MISfortunes
Close but no cigar: how America failed to kill Fidel Castro
Close but no cigar: how America failed to kill Fidel Castro
From the famous exploding cigars to poison pills hidden in a cold-cream jar, the CIA and Cuban exile groups spent nearly 50 years devising ways to kill Fidel Castro. None of the plots, of course, succeeded but one of his loyal security men calculated that a total of 634 attempts, some ludicrous, some deadly serious, had been made on the life of El Comandante.
theguardian.com
As a friend remarked, was Blackadder involved in these cunning plans?
I don't even know what to tag this. I don't have a WTF tag.




Ha! Not Blackadder, but perhaps one of the many colourful villains of Tintin?
This bit stands out: "many attempts were without the knowledge of the administrations but planned by Cuban exiles, often with CIA assistance."
The panic drum beaten by exiles arriving in the US ensured he would enjoy continued attention whether or not there were any missiles or Soviet links. They really helped to keep him on the radar! And the calibre of their crowd-sourced planning? Omg.
Still, for those who think such times have passed, it wasn't that long ago that a certain dissident was murdered by his Russian fans with a double dose of poison (polonium plus a diversionary poison) in his tea, while meeting at a sushi spot In London.
Note to self: do not accept tea or cigars from strangers.