Declassified Documents Include Eisenhower's Briefing to President-elect Kennedy on the "Satchel" Containing Information Needed to Conduct Nuclear War JFK requested procedures for launching nuclear attacks without consulting Pentagon
Washington D.C., July 9, 2018 - Online blustering virtually nuclear “buttons” has brought novel attending to the number of presidential command over nuclear weapons, together with to the special satchel or “Football” of emergency together with nuclear planning information carried past times White House armed forces aides when the President is traveling. Declassified documents published today past times the National Security Archive depict the Eisenhower, Kennedy together with Johnson arrangements for the “Football”; together with the posting includes newly discovered White House photographs of half-dozen recent Presidents alongside armed forces aides together with the Football nearby.
by William Burr
The on-line give-and-take of "nuclear buttons" during the Korean crisis has deepened concern virtually the work of presidential command of nuclear weapons together with whether a president tin initiate a nuclear state of war over the doubts together with opposition of transcend civilian together with armed forces advisers.[1] Symbolizing the reality of presidential command is the “Football,” the special briefcase that contains information on U.S. state of war plans together with emergency procedures, carried past times a armed forces aide whenever the President is exterior the White House, whether at a Washington, D.C. place or traveling on Air Force One or Marine One. Variously known every bit the “emergency kit,” the “President’s Black Bag,” the “satchel,” or the “suitcase,” the Football together with the armed forces aide carrying it are close the president’s side inwards the lawsuit of a terrible crisis, such every bit a nuclear attack, so that the president has the information together with the communications arrangements needed to brand a timely decision. Today, the National Security Archive publishes for the firstly fourth dimension a diversity of declassified documents discussing the procedures together with a broad array of White House photographs, from the Kennedy direction to the Clinton administration, showing armed forces aides carrying the Football standing past times or walking close the president.
It is non clear when or why the “Black Bag” became known every bit the Football[2], but during the Eisenhower direction it became the practice, when the president was traveling, for a armed forces aide to carry a briefcase including emergency activeness documents, such every bit presidential proclamations together with information on authorization of nuclear weapons use. An aide was also assigned to Vice President Richard Nixon inwards the lawsuit that something happened to the president.
A number of of import developments made Football-type arrangements of import both to the president together with the Pentagon leadership. The emergence of a Soviet ICBM threat inwards the like shooting fish in a barrel 1950s greatly reduced warning fourth dimension together with the demand for rapid decisions inwards a crisis made it of import to constitute procedures for convening emergency conferences betwixt the president, the secretarial assistant of defense, together with the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Moreover, the creation of the Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) inwards the early on 1960s, before long gave the president (or a successor) a card of preemptive or retaliatory nuclear laid on options. The Football came to include the “SIOP Execution Handbook,” alongside detailed information on the strike options.
Today’s posting includes documents published for the firstly fourth dimension on the early on history of the Football/Black Bag/satchel, including what may last the firstly declassified reference to the Football. Included inwards today’s materials are:
The tape of a briefing inwards Jan 1961 past times President Dwight D. Eisenhower together with White House Staff Secretary Andrew J. Goodpaster to President-elect John F. Kennedy virtually the contents of the emergency “satchel”
White House questions from Jan 1962 virtually whether the president could monastic tell a nuclear strike inwards an emergency without consulting the Pentagon
A Pentagon memorandum from Nov 1962 on an “Emergency Actions Folder” forwarded to a White House Naval aide concerning actions that could last taken nether diverse Defense Readiness Conditions [DEFCONs].
Documents from 1963 on the making of the “SIOP Execution Handbook,” created expressly for the president’s usage inwards a crisis together with ane of the major items inwards the Football.
Documents from 1964 on the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s creation of the “Gold Book,” the renamed emergency actions folder, for inclusion inwards the emergency satchel.
Memoranda from 1964 on President Johnson’s firstly briefing on the nuclear state of war plans, the Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP), alongside White House armed forces aides amidst the listeners.
A draft memorandum from early on 1965 suggesting that President Johnson did non similar to “be followed so closely” past times a armed forces aide carrying the Football together with that he wanted other arrangements.
A June 1965 memorandum past times a White House naval aide explicitly referring to the “FOOTBALL.”
The existence of the Football embodies the presidential command of nuclear weapons that is essential to civilian management of the military, but it points to the risks of ane somebody having exclusive ability to brand fateful decisions to usage nuclear weapons. President John F. Kennedy spoke to the work inwards Nov 1962 past times saying, “From the dot of stance of logic at that topographic point was no argue why the President of the U.S.A. should receive got the determination on whether to usage nuclear weapons,” but “ history had given him this power.”
The firstly populace reference to the “Football” may receive got been inwards an article past times journalist Bob Horton inwards The Baltimore Lord's Day inwards Nov 1965. It was partly based on an interview alongside Army warrant officeholder together with Football-carrier Ira Gearhart, who had been inwards the dorsum of the President’s motorcade inwards Dallas on 22 Nov 1963 (Warrant officers receive got shared responsibleness alongside armed forces aides for the Football's security). When Gearhart learned virtually Kennedy’s death, he together with the Football moved into the infirmary suite where Vice President Johnson had been sitting. According to Horton’s account, the “satchel” included a “portfolio of cryptographic orders” to the Joint Chiefs for authorizing nuclear retaliation. The message could last sent either past times telephone, teletype, or microwave radio. Horton also learned that through arrangements established past times the Defense Communications Agency, the authorizing messages could also last sent to the North American Air Defense Command or the Strategic Air Command. Because the orders were encrypted, they would last meaningless to a thief; every bit old Chief of the White House Communications Office Lt. Colonel George J. McNally explained: “Visualize the thing every bit a dollar nib torn inwards half,” alongside one-half of it at the Pentagon. “Only when the President sends his one-half volition the ii pieces cardinal together or fit.” [3]
Another populace reference to the “satchel’s” existence appeared inwards 1965 when old president Eisenhower alluded to it inwards a memoir, but to a greater extent than information became populace inwards 1967 when William Manchester published The Death of a President. Manchester described the “black bag” that Ira Gearhart had carried on 22 Nov 1963 every bit a “thirty-pound metallic suitcase alongside an intricate combination lock.” Uncertainty virtually Gearhart’s whereabouts during the chaos of that solar daytime caused alert at the Pentagon, but he was on Air Force One when Lyndon Johnson took the oath of office. Johnson was told virtually the Football for the firstly fourth dimension past times White House armed forces aide General Chester Clifton.
Manchester’s sources described the dark bag’s contents: launch codes, contact telephone numbers for the British prime number government minister together with the president of French Republic (with whom U.S. presidents had agreed to consult, if possible, when making nuclear weapons usage decisions), together with information on nuclear strike options. According to Manchester’s account, the presentation of the latter “looked similar comic books… because they had been carefully designed so that whatever ane of Kennedy’s 3 armed forces aides could chop-chop tell him how many casualties would final result from Retaliation Able, Retaliation Baker, Retaliation Charlie, etc.” This may non last wholly accurate: the satchel may non receive got include launch codes, which were closely held at the Pentagon, but it did include authentication information needed so the president could communicate alongside the JCS state of war room together with number nuclear strike orders. Neither Horton’s nor Manchester’s describe of piece of work organisation human relationship mentioned the Emergency Action Papers.
More information reached the populace inwards 1980 when William Gulley, the old managing director of the White House Military Office, published a memoir, Breaking Cover. Gulley’s volume was controversial inwards component subdivision because it included sensational charges virtually White House spending abuses, but it included interesting points virtually the Football. One was that most presidents had non been real interested inwards it together with seldom asked for updates virtually the Football’s changing contents (changes inwards strike options, targeting, etc.). Gulley farther observed that at that topographic point was “a form of mythology” that the Football is an “ever prepare Answer Box” for presidential activeness inwards a crisis. “The truth is that it raises every bit many questions every bit it answers.” Gulley explained that if the U.S.A. was nether attack, the president would receive got to chop-chop brand complex decisions inwards minutes virtually retaliatory options. The implication was that the information inwards the Football was so complex together with demanding that few presidents had the background needed to brand audio decisions inwards a crisis.
From all accounts President Jimmy Carter immersed himself inwards the details of nuclear planning so it is possible that he became conversant alongside the Football’s contents, including the SIOP handbook.[6] Yet every bit far every bit this author knows, no noun information virtually his or other presidents’ briefings virtually the Football has been declassified. One of the few pieces of declassified information concerns the Reagan administration: a few days before the inauguration, White House armed forces aide Major John Kline briefed president-elect Ronald Reagan virtually White House emergency communications procedures “in the lawsuit of an attack.” Later inwards the year, on xvi Nov 1981, Kline provided “additional item regarding the ‘black bag’ that the aides carry – together with its role inwards the strategic liberate process.” Yet every bit far every bit this author knows, except for the briefing to John F. Kennedy [See Document 1], noun information virtually the briefings for presidents, much less the “Football’s” specific contents, remains secret.
Additional inquiry together with declassifications may shed to a greater extent than low-cal on the history of the Football, presidential briefings virtually it, together with how its contents receive got changed over the years. The memorandum that General Goodpaster prepared of the briefing for president-elect Kennedy is exemplary for providing some information virtually the “satchel’s” contents. Whether comparable records of related briefings during subsequent presidential transitions were prepared needs farther investigation.
Source: Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Ann Whitman Files, Presidential Transition Series, box 1, Memos re Change of Administration (4)[7]
On nineteen Jan 1961, the solar daytime before John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, President Eisenhower together with General Goodpaster gave the president-elect a briefing on the contents of the emergency satchel whose contents related to the “operational arrangements together with preparations inwards existence so the president could give management to the authorities together with the nation inwards the lawsuit of emergency.” The purse included a volume of Emergency Action Documents that were prepare for a presidential signature. For perspective on emergency planning together with the EADs, Goodpaster showed Kennedy “Plan D-Minus.” Included inwards the satchel was the text of a document for calling Congress into special session together with the unspecified usage of FBI offices “at that time” (possibly for bringing members of Congress to the Greenbrier). Another document related to authorizing the usage of nuclear weapons inwards an emergency.
Goodpaster also showed Kennedy a “book containing the policy statement, instructions, together with controls on the affair of existing advance authorizations for the usage of atomic weapons” designed so that “the U.S. could non last caught past times surprise.” Those were the predelegationarrangements that remained hugger-mugger for many years. Another volume described the Defense Department’s “emergency actions,” perchance a reference to DEFCONS [Defense Readiness Conditions] together with the way past times which the Joint Chiefs would communicate alongside the president “in lawsuit of an emergency.”
Goodpaster’s briefing covered emergency plans to movement the president together with his family, emergency facilities [at Mount Weather together with other locations] “from which he would operate, together with the initial operations [also non specified] planned to last performed.” Goodpