Trust
During the Cuban Missile Crisis, President Kennedy dispatched former Secretary of State Dean Acheson to Paris to inform Charles de Gaulle that the U.S. would impose a blockade ("quarantine") on Cuba in response to the Soviet deployment of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles on the island. On October 22, 1962, Acheson offered to show de Gaulle the photographic evidence of the missile deployment. De Gaulle replied, "Not now. This is mere evidence, and great nations such as yours would not take a serious step if there was any doubt about the evidence at all. Later, it would be interesting to see these, and I will look at them."*
Unfortunately, subsequent events in Iraq proved the general wrong. Even more unfortunately, no other foreign leader will ever have the same degree of trust in the wisdom and forbearance of the United States.
(*Pg 403, Acheson: The Secretary of State Who Created the American World by James Chace)
Unfortunately, subsequent events in Iraq proved the general wrong. Even more unfortunately, no other foreign leader will ever have the same degree of trust in the wisdom and forbearance of the United States.
(*Pg 403, Acheson: The Secretary of State Who Created the American World by James Chace)
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