October 27, 1962: Transcripts of the Meetings of the ExComm

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International Security 12:3 j 68 TAYLOR: It would be very dangerous, I would say, Mr. Secretary, unless we can reconnoiter-reconnoiter each day.... MCNAMARA: And if we're going to [do?] reconnaissance, carry out surveillance, each day, we must be prepared to fire each day. JFK: We can't very well send a U-2 over there, can we, now? And have a guy killed again tomorrow? TAYLOR: We certainly shouldn't do it until we retaliate and say that if they fire again on one of our planes, that we'll come back with great force. VOICE: I think you've just got to take out that SAM-site, you can't (word unclear) with them. JFK: Well, except that we've still got the problem of-even if you take out this SAM-site-the fellow still is going to be awfully vulnerable tomorrow from all the others, isn't he? VOICE: ... . If you take one out .... MCNAMARA: I think we can forget the U-2 for the moment- - RUSK: It builds up, though, on a somewhat different plane than the all-out attack plan. MCNAMARA: We can carry out low-altitude surveillance tomorrow, take out this SAM-site, and take out more SAM-sites tomorrow and make aircraft (words unclear). JFK: Well now, do we want to announce tonight that this U-2 was shot down? MCNAMARA: I think we should. GILPATRIC: Earlier today, Mr. President, we said any interference with such surveillance will meet counteraction and surveillance will- - JFK: Do we want to announce we're going to take counteraction or just take it tomorrow morning? VOICE: Take it .. JFK: The U-2 was shot down? GILPATRIC: No, no. This general statement that we would enforce surveillance.
October 27, 1962 ExComm Transcripts j 69 JFK: Well now do we want to just announce that an American plane was shot down? A surveillance plane was shot down in Cuba? It seems to me that's been- - VOICE: I would announce it after you've taken .... TAYLOR: Well in a sense Havana has announced it, that's where we- - JFK: Well, I think we ought to announce it because it shows off- - VOICE: Havana announced it- - JFK: We haven't confirmed that, have we? (Pause.) JFK: There are so goddam many-we could take it all day if-well let's say if we're sure the U-2's been shot down it seems to me we've got to announce it-it's going to dribble out. Havana's announced it anyway. You ought to announce it- - VOICES: Yeah. JFK: Then we ought to not say anything, don't you think, and just take the reprisal without making any announcement. We don't want to announce that we're going to take a reprisal against that SAM-site tomorrow or would that make our reprisal more difficult? VOICE: It would certainly make it more difficult. JFK: I think we ought to announce that-uh-that-uh-action is being taken-action will be taken to protect our fliers. MCNAMARA: Exactly. Then we ought to go in at dawn and take out that SAM-site, and we ought to send the surveillance aircraft in tomorrow with the regular flights early in the morning, and we ought to be prepared to take out more SAM-sites and knock out the- - JFK: Well what we ought to do then is get this announcement written. Ros, why don't you write this out, plus this thing about what we're going to do, and then we'll get back to what we're going to do about the Turks.... MCNAMARA: Well I think he was shot coming in. RUSK: The map I have showed him the other way round. RFK: In addition there was one other shooting at the low level. VOICE: Where was that, Bob?
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October 27, 1962: Transcripts of the Meetings of the ExComm

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