Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, American Republics; Cuba 1961–1962; Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath, Volumes X/XI/XII, Microfiche Supplement

429. NSC Executive Committee record of action, October 27¹

Meeting No. 7

October 27, 1962, 10 a.m.

1. Director McCone presented the intelligence briefing, highlighting the information in the first two pages of the CIA Cuba Crisis Memorandum.

2. Secretary McNamara reported on the positions of Soviet Bloc ships moving toward Cuba. He recommended, and the President approved, two daylight reconnaissance missions over Cuba today—one in the morning and one this afternoon. He again recommended that a reconnaissance mission be undertaken tonight. In response to Secretary Rusk’s request for delay of this mission, the President said the reconnaissance planes should go on alert, that an announcement of the mission should be drawn up, and that a final decision would be taken this afternoon.

3. It was agreed that the Russians would be informed of the extent of our quarantine zone area privately. Khrushchev could then decide whether to turn back the Soviet tanker Graznyy, which will be entering the quarantine zone late today. If the Graznyy continued, a decision could then be made as to whether it would be allowed to proceed to Havana or whether it should be stopped, searched, and released, if, as expected, it had on board no prohibitive material. A decision would also be required as to what action should be taken if the tanker refused to submit to search.

4. At this point in the meeting the partial text of the Soviet public statement was received. It became clear that the terms of the public statement varied considerably from the proposals made by Khrushchev in his personal letter to the President last night. The President approved the release of the attached public statement, which was drafted during the meeting. A second and longer statement was to be prepared. (This was later abandoned.)

5. A draft message to Khrushchev was discussed and a final version will be completed for transmission this afternoon.

6. Copies of a proposed leaflet to be dropped in Cuba was circulated at the meeting, but a decision to drop them was deferred.

McGeorge Bundy

1. Soviet ships moving toward Cuba, size of quarantine zone, Soviet public statement, draft message to Khrushchev. Top Secret. 1 p. Kennedy Library, NSF, Meetings and Memoranda Series, Excom Meeting, vol. V, Meetings 6–10.