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Octafish

(55,745 posts)
43. Echoed by Lemnitzer and Dulles who counseled the best time for a sneak attack was 'Fall 1963.'
Wed Oct 3, 2012, 06:31 PM
Oct 2012

I kid you not.



Did the U.S. Military Plan a Nuclear First Strike for 1963?

Recently declassified information shows that the military presented President Kennedy with a plan for a surprise nuclear attack on the Soviet Union in the early 1960s.

James K. Galbraith and Heather A. Purcell
The American Prospect | September 21, 1994

During the early 1960s the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) introduced the world to the possibility of instant total war. Thirty years later, no nation has yet fired any nuclear missile at a real target. Orthodox history holds that a succession of defensive nuclear doctrines and strategies -- from "massive retaliation" to "mutual assured destruction" -- worked, almost seamlessly, to deter Soviet aggression against the United States and to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.

The possibility of U.S. aggression in nuclear conflict is seldom considered. And why should it be? Virtually nothing in the public record suggests that high U.S. authorities ever contemplated a first strike against the Soviet Union, except in response to a Soviet invasion of Western Europe, or that they doubted the deterrent power of Soviet nuclear forces. The main documented exception was the Air Force Chief of Staff in the early 1960s, Curtis LeMay, a seemingly idiosyncratic case.

But beginning in 1957 the U.S. military did prepare plans for a preemptive nuclear strike against the U.S.S.R., based on our growing lead in land-based missiles. And top military and intelligence leaders presented an assessment of those plans to President John F. Kennedy in July of 1961. At that time, some high Air Force and CIA leaders apparently believed that a window of outright ballistic missile superiority, perhaps sufficient for a successful first strike, would be open in late 1963.

The document reproduced opposite is published here for the first time. It describes a meeting of the National Security Council on July 20, 1961. At that meeting, the document shows, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the director of the CIA, and others presented plans for a surprise attack. They answered some questions from Kennedy about timing and effects, and promised further information. The meeting recessed under a presidential injunction of secrecy that has not been broken until now.

CONTINUED...

http://prospect.org/article/did-us-military-plan-nuclear-first-strike-1963



Old news to you, patrice. However, this is not found in the history books, history programs, official history or general discourse of anything public. If it were, more people would connect the dots.
Thank you for posting this Trailrider1951 Sep 2012 #1
This message was self-deleted by its author AnotherMcIntosh Sep 2012 #5
And big oils connections. Things do not seem to have changed much. jwirr Sep 2012 #9
You are most welcome, Trailrider1951! Here's the guy who should be writing the book on Gen. LeMay... Octafish Sep 2012 #18
kr Norrin Radd Sep 2012 #2
The Railroading of LCDR Terri Pike Octafish Oct 2012 #44
"JFK and the Unspeakable" by James Douglass should be required reading in classrooms drokhole Sep 2012 #3
+1 That book explains the last 49 years hifiguy Sep 2012 #10
JFK, FDR and 'Seven Days in May' Octafish Sep 2012 #13
It makes the scales fall off readers' eyes. Octafish Sep 2012 #19
To paraphrase one of my favorite comedians/philosophers... drokhole Sep 2012 #20
''It's just a ride.'' Octafish Oct 2012 #46
^^This x 1000000000 truebrit71 Oct 2012 #47
This message was self-deleted by its author AnotherMcIntosh Sep 2012 #4
What JFK Really Said Octafish Sep 2012 #6
This message was self-deleted by its author AnotherMcIntosh Sep 2012 #7
Who cares? they still followed the presidents orders. Javaman Sep 2012 #8
yup as long as they gollow civilian command who cares loli phabay Sep 2012 #14
Not exactly. LeMay ordered unauthorizedoverflights of Soviet airspace during Cuban Missile Crisis... Octafish Sep 2012 #21
My Mother told me a long time ago when I was a kid about a guy that lived in our neighborhood ArnoldLayne Sep 2012 #11
Thank you for sharing that, ArnoldLayne! We're just starting to learn the story... Octafish Oct 2012 #41
Kevin Costner's "13 Days" was a very accurate portrayal of this... MinM Sep 2012 #12
13 Days (2000) v Missiles of October (1974) MinM Sep 2012 #17
The Twelfth Day Octafish Sep 2012 #24
The Fourteenth Day MinM Sep 2012 #34
Thank you for the heads-up, MinM! Interesting Times, indeed: ''A U-2 has been lost off Alaska.'' Octafish Sep 2012 #22
The generals were obviously trying to provoke the Soviets into a massive retaliation! LongTomH Sep 2012 #25
Operation Hollywood: Pentagon v Costner MinM Sep 2012 #33
Mother Jones' Operation Hollywood cont... MinM Oct 2012 #35
World War II was so yesterday...Korea's the happening spot in 1953. Octafish Oct 2012 #37
Those who kept their wugs shut did all right. Octafish Oct 2012 #36
This message was self-deleted by its author freshwest Sep 2012 #15
I wonder what this country would be like had we actually listened to Eisenhower's warning about the MIC taking over. Initech Sep 2012 #16
War Resisters has a nice graphic... Octafish Oct 2012 #40
Hell, I'd be happy if someone up top actually listened to it TODAY Blue_Tires Oct 2012 #45
Sole Surviving Son of a US Marine present and kicking, Sir! bobthedrummer Sep 2012 #23
We owe our freedom to you father and all who've defended this nation... Octafish Oct 2012 #42
Shoup was pushing for full on nuclear war on Cuba and Le May was playing the angles either way. nt patrice Sep 2012 #26
Echoed by Lemnitzer and Dulles who counseled the best time for a sneak attack was 'Fall 1963.' Octafish Oct 2012 #43
Bunch of fuckers gopiscrap Sep 2012 #27
wtf with the redneck crap loli phabay Sep 2012 #28
they weren't in private gopiscrap Sep 2012 #29
yeah as far as tbey were concerned tbey were loli phabay Sep 2012 #30
Not surprised by that response. Kingofalldems Sep 2012 #31
Agreed!!!! gopiscrap Sep 2012 #32
In October 1962, human civilization came close to being destroyed. MinM Oct 2012 #38
CIA still pushing the ''Castro Knew Ahead of Time'' Lie Octafish Oct 2012 #39
An interesting read. Justice4JFK Nov 2018 #48
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