scattered
across the country for the campaign
We can get Congress back
We're gonna need to
get the U. N. staff in and warmed up
What about the allies?
We can't start
worrying about everything
Right now we gotta figure out
what we're gonna do
before we worry about
how we're gonna do it
Well, we've got a bunch of smart guys
We lock 'em in a room
and kick 'em in the ass
until they come up
with some solutions
I'll do it
It's too politicized with you
in there anyway
They need to be able to
stick their necks out
Yeah. It'll be the principals
a couple of they key guys
from each department
The Executive Committee
of the National Security Council
We'll can it EXCOM
Okay
So I'm only gonna show
for the meetings that you call me into
Impress us
Did it fast
Kenny, you're in charge of
keeping this thing quiet
If word gets out
before we know what we're gonna do
there's gonna be panic
And it's gonna ruin any chance
we might have of surprise
if we decide to hit them
We're gonna need to
do a few things right away
No Pierre
He knows, the press knows
And you're gonna have to
keep up your schedule
Your movements
are followed too closely
George Ball's
got a conference room at State
Good
You meet over there this afternoon
We'll figure out a way to
sneak you guys back in here tonight
I think we should
bring in Dean Acheson
Ken
he was fighting Soviets while we were
still playing ball together at school
Find him, Kenny
We're gonna need
all the help we can get
Screw secrecy
Try having that fat-ass, sit on your
lap all the way from Foggy Bottom
You were excited. I say no more
Everybody agrees
the diplomatic route won't work
It's too slow and they'll finish the
missiles while we're still talking
I hear old Warren Harding
used to get his grills in through here
We have 850 planes
assembling at Homestead
Eglin, Opa Locka, MacDill
Partick, Pensacola, and Key West
Due to the tropical foliage
the OPLAN calls for high explosive
and napalm loadouts
for our ground attack sorties
I still think
there are diplomatic approaches
we haven't considered yet
Peace at any price?
We have a gun to our head
We have high confidence in the expanded
air strike option, Mr. President
The problem, sir
is that it's a short-term solution
Kruschev can send in
more missiles next month
The Chiefs and I believe
we should follow up the air strikes
with the full version of OPLAN 316
An invasion?
Yes, sir
We can be sure we get all the missiles
and we remove Castro
so this can never happen again
Is this
the Joint Chief's recommendation?
Yes, sir
Our best option
as Bob pointed out this morning
would be to commence the strikes
before the missiles become operational
The invasion happens eight days later
Dean
What do you think?
Gentlemen
for the last fifteen years
I have fought here at this table
alongside your predecessors
in a struggle against the Soviet
I do not wish to seem melodramatic
but I do wish to impress upon you
a lesson I learned with bitter tears
and great sacrifice
The Soviet understands
only one language
action
Respects only one word
Force
I concur with General Taylor
I recommend air strikes
followed by invasion
perhaps
proceeded by an ultimatum
to dismantle the missiles
If that is militarily viable
So it appears we have three options
Number one, a surgical air strike
against the missiles themselves
Two, a much larger air strike
against their air defenses
along with the missiles. And three
invasion
So we're certainly gonna do number one
We're gonna take these missiles out
It seems to me we can't wait very long
We should at leat
be making those preparations
We're preparing to
implement all three options
Though I must stress again, sir
there are risks to the strikes
without the follow-on invasion
You want to be clear, Mr. President
that we've definitely decided
against a political track
Dean
How does this all play out?
Your first step,