominated the story of U.S.-Cuban relations. Now, LeoGrande and Kornbluh present a new and increasingly more relevant account.

From Kennedy's offering of an olive branch to Castro after the missile crisis, to Kissinger's top secret quest for normalization, to Obama's promise of a "new approach," LeoGrande and Kornbluh reveal a fifty-year record of dialogue and negotiations, both open and furtive, indicating a path toward better relations in the future.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, American History, International Relations, United States, The United States Of America

544 pages, Hardcover

First published October 13, 2014

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most well researched books I have ever read. It is astounding to me how much knowledge the authors have about secret meetings between the US and Cuba over the past 50 years. It is also amazing how much secret diplomacy has taken place. Pretty much every president since the Revolution (Except, predictably, W) has been engaged in some form of back channel dialogue with the Castro government. Obviously, the Democratic presidents were more inclined to move toward normalization than the Republicans, but all presidents capable of understanding nuance (read: all except W) found some issues to try to cooperate on. It makes me assume that we must currently be involved in similar discussions with many of our geopolitical enemies. Sometimes, it seemed that the messages delivered through back channels were more honest and helpful than anything either side was saying in public. In fact, it was public opinion, more so than what the Cubans were doing, that seemed to halt any significant movement toward better relations. The Cuban-American Miami lobby, which is extremely conservative, wields immense power in a crucial swing state, and nobody wants to cross them. After the missile crisis was resolved, Cuba has really been more of a domestic policy issue than a foreign policy issue. This book is dense at times - I suppose there is a reason I've been reading it a chunk at a time between other books for the last year. Although it is not exactly a page turner, it provides a clear and insightful understanding of how we got locked into the same unproductive policy for 50 years and what we might have to consider to change it.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the recent announcement that the U.S. and Cuba would be normalizing relations with each other for the first time since the Revolution of 1959, this book could not come at a more perfect time. Starting with the last years of the Eisenhower administration, the authors show the series of missteps and failed opportunities that have characterized U.S.-Cuba relations. And, to be quite honest, the U.S. doesn't come off looking very good here. Often times the U.S. would make promises and then break them or demand unreasonable preconditions before negotiating. Not only that, but there would be times when the Cubans would say something that, had the U.S. diplomats thought about what they were saying, they may have acted in a different, way. For example, during Cuba's intervention in Africa, Cuba would say again and again that they would not abandon their allies in Angola, but wanted to be a part of bringing about a political solution. However, the U.S. would be so occupied with getting Cuba out of Angola that they wouldn't even consider bringing them into the political process until the very end when it couldn't be avoided. Had they seized on it sooner, they could've killed two birds with one stone. But the Cubans don't always come off all that great here either as they would oftentimes begin the process of negotiating with the U.S.,then do something in another realm that would shutdown the negotiations, like intervening in Africa. Thus, both sides have made serious missteps in trying to heal the divide between them. Leogrande and Kornbluh's great gift is bringing us into the midst of these secret negotiations, oftentimes filled with suspicion and doubt, yet always with a tinge of hope for something better. At times it can be as dry as one of the government memos they scanned into the book or quoted, but it is always fascinating to see how close they get to the brass ring to only have the other shoe drop soon afterwards. This book is also handicapped in its assessment of Pres. Obama's overtures to Cuba as it was published in Oct. 2014, two months before the announcement that the two countries would begin the normalization process, months before Raul Castro and Pres. Obama met at the Summit of the Americas, and even longer before the U.S.'s move to remove Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terror. Even though it is a book about mistakes, it also shows the good that tough-minded diplomats and hard-nosed diplomacy can do when your thinking out of the box, something that is seriously lacking in America's current debates about foreign policy. As the U.S. and Cuba begin to heal the divide between them in an official capacity, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the past and future of these two countries.

