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Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-086-001
Sound recording of a National Security Council Meeting on India held on May 9, 1963. Identified participants in this meeting include: President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Maxwell Taylor, Under Secretary of State George Ball, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman, Assistant Secretary of State Phillips Talbot, Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric, Ambassador to India Chester Bowles, Acting Administrator of the Agency for International Development (AID) Frank Coffin, Assistant Secretary of Defense William Bundy, and Member of the National Security Council Robert Komer. President Kennedy discusses with his staff the sale of mobile air defense units to India and potential diplomatic consequences. There is also extensive conversation on the possibility of providing a defense commitment to India in the case of a Chinese attack on the sub-continent and the use of nuclear weapons in the defense of countries in Asia instead of the introduction of large numbers of US soldiers. General Maxwell Taylor is first to bring up the issue of nuclear weapons versus ground troops. President Kennedy speaks briefly, and then General Taylor’s point is affirmed strongly by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. Eight segments of the recording totaling 2 minutes and 43 seconds have been removed for reasons of national security. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 86, which contains additional sound recording(s) following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 86 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-108-003
Sound recording of a meeting held on August 29, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, former United States Ambassador to Vietnam Frederick Nolting, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon, Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) General Marshall Carter, Director of the United States Information (USIA) Edward R. Murrow, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman, Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric, Specialist on Counterinsurgency for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Victor Krulak, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman, Deputy Director of the CIA for Plans Richard Helms, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, Military Aide to the President General Chester Clifton, National Security Council member Michael Forrestal, Executive Secretary of the National Security Council Bromley Smith. This meeting is a discussion between President Kennedy and a wide range of Department of State, Department of Defense, CIA, and White House advisors on the volatile situation in South Vietnam. Three segments of the recording totaling 1 minute and 44 seconds have been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 12958. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 108, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 108 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-107-005
Sound recording of a meeting held on August 27, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, former United States Ambassador to Vietnam Frederick Nolting, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Maxwell Taylor, Under Secretary of State George Ball, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman, Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric, Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) General Marshall Carter, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, Director of the United States Information Agency (USIA) Edward R. Murrow, Deputy CIA Director for Plans Richard Helms, Director of the CIA's Far Eastern Division William Colby, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, member of the National Security Council (NSC) Michael Forrestal, Specialist on Counterinsurgency for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) General Victor Krulak, and Executive Secretary of the NSC Bromley Smith. This meeting on Vietnam is a follow-up to the meeting from the day before. President Kennedy asked Frederick Nolting, the recently replaced Ambassador to Vietnam, to attend this meeting in order to discuss his views on the Vietnam situation. One segment of the recording totaling 8 seconds has been removed in accordance with Section 3.4 (b) (1), (3) of Executive Order 12958. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 107, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 107 in its entirety.
Sound recording
Papers of John F. Kennedy. Presidential Papers. President's Office Files.
JFKPOF-MTG-107-004
Sound recording of a meeting held on August 26, 1963, between President John F. Kennedy, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Maxwell Taylor, Under Secretary of State George Ball, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs W. Averell Harriman, Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell Gilpatric, Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Marshall Carter, Director of the CIA's Office of Special Operations (OSO) Richard Helms, Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Roger Hilsman, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs McGeorge Bundy, National Security Council (NSC) member Michael Forrestal, and Specialist on Counterinsurgency for the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Victor Krulak. This meeting on Vietnam takes place the Monday following the now infamous Saturday telegram concerning a possible coup in Vietnam. The meeting is contentious at times between the Department of State and the Department of Defense/White House staff on what steps should be taken in Vietnam. Near the end of the meeting, President Kennedy changes the topic to foreign aid cuts requested by Congress and what can be done to sway opinions in the opposite direction. This sound recording has been excerpted from Tape 107, which contains additional sound recording(s) preceding and following this one. See Related Records to access Tape 107 in its entirety.