Ridiculous History Ridiculous History

"CLASSIC: Operation Northwoods: How the US Planned to Attack Itself and Start a War with Cuba"

Oct 3, 2026 · 42m

Summary

This episode explores Operation Northwoods, a declassified 1962 US plan to stage false flag terrorist attacks in the US to justify a military invasion of Cuba. Hosts Noel and Ben discuss the Cold War context, the Joint Chiefs' proposals to sink ships and frame Cuba, and how the plan was exposed after Oliver Stone's film JFK prompted record releases. They also touch on historical US-Cuba tensions, assassination attempts on Fidel Castro, and the importance of critical thinking regarding modern geopolitical conflicts.

Topics discussed

Introduction to the concept of false flag attacks Sponsor segments for Lincoln, Granger, and T-Mobile Defining false flags and discussing US-Cuba tensions Historical context of US intervention in Cuba Operation Mongoose and attempts to overthrow Castro Eisenhower's plans and Kennedy's refusal to act Ridiculous assassination plots against Fidel Castro US history of occupation and interference in Cuba Joint Chiefs planning and humorous drug references Sponsor segments for Lincoln, Eating Interrupted, and Chase Revealing the secret memo of Operation Northwoods Details of the Northwoods plan to stage attacks Public support and the precedent of the USS Maine Alternative plans and the concept of crisis actors Declassification of Northwoods documents via JFK records Castro's survival of numerous assassination attempts Sponsor segments for California, Lincoln, and Chase Modern US-Cuba relations and the end of the story Applying critical thinking to modern geopolitical events Discussion of Oliver Stone's JFK and war movies Outro, social media plugs, and final sponsor reads
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