Executive Committee Minutes, October 23, 1962, 10:00 am

THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON SECRET SENSITIVE October 23, 1962 Executive Committee Minutes, October 23, 1962, 10:00 am 1. Intelligence The meeting began with a briefing by Mr. McCone evidence in which, in addition to written material, he emphasized the strength of efforts substantiating the non-participation of Cubans in Soviet missile installations in Cuba. 2. Unity on the Home Front There was general discussion of the problem of adequate briefing of Members of the Congress and of the press on the way in which the crisis had developed and on the reasons for the decisions which had been taken. A number of assignments were given to individual members of the Committee for further work on this problem. 3. Blockade Effects Estimates The President asked the Director of Central Intelligence for an analysis of effects of the blockade on Cuba, not to include food and medicine, and for a comparable analysis of the effects of a comparable blockade on Berlin. 4. Items presented by the Department of Defense a. The President approved plans for the issue of the Proclamation of Interdiction of ship delivery of offensive weapons to Cuba. The Proclamation was to be issued at 6:00 pm and the Interdiction to become effective at dawn October 24. b. The President approved and later signed an Executive Order authoriz- ing the extension of tours of duty of certain members of the Armed Forces. c. The President approved the following contingency plan for action in the event of an incident affecting U-2 overflights. The President will be informed through SAC/DOD channels, and it is expected that if there is clear indication that the incident is the result of hostile action, the recommendation will be for immediate retaliation upon the most likely surface-to-air site involved in this action. The President delegated authority for decision on this point to the Secretary of Defense under the following conditions: OF SECRET SENSITIVE 11652, SEC. NSC ltr. NLK-77-15appeal mJM NAME, DATE 6-21-78