8. Operation Northwoods

During the ‘60s, military leaders were hell-bent on taking down Fidel Castro. Some were even willing to kill Americans and blame the deaths on Cuba, in order to justify a strike against the communist regime. These covert attacks were detailed in Operation Northwoods. They included the sinking of a US ship on Guantanamo Bay, taking out a U2 spy plane over Cuba, and launching attacks on American cities.

Photo from Google

The plans received written approval from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Fortunately, the military’s civilian leadership rejected the plans along with President Kennedy.

Although none of the plans were executed, Operation Northwoods remains a chilling reminder of how far the U.S. government was willing to go to gain public support. Evidently, it’s also a glowing footnote in some of the wildest conspiracy theories.

Photo by Jamie Montgomery