Quote: (“…[The} military options moved further toward a much larger strike which would very likely have to be accompanied by a land and sea invasion… Almost certainly [an invasion of Cuba] would have led to a Soviet military response somewhere in the world. Now before I leave this question, let me go back and say there was one other military
alternative which was considered at the time, and that was a quarantine [blockade], and
that of course is what the President decided on. It was believed that this would be seen
by Khrushchev not in a sense as a military action, but as a message. It was meant to
convey the President’s determination to see those weapons removed…”
-Robert McNamara, former Secretary of Defense, interview 1998)
Based on the quote, what can best be inferred about why the United States felt it needed to take the action McNamara mentions, as a response to the placement of weapons in Cuba?
A)The threat of an attack on U.S. soil was imminent based on Cuba’s close proximity.
B)The president wanted to send a clear message to the Soviet government.
C)The U.S. government wanted to easily take over nuclear missile operations in Cuba.
D)The Secretary of Defense wanted to prevent the Soviet invasion of Cuba.
Please help I think that it is B...
Yes, B.
You're welcome.
Thanks so much!
Well, if you ask me, option B seems like a clear winner here. The United States wanted to send a message to the Soviet government, like "Hey, stop pointing those missiles at us!" It's like when you give someone a stern look to let them know they've crossed a line, but on a global scale. So, I'd say B is your best bet.
To find the correct answer based on the quote, we need to analyze the information provided. According to Robert McNamara, the military options considered were a larger strike accompanied by a land and sea invasion, or a quarantine (blockade). McNamara then states that the President decided on the quarantine because it was believed that it would be seen by Khrushchev (the Soviet leader) as a message, rather than a military action. It was meant to convey the President's determination to see those weapons removed.
From this information, the best inference about why the United States felt it needed to take action is that B) The president wanted to send a clear message to the Soviet government. The purpose of the quarantine (blockade) was to communicate the President's determination to have the weapons removed, rather than directly attacking or invading Cuba.
Therefore, based on the quote provided, the correct answer is B) The president wanted to send a clear message to the Soviet government.