DAY ELEVEN |
October 26, 1962 |
"U.S. strategic bombers armed with nuclear weapons are airborne 24 hours a day – the US is poised to attack at a moment’s notice" (Clouds Over Cuba).
“At 10:00 AM, President Kennedy tells the ExComm that he believes the quarantine by itself will not cause the Soviet governments to remove the missiles from Cuba, and that only an invasion or a trade of some sort will succeed. Kennedy agrees to apply further pressure by increasing the frequency of low level flights over Cuba from twice per day two once every two hours” (Chang and Kornbluh).
“President Kennedy orders the State Department to proceed with preparations for a crash program aimed at establishing a civil government in Cuba after an invasion and occupation of the country” (Chang and Kornbluh).
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TELEGRAM FROM THE BRAZILIAN EMBASSY IN HAVANA (BASTIAN PINTO), 6 P.M., FRIDAY: "A telegram
from the Brazilian Embassy in Havana,Cuba describing the paralyzed activities
in Cuba due to the incalculable damage to the economy of the country because of
the American blockade" (Wilson Center).
Cuba continues totally mobilized, and the other activities are, practically, paralyzed, with incalculable damage for the economy of the country. The Cuban press and radio give prominence to this news, while they continue to summon the people to prepare themselves for the defense, at the same time, insisting that world opinion is mobilizing in favor of Cuba.
"In a private letter, Fidel Castro urges Nikita Khrushchev to initiate a nuclear first strike against the United States in the event of an American invasion of Cuba" (JFK Library).
"Given the analysis of the situation and the reports which have reached us, [I] consider an attack to be almost imminent--within the next 24 to 72 hours. There are two possible variants: the first and most probable one is an air attack against certain objectives with the limited aim of destroying them; the second, and though less probable, still possible, is a full invasion. |
“The State Department begins receiving and message from the U.S. embassy in Moscow containing a new, private letter from Khrushchev. It contains a proposal for a settlement" (Chang and Kornbluh):
"You are disturbed over Cuba. You say that this disturbs you because it is ninety miles by sea from the coast of the U.S. But...you have placed destructive missile weapons, which you call offensive, in Turkey, literally next to us... therefore i make this proposal: We are willing to remove from Cuba the means which you regard as offensive... your representatives will make a declaration to the effect that the United States...will remove its analogous means from Turkey... And after that, persons entrusted by the UN Security Council should inspect on he spot the fulfillment of the pledges made..." |
"Kennedy responds to Khrushchev's letter" (Chang and Kornbluh).
"As I read your letter, the key elements of your proposals--which seem generally acceptable as I understand them--are as follows:
1) You would agree to remove these weapons systems from Cuba under appropriate United Nations observation and supervision; and undertake, with suitable safeguards, to halt the further introduction of such weapons systems into Cuba.
2) We, on our part, would agree--upon the establishment of adequate arrangements through the United Nations to ensure the carrying out and continuation of these commitments--(a) to remove promptly the quarantine measures now in effect and (b) to give assurances against an invasion of Cuba. I am confident that other nations of the Western Hemisphere would be prepared to do likewise."
"Unknown to any of the ExComm members, Robert Kennedy and Anatoly Dobrynin meet at the Soviet embassy, one of a series of secret meetings that two held and during the crisis. The Attorney General reportedly leaves the room to phone the president. When he returns, he tells Dobrynin, “the president said that we are ready to consider the question of Turkey, to examine favorably a question of Turkey.” Dobrynin reports the conversation to the Kremlin” (Chang and Kornbluh).