:30:00
He's their highest ranking spy
in this country
:30:03
And he knows John's a friend of mine
:30:05
All the trademarks of
a back-channel overture
:30:07
Yeah. Some back channel
:30:10
ABC News guy
My goddamn next-door neighbor
:30:16
So they'll remove the missiles
:30:18
And we'll pledge not to
invade Cuba or de-stabilize Castro
:30:21
or assist anyone who plans on doing so
:30:27
I think this may be
our first real message from Kruschev
:30:31
The alternative, Mr. President
:30:32
is that is this could be a trap
:30:36
And how is that exactly?
:30:37
Dangle a settlement
:30:39
tie us down in negotiations
we come up short
:30:43
Why else would they
approach us this way?
:30:45
It's deniable
:30:47
The Soviets have done nothing
but lie to us
:30:48
This could just be more of the same
:30:50
That may be
why Kruschev's introducing this guy
:30:53
We're been burned by his usual players
in the formal channels
:30:56
so he brings in an honest broker
:30:59
That may be what they want us to think
:31:02
The truth is
:31:03
we don't really know
who Fomin speaks for
:31:06
It could be Kruschev
:31:07
It could be some faction
in the Politburo
:31:09
Or the KGB itself
:31:11
We just don't know
:31:12
By the way, Scali
your activities now fall under...
:31:16
the secrecy codicils
of the National Security Act
:31:18
Sorry, John
:31:20
No Pulitzer
:31:23
Mr. President, we haven't much time
:31:25
I'm scheduled to meet with him again
in three and a half hours
:31:28
So it seems the question of the day is
:31:31
is the offer legitimate?
:31:33
And if it is
:31:35
we can't afford to ignore it
:31:39
So, John...
:31:42
We'll have instructions for you
in a couple of hours
:31:46
Thank you
:31:49
Thank you
:31:52
We don't have much time
to play out back-channe