US military officials have had contacts with their counterparts in Cuba, a former CIA analyst and Cuba expert told French radio on Friday.
Brian Latell, who wrote a biography of Cuba's interim leader Raul Castro, told Radio France Internationale he was informed by senior US military sources that they had been in contact with the Cuban military for some time.
"If this is confirmed to be true, it would be a very important event," he said.
Latell said such contacts "could only have taken place with Raul's blessing, as head of the Cuban armed forces". "Without Raul's consent, it wouldn't have been possible."
Raul Castro took over as interim leader of the Americas' only communist country one year ago, when Fidel Castro fell ill and underwent major intestinal surgery.
On Thursday, Cuba's national day, he called for the third time for the launch of a dialogue with the United States -- an offer swiftly rejected by Washington.
The United States and Cuba do not have full diplomatic relations. The United States has had a trade embargo clamped on Havava for 45 years.
