11 30-12 45 P M Meeting on the Military Situation in Cuba 29 October 1962 excerpt David Coleman editor The Presidential Recordings John F Kennedy The Winds of Change Volume Four October 29-November 7 1962 New York W W Norton 2016 pages 36-37 Shoup The question is-the $64 question is whether they would use the tactical nuclear weaponsPresident Kennedy Nuclear weapons Shoup -at that point because they would deal bloody hell with Guantanamo of course Ifnuclear weapons start down there I'd say we're at nuclear war We couldn't afford to let them do that I mean they're not unclear President Kennedy But my guess is well everybody sort of figures that in extremis that everybody would use nuclear weapons The decision to use any kind of a nuclear weapon even the tactical ones presents such a risk of it getting out of control so quickly that there's a Shoup But Cuba's so small compared to the world Chuckles President Kennedy Yeah Shoup f that joker Castro ever had the control of the tactical nuclear weapons now Of course they're the Soviets telling us they got the keys like we've got the keysPresident Kennedy I'm sure they do I'm sure they do Shoup And the Russians say to the Americans We've got the keys and you've got the keys You trust us we trust you President Kennedy No we don't trust each other Laughter But we figure that they're never giving them to the Cubans any more than we'd give them to you know the Turks Anderson No President Kennedy Because we know that I don't think anybody wants that weapon to escape from their control It's just too                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu