Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XI, Cuban Missile Crisis and Aftermath

368. Summary Record of the 14th Meeting of the Standing Group of the National Security Council⁰

Washington, October 1, 1963, 5 p.m.

Cuba

Mr. Desmond FitzGerald of CIA reviewed the situation in Cuba, emphasizing that a swing of the pendulum was taking place. Because things were becoming so bad for Castro momentarily, we should not overreact and conclude that the Cuban problem was on the way to being solved.

Several items were discussed:

1. The Defense Department agreed to review the feasibility of monitoring planes flying out of Cuba suspected of carrying arms to other Latin American countries.

2. Allied trade with Cuba—The Central Intelligence Agency will prepare a list of critical items [2 lines of source text not declassified]. The list will be sent to the Commerce Department, which will devise ways of preventing such items [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] to Cuba, [less than 1 line of source text not declassified].

3. A proposed Presidential statement on Cuba, originally suggested by USIA but not yet been made, will be looked at again with a view to recommending to the President that he comment on the future Cuba in a forthcoming speech.

4. Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended sabotage actions—General Goodpaster asked whether the Agency had considered the two covert actions which the Joint Chiefs had suggested, i.e. [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] dropping U.S. arms into Cuba. Mr. FitzGerald replied that CIA had never gotten the Joint Chiefs’ suggestions. The Attorney General expressed some concern about whether suggested Cuban actions were being followed up. (It later developed that the Joint Chiefs’ suggestions had been sent to the Defense representative on the Special Group who had chosen not to recommend these actions to the Special Group. Further consideration of the Joint Chiefs’ recommendations will be undertaken by the Special Group.)

5. Sugar price program—It was agreed that this exercise had been completed and that there was nothing further to be done on this item.

6. Economic warfare group—Mr. FitzGerald urged the prompt establishment of a proposed economic warfare group which would coordinate all economic warfare measures taken against Cuba.¹

Brazil

A draft policy paper on Brazil was circulated to the group but not discussed. The Latin American Policy Committee is scheduled to deal with the paper on Thursday.

Bromley Smith²

0. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Meetings and Memoranda Series, Standing Group Meeting, 10/1/63. Secret.
1. McGeorge Bundy prepared a record of action of this meeting, October 1. Bundy noted that “the Department of Defense agreed to review the feasibility of monitoring planes flying out of Cuba suspected of carrying arms to other Latin American States;” that CIA and Commerce “will consider together how to block the movement of specific critical items [text not declassified] to Cuba;” and noted that the “proposed statement on the future of Cuba will be reviewed with a view to recommending that the President include it in a forthcoming speech.” (Ibid.)
2. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.