Dean Rusk Biography

Rusk supports consultation with NATO allies over nuclear strategy and alliance cohesion

Rusk receives a CIA briefing on the basic Cuban covert-action plan before taking office.

Rusk participates in the new administration review of the Trinidad landing proposal.

Rusk receives a briefing on the proposed Trinidad landing.

Supports caution over additional air strikes because of diplomatic and deniability concerns

Rusk explains the political reasons preventing the planned dawn strikes before the beachhead airfield is secured.

Rusk joined discussions of diplomatic, political, and military responses to the Soviet deployment.

Rusk examined diplomatic consequences of air strikes, invasion, and quarantine while the missile discovery remained secret.

Rusk participated in preparations for the Gromyko meeting and supported maintaining secrecy about the photographic evidence.

Rusk supported the quarantine decision while the State Department prepared allied consultations and diplomatic notifications.

Rusk assessed Soviet responses to the quarantine and encouraged continued diplomatic contact while military forces remained ready.

Rusk reviewed Khrushchev's first settlement proposal and supported exploring the possibility of a non-invasion assurance.

Rusk participated in the decision to respond to Khrushchev's earlier letter rather than accept the public Turkey-for-Cuba trade.

Rusk directed diplomatic work on verification and implementation after Moscow announced that the missiles would be removed.

Rusk supports language linking British Polaris forces to NATO except where supreme national interests are at stake