[Tarek Amer · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Modern US-Cuban relations began with a revolution in 1959.
-By the end of the Eisenhower administration, formal diplomatic talks were no longer an option.
-Despite escalating secret operations to take down Castro, John F. Kennedy maintained peaceful negotiations.
-Hopes for normalization were stalled by the Cuban Missile Crisis, but prisoner negotiations kept the door open.
-James Donovan and an ambitious news reporter kept the possibility of negotiations alive.
-The assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the subsequent Johnson administration, impaired ongoing negotiations.
-Richard Nixon refused to negotiate with Cuba; Henry Kissinger had different ideas.
-Henry Kissinger tried to keep back-channel talks going during the difficult times in Gerald Ford’s presidency.
-President Jimmy Carter tried starting talks with Cuba, but another crisis ended Carter’s term on a bad note.
-Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush negotiated with Cuba only when forced to.
-For Bill Clinton, politics dictated dealings with Cuba.
-After a deadly incident, Clinton ended his presidency with improved relations between the United States and Cuba.
-George W. Bush kept the pressure on Cuba while Obama promoted a different plan.
-While Obama’s first term fell short on improved relations, his second term began with positive signs.

[Derek Kreider · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book for an exploration of Cuba because I really appreciated Kornbluh's work in "The Pinochet File." This was of the same quality and type. It was great information that seemed pretty objective, at least in that there wasn't a lot of judgmental language thrown around, and he seemed to give credit where credit is due, as well as blame where blame is due. But it wasn't a captivating book at all.

The book did affirm much of what I've known and suspected in regard to U.S. and Cuba relations. Sure, Cuba has its own human rights issues, but lets face it, U.S. human rights are far worse. We were willing to prop up BBatista and sell him military equipment while he oppressed his people, but we backed out of sales when a revolution overthrew a tyrant. We stole land from Cuba and forced them to make decisions in our interest in the Platt Amendment, and then when they wanted to refine Soviet oil because it was advantageous to them, we threatened them - so they confiscated our businesses (which only got their land and foothold as a result of our military occupation and force in the early 1900's). And then when terrorists are trained by the CIA and launched from Miami, we essentially do nothing and just let them kill Cubans. And when Cuba tries to defend itself, as in the shoot down of the BTR flights, we're prepared to destroy them. And while we have nukes in Turkey aimed at Russia, Cuba can't have nukes aimed at us. The U.S. is just tyrannical and insane.

What puts the icing on the cake for me is that you have peace leaders like Mandela who recognize Cuba for its freedom fighting for not only itself, but across the globe. Haiti has a significant humanitarian presence in places like Haiti and Africa - and when Angola was being attacked - in part by an Apartheid S. Africa of which the U.S. strongly supported - it was Cuba who sent soldiers to help fight for their freedom and against racism.

This book definitely gets into some of the mistakes that Cuba has made and some of its injustices, like detaining political prisoners. Nevertheless, much of what you'll find is a look at U.S. actions that paint a more realistic picture of U.S. actions on the world stage rather than the propaganda we get here.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great place to start for people who are curious about the history of U.S.-Cuba relations but haven't read a lot. I have written several research papers about Cuba and used both authors but hadn't read the entire book until now. This book doesn't go into details about the history of the Cuban revolution(s) prior to the 20th Century or the Platt amendment, which are important for understanding the source of long-standing animosity between the two countries, but is good for mid 2oth Century-present day.

[Eric Michels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Expertly researched and written. A very compelling read about a very difficult to capture series of events. I was appreciative the book spent no more than a page on the Cuban Missile Crisis, which has been thoroughly covered elsewhere and would have dragged down the clarity of the book. Includes one of the best indexes that I have seen in a long time, which I used extensively to refer back to earlier parts of the book.

[Karen M Spence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. It’s important to note that it was published in 2015 and the following year a wealth of CIA documents have been declassified that the authors would not have been privy to. Several books regarding this have been written after. Regardless, Back Channel is still insightful, especially if you want a perspective from before the release. There are also a lot of parallels between the USA/Cuba relationship and the rest of Latin America.

I was most impressed with the parts about Obama and Senator Patrick Leahy enlisting the Pope to help with both normalizing relations and freeing Alan Gross. Religion has its uses I guess. The Miami Cubans appear to have the biggest case of ‘Fuck you got mine’ in the world, maybe only second to the Turkish immigrants in German. Some other reviews claim that the authors are biased toward the Democrats. They weren’t. It only seems that way because the Democratic politicians were the only ones to put effort into the matter. Republicans are afraid to offend their Cuban American voter base by initiating any diplomacy. Not that they could be bothered.

Given Russia’s preoccupation with Ukraine, Maduro’s failing Venezuela, the rise of alternative energy, and Diaz-Canal’s signalling that ‘something needs to change’, perhaps now the relationship with Cuba can defrost.

[Ann Samford · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a slog! I listened to it because I thought I was going to Cuba in December. Wow government distinction at its best…. both sides stuck in mutually disadvantageous policies. For political purposes.

And Obama with help from the pope finally made progress

And I guess this would have been more pertinent in 2016… Seems like much has happened since then but Cuba is still not thriving. In fact Cuba continues to struggle

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Well researched and written, but felt quite repetitive at times - but then again, that’s probably more a reflection of the history of US - Cuba relations.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, learned a lot!

[Elly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong three stars!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of a dry read, but packed with information.

[Jenn Kurrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#100/2022 .. really interesting

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read cataloging the long slow painful diplomatic process between U.S. and Cuba. Very detailed read

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

From http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2014/...

I read Leogrande and Kornbluh's fantastic book Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations Between Washington and Havana (2014). It is really well researched and just fascinating to read.

My 10 year old daughter has a hamster, which gets into her little wheel and runs like crazy. Sometimes she even gets on top of the wheel and runs like she's on a treadmill. The poor thing never gets anywhere, but keeps trying, or at least there is the illusion of trying. So goes U.S.-Cuban relations.

Thus, one remarkable point of this book is that many different go-betweens--reporters, business leaders, exiles, diplomats, you name it--have spent countless hours traveling and talking, with very little to show for it. Sure, there are periodic breakthroughs, but the core sticking points remain equally sticky after 50+ years. As Robert Gates once remarked after a meeting, "The initiative had been worthwhile, but had failed utterly" (p. 184). But they keep trying. Each chapter starts to sound amazingly similar even though the names change (for obvious reasons they do so much more frequently on the U.S. side).

Talks have floundered in large part because both sides consider the preconditions too steep. In the 1970s, Cuba would not abandon Africa. Meanwhile, the U.S. would not abandon the embargo. More recently, Cuba would not hold elections while the U.S. still would not abandon the embargo. The U.S. wanted compensation for nationalized property, but Cuba would only discuss that if there was compensation for damages wrought by the embargo and exile attacks.

One great feature of the book is its judicious tone. Leogrande and Kornbluh don't often take sides--they just dig deep into the historical record. The book cries out, though, for a framework. For example, I am not convinced about Fidel Castro's commitment to negotiations. Sometimes, as in 1975, he happily blew off months of talks. We need a better grip on his own goals to know when he wanted advancement, when he didn't, and how far he really wanted them to go. The U.S. was committed to negotiations only to the extent that they required concessions solely from Cuba. So at what times was a positive outcome even possible or likely? Conceptually, what should we realistically expect?

And just now, we have a U.S. official saying maybe we can negotiate, but Cuba needs to take more steps first. The more things change...

[Jared · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Back Channel to Cuba' is an overview of the turbulent relationship between the United States and its Caribbean neighbor, Cuba. Most readers are aware of the ingrained foreign policy challenges that exist between the two nations, but few know the whole story since the real roots of the story back prior to the start of the 20th century. If you want to know the story from the beginning, readers will need to see supplemental material since this book only covers the modern era: from the Eisenhower administration until Obama's second term.

The book does of good job of setting the stage as to why and how Castro came to power and his relationship with 10 U.S. Presidents. The book covers in detail the large and small moments in diplomatic history with Cuba since 1959. The seminal moments such as the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, And the fall of the Soviet Union are covered in depth. Moreover, smaller events such as episodes of mass migration to the U.S., the shoot-down of a pair of U.S. civilian aircraft by Cuban Migs, etc. are also covered.

The macro-level trend that readers will notice throughout the book is one small step forward seems inevitably to be followed by two (or more) steps backwards. Some sort of misunderstanding or diplomatic misstep or slight or domestic roadblock or matter of pride always seems to undo all the forward momentum.

The book, in my opinion, serves as a case study on how diplomacy can work (or fail). In the final chapter of the book, the authors provide a dozen or so 'lessons learned' that can be applied to the U.S.'s relationships to countries other than Cuba.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the U.S.'s complicated relationship with Cuba. The authors approach the subject rather even-handedly and are willing to call out either side. Furthermore, I feel that this book can be seen to depict the U.S.'s relationship with any number of smaller countries. The lessons learned can surely be applied in other parts of the world.

[James Wattengel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought and read this book because Ricardo Zuniga is the current (Jan 2017) General Counsel at the the US Consuate here in Sao Paulo,Brazil.

Ricardo Zuniga was one of the two main US negotiators of the final agreement to swap prisoners and reopen the the US embassy in Havana and for Cuba to reopen their embassy in Washington D.C. after 18 months of secret negotiations.

Unfortunately, for the excellent authors, they had no inkling of these negotiations when they first published in November 2014, barely one month before the deal was close.

The book was republished in October 2115 with an epilogue the describing the final negotiation. However, I am anxiously waiting for the authors or someone else to fill in the details missing from the epilogue.

Obviously the authors could not foresee the results of the the 2016 presidential elections.

My hope is that the small minds about to take office do not undue the tremendous work of Obama and the the tireless negotiators.

[Laura D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent source to understand the long and complex history of negotiations between Cuba and the US. Through unclassified documents, public records and interviews of the very people who were involved the process, this is an extraordinary detailed analysis of 5 decades of negotiations. Not a quick read, but crucial to understand the unfolding present situation, after the re-opening of diplomatic relations. Even if Cuba-US is the focus of the book, it's also useful to better understand the wider pictures of the US and Latin America's ties.
I found it a bit unbalanced in terms of wider historic background, it includes more information/analysis about national politics in the US than in Cuba, making it easier to place the negotiations in the US contest than the Cuban's. Highly recommended to anyone interested in the topic.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent account of secret communications with Cuba by almost every president since the 1959 Cuban revolution. While most administrations realized the need for working toward improving relations with Cuba, the reality is politics and the immensely powerful Cuban American contingent in an important electoral state- Florida, continually trumped efforts to implement pragmatic policy. This book is impeccably researched and presents an objective account of US- Cuban relations over the past five to six decades. The book is kind of a slog to get through due in large measure to the painstaking efforts of the authors to research and document their material. However, it is a “must read” for anyone wanting to understand how we got to our current state of Cuban-American relations.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Back Channel to Cuba" is a timely book, as the United States is on the path to normalizing relations with Cuba after over 50 years. While some have objected to Obama's initiatives toward Cuba as a break with a long established foreign policy, this book points out that similar initiatives have been made by virtually every U.S. Administration going all the way back to Eisenhower. We rarely heard much about most of those initiatives, but this book provides details of those diplomatic steps, and the reasons for the past failures over those years. As such, this is a most interesting and informative book.

[Charles Ameringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent work of research, presented with clarity and style. The authors have delved deeply into formerly classified materials, augmented by interviews with an impressive list of the major participants on both sides of the "hidden history" of the U.S.-Cuban negotiations that have taken place during the past fifty+ years. The reader will be astonished by the nature and extent of the exchanges and may likely be angry at having been kept in the dark. It was no way to treat the electorate in a democracy.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a timely read. So read it! Back Channel to Cuba will open your eyes to the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban missile crisis, and all the presidencies of the United States during which Castro negotiated, over fifty years! This enlightening read takes you from the very beginning, and will undoubtedly give you an excellent schooling regarding the subtle dance of modern political negotiations.

[Kati · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating history of behind the scenes contacts, detailing both missed opportunities and successes.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched surprising ongoing negotiations between several US administrations and Cuba, on a variety of subjects, including rapprochement. Many opportunities missed, for one reason or another.

[Angelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some fascinating detail in here in Kennedy deliberating what to do with Cuba during the Bay of Pigs and the immigration does leading up to it.

[Al Berry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I typically try to avoid reading books that depict history of the last 25 years, for two reasons. 1) There may be crucial information still hidden away in archives not yet accessible to the author. 2) The temptation to go partisan is too irresistible to the author. This books seems to prove my rule in both accounts, early on the book is interesting with well researched material, such as the Brazilian ambassador acting as a go between between Castro and Kennedy, a fact hidden away in Brazilian archives for 40 years, Kissinger acting on his own initiative, while Nixon was preoccupied with Watergate, to start negotiations.

However as the book progresses those insights diminish and the partisan bent increases, author portrays democrats policies as good, republican policies and Miami’s Cuban community as bad, Janet Reno seizing Elian Gonzalez as Great. The goal from the authors point of view is normalize relations between Cuba and America, whatever the cost and whatever evil Cuba does.