The President pointed out that the missiles certainly had to be removed one way or another, and stated he would meet again at six o'clock that evening with his advisors. In the meantime there was much information to be gathered and much analysis to be done as to pros and cons of all the various courses of action. He authorized as many U-2 flights as needed to get full, complete, 100% coverage of the island. He asked for the report on the latest analysis of just what the thinking toward Cuba is in Latin American countries as well as NATO as to any action the US might take: some un-answered questions on whether or not to surface the fact that we were making surveillance flights and whether or not to surface this new information; also whether to precede any military by some form of political pressure action: what would be the effect of military strikes, how long would it take to organize, how many sorties would be required, etc. –CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, October 17, 1962
What did Kennedy’s advisors know for certain about his primary objective in Cuba? _________