:08:01
Secretary of Defense, Robert S. McNamara.
:08:05
Good morning, gentlemen.
:08:06
Good morning, Mr. President.
:08:10
Support trucks, trailers,
the personnel tent area,
:08:15
the rocket launchers
for the Sandal SS04 medium-range
:08:19
ballistic missile.
:08:21
And here, gentlemen,
eight ballistic missiles on trailers.
:08:27
We are fortunate, another tropical storm
over Cuba
:08:30
and the U-2 flight would have been
postponed again.
:08:33
Khrushchev would have had
his fait accompli.
:08:37
Some of the missiles will be operational
in 10 days.
:08:40
Ten days?
:08:42
Whose estimate is that?
:08:44
Ours.
:08:46
Thank you.
:08:48
Yes, sir.
:08:49
Secretary Rusk.
:08:51
Well, sir, obviously the communists
:08:53
have been shipping missiles to Cuba
:08:55
and constructing bases there
while continuously assuring us,
:08:59
telling us publicly and privately
:09:01
they were doing no such thing.
:09:03
They deceived us.
:09:04
In point of fact, we deceived ourselves.
:09:07
There was no hard intelligence.
:09:09
We engaged in wishful thinking.
:09:12
Secretary McNamara?
:09:13
The Intelligence Board concluded
only last month
:09:16
that the Soviets would never install
:09:17
offensive missiles in Cuba.
:09:19
McCone warned of the possibility.
:09:21
McCone had an intuition.
:09:22
We can't act on intuitions.
:09:24
We knew they were installing
:09:25
a surface to air missile system.
:09:27
Yes, a defensive system.
:09:28
And now we know what they
intended to defend;
:09:30
medium and intermediate-range
ballistic missiles.
:09:33
Why has Khrushchev moved them
into Cuba now?
:09:35
Tommy, you just came back from Moscow.
:09:38
Mr. President, I've been fooled.
:09:41
I never would have believed
this was possible.
:09:44
The Russians have never placed
their nuclear weapons
:09:46
in any other country, not ever,
not ever before.
:09:51
George?
:09:52
Well, I can only surmise,
Khrushchev is gambling.
:09:55
The missile base in Cuba
was supposed to be the trump card.
:09:59
And after our elections
they'll probably announce