JFK'S CHOICES IN CUBA: AIR STRIKE OR NAVAL BLOCKADE
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On October 20, 1962, the fifth day of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara reported CIA estimates reveal "6000 to 8000" Soviet troops now in Cuba.
In the afternoon, President John F. Kennedy returned to The White House from campaigning in the midwest to break a deadlock among his advisers. The question was should the United States launch an airstrike on Soviet bases in Cuba or set up a naval blockade around the island?
When the President entered the room, he said...
"Gentlemen, today we're going to earn our pay. You should all hope that your plan isn't the one that will be accepted."
JFK+50 NOTE
According to Michael Dobbs, the actual number of Soviet troops in Cuba in October 1962 was more than 40,000. The reason for the low ball CIA estimate was that it was roughly based on the number of ships having arrived in Cuba from the USSR.
SOURCE
"McNamara Reports Up To 8000 Soviet Troops In Cuba," JFK+50, October 20, 2015, www.jfk50.blogspot.com/
