DAY THIRTEEN |
October 28, 1962 |
"Tension over Cuba eased [October 28, 1962] with Mr. Khrushchev's decision to dismantle missile bases there and ship offensive weapons back to Russia" (The Guardian).
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“Robert Kennedy meets with Anatoly Dobrynin at a Soviet ambassador’s request. Dobrynin notes that Khrushchev has agreed to withdraw the missiles, and he tells Kennedy that the Soviet leader wants to send his best wishes to him and the president... By this time, the full text of Khrushchev’s message announcing the decision to dismantle the missiles in Cuba is available. President Kennedy directs no air reconnaissance missions that day, and that no action be taken against any Soviet bloc ships with regard to the unresolved question of the IL – 28 bombers in Cuba. Kennedy agrees that the United States should consider the IL – 28s as “offensive weapons” and press for their removal, but he also suggests but the United States should not get “hung up” on this issue" (Chang and Kornbluh).
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"Radio Moscow announces that the Soviet Union has accepted the proposed solution and releases the text of a Khrushchev letter affirming that the missiles will be removed in exchange for a non-invasion pledge from the United States" (JFK Library).
"Because the U.S. removal of missiles was unknown to the public, it looked as if the Soviet Union had backed down. Kennedy requests that the media downplay the U.S. victory" (Clouds Over Cuba).