The Analyst Who Called the Cuban Missile Crisis
Part of Heroes and Hiccups: True Stories about Nuclear Weapon Risks
Juanita Moody
Juanita Moody was a pioneering signals intelligence analyst who played a central role in managing the Cuban Missile Crisis. As the head of the newly minted National Security Agency’s Cuba desk, she caught on to Cuba’s clandestine build-up and collaboration with the Soviet Union.
Moody went toe-to-toe with her superiors to insist that her findings be shared with the White House and the full intelligence community, butting up against the CIA who felt she overstepped her mandate.
More Resources
“The Once-Classified Tale of Juanita Moody” | Smithsonian Magazine
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When Yeltsin Reached for the Nuclear Briefcase
