Dean Rusk, Secretary of State 1961-1969, an experienced and cautious diplomat, suggested the option of a secret approach to Castro to see if he might break with Moscow “if he knew that he were in deadly jeopardy”. The idea was ruled out as it would give advance warning about the U.S.’ intentions, and there was only a slight chance that Castro would accept it. Rusk rejected the sudden air strike option, because of the risk of escalating actions leading to general war, as well as on moral grounds. He advised the President to consult with U.S. allies and institute a blockade, with the objective of freezing the situation and sending UN monitoring teams to Cuba, rather than issuing an ultimatum. Rusk also famously remarked, “We’re eyeball to eyeball and I think the other fellow just blinked.”
Photo from National Archives. Item from Collection LBJ-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection, 11/22/1963 - 01/20/1969. ARC Identifier 192546.