15. Robert Kennedy and the Soviet Ambassador
The offer to exchange missile sites in Turkey and Italy for those of the Soviets in Cuba was seen as a possible solution to the crisis, though Turkey opposed it and several NATO members were hesitant, as it was seen as blackmail which weakened the Alliance’s authority. As representatives of both nations met officially to discuss solutions to the crisis Bobby Kennedy and Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin met unofficially on October 27. The suggestion was made for the Americans to ignore Kruschev’s second message, offering to trade missiles in Cuba for those in Italy and Turkey, and respond only to his first message, which offered to remove the missiles in Cuba in exchange for a promise that the Americans would not invade and depose Castro.
For decades it was believed that the idea to focus on the first message had originated with Bobby Kennedy (a belief he encouraged) but in fact it was Dobrynin who persuaded Kennedy to accept the idea, which had likely originated with Kruschev. Dobrynin hinted strongly that the second message had been intended to assuage the Politburo. When Bobby presented the idea to his brother and EXCOMM, John Kennedy was skeptical, but was persuaded that there was little to lose, and a message to Kruschev accepting his initial offer was drafted, debated by EXCOMM, edited by the president, and sent to the Soviet premier. A second meeting between Scali and the KGB Chief of Station was arranged to discuss Kruschev’s likely response.
