A WARNING OF THE GRAVEST CONSEQUENCES

JFK REMINDS SOVIETS OF U.S. POSITION ON MISSILES IN CUBA

Washington (JFK+50) Fifty-five years ago, October 18, 1962, President John F. Kennedy met in the Oval Office with representatives of the government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

The meeting, which began at 5 p.m., included USSR UN Ambassador Andrei Gromyko*, Deputy Minister Vladimir Seyemenov, and Anatoly Dobrynin, Soviet ambassador to the United States. Gromyko read a statement from a prepared text in which his government restated that all assistance to Cuba was for "purely defensive" purposes.

The President, having photographic evidence in his desk drawer proving otherwise, did not disclose what he knew.  In a interview later in December, JFK said that he did not show Gromyko the photographs because his "information was incomplete" and he didn't want to give the Soviets the advantage of publicly announcing the presence of the missiles before he did.

President Kennedy simply read his statement of September 4th (1962) which warned of the "gravest consequence" if the Soviet Union installed offensive nuclear missiles in Cuba.

JFK referred to this meeting with Gromyko in his address of October 22nd (1962) announcing a blockade of the island.  

The President said...

"Only last Thursday, as evidence of this rapid offensive buildup was already in my hand, Soviet foreign minister Gromyko told me in my office...that 'Soviet assistance to Cuba (was)...solely (for the) defensive capabilities of Cuba and that if it were otherwise...(his) government would never become involved in rendering  assistance.'"

*Andrei Gromyko (1909-1989) was born in Staryja Hramyki, Russia and became a member of the All Union Communist Party Bolsheviks in 1931.  In 1936, after 3 years in the study of economics, he did research and gave lectures at the Soviet Academy of Sciences.  AG entered the diplomatic service in 1939 & served 28 years as Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs.

SOURCE

"Thirteen Days In October, Day 3 October 18", John F. Kennedy Library, www.microsites.jfklibrary.org/

Soviets Meet With JFK

Oval Office

October 18, 1962

JFK Library Photo

MISSILE CRISIS DAY 3

JFK FACES TOUGH OPTIONS:  CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS DAY 3

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) FIfty-three years ago this evening, October 18, 1962, the Executive Committee of the National Security Council, or EXCOM, met at the White House to discuss the options for responding to the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba by the Soviet Union.

Early in the discussions, President Kennedy asked Arthur Lundahl how many different missile sites were identified.  Mr. Lundahl answered twenty-three.
General Maxwell Taylor said:

"All of our (response) plans are based on...(the)...assumption that we would attack with conventional weapons against an enemy who is not equipped with operational nuclear weapons."

The President asked "How quick is our communication with Moscow?"

Llewellyn Thompson answered that it would take from five to six hours to communicate with the Kremlin.  Mr. Thompson expressed his preference for a naval blockade of Cuba along with a demand for the missiles already in place to be dismantled. 

In addition to the President and Vice-President, other participants were:

Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense
Dean Rusk, Secretary of State
C. Douglas Dillon, Secretary of Treasury
Bob F. Kennedy, Attorney General
Llewellyn Thompson, Special Assistant for Soviet affairs
George Ball, Under Secretary of State
McGeorge Bundy, National Security adviser
John McCone, CIA director
Art Lundahl, director National Photo Interpreting Center
General Maxwell Taylor, chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff

JFK CHOOSES NOT TO REVEAL HIS "HAND" DURING MEETING WITH GROMKYO

Washington (JFK+50) President John F. Kennedy met in the Oval Office with several representatives of the Soviet government including UN Ambassador Andrei Gromyko* fifty-three years ago this afternoon, October 18, 1962.

The meeting, which included Vladimir Seyemenov, Deputy Minister and Anatoly Dobrynin, Soviet ambassador to the United States, began at 5 p.m. and lasted for two hours.

Gromyko read a statement from a prepared text in which his government restated that all assistance to Cuba was strictly for defensive purposes.
Having the U2 photographs in his desk drawer, JFK knew better but he didn't let on that he knew the situation to be otherwise.

In a interview later in December, JFK said that he did not show Gromyko the photographs because his "information was incomplete" and he didn't want to give the Soviets the advantage of publicly announcing the presence of the missiles before he did.

JFK referred to this meeting in his address to the Nation of October 22, 1962...

"Only last Thursday, as evidence of this rapid offensive buildup was already in my hand, Soviet foreign minister Gromyko told me in my office...that 'Soviet assistance to Cuba (was)...solely (for the) defensive capabilities of Cuba and that if it were otherwise...(his) government would never become involved in rendering  assistance.'"

Andrei Gromyko with Dean Rusk

Photo by Yoichi Okamoto (1967)

LBJ Library Image

*Andrei Gromyko (1909-1989) was born in Staryja Hramyki, Russia and became a member of the All Union Communist Party Bolsheviks in 1931.  In 1936, after 3 years in the study of economics, he did research and gave lectures at the Soviet Academy of Sciences.

AG entered the diplomatic service in 1939 and would serve 28 years as Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs.