:26:03
So what are we gonna say
to the Soviets
:26:05
about this offer?
:26:07
Well, it depends, doesn't it?
:26:09
Do we really believe
there's been a coup?
:26:13
What if Fomin wasn't a ploy?
:26:15
What if his message was real?
:26:17
What if what is happening
is a series of accidents?
:26:21
Accidents like them
shooting down our U-2?
:26:25
Yes. Accidents like that
:26:27
And the accidents are making the
second letter seem more aggressive
:26:31
and the whole situation
appear worse than it really is
:26:34
"The Gun of August"
:26:35
That's right
:26:37
So we just reject the second letter?
:26:40
No
:26:42
We don't...
:26:43
reject it
:26:44
We accept the first letter
:26:46
and pretend
the second one doesn't exist
:26:50
It won't work
because that's wishful thinking
:26:53
Look, he made an offer. So I...
:26:54
The same wishful thinking, Bobby
that blinded us all these months
:26:56
while the Soviets were sneaking
those missiles in under our noses
:27:01
Ignore the second letter
:27:02
agree to the conditions of the first
:27:03
There is no reason to believe
the Soviets will let it go
:27:05
Max is right. Why will they accept it?
:27:08
It can work
:27:09
If they believe
we're gonna hit 'em hard
:27:13
We've got time for one more round
of diplomacy, and that's it
:27:16
First airstrikes start in 28 hours
:27:18
But we have to make them agree to it
:27:20
So how do we do that?
:27:21
We give them something
:27:23
We tell them
we'll remove the missiles from Turkey
:27:25
Hang on
:27:27
But we don that six months from now
so it appears there's no linkage
:27:31
We also tell them
if they go public about it
:27:33
we'll deny it
:27:34
Right we deny it. The deal's off
:27:35
And we do it under the table
so we can disavow any knowledge of it
:27:38
It's transparent, Kenny
The press will be all over it
:27:41
Six months from now
we're not gonna care, are we?
:27:44
We'll deal with it then
:27:45
At the least, it'll expulse
whether Kruschev has been overthrown
:27:48
We'll know who we're up against
:27:49
I've been thinking about Kruschev
:27:51
And if this is a move to appease
the hard-liners in his government
:27:54
it may be just the bone he needs to
regain control of his own house
:27:58
Whoever carries the message
has to hit the nail on the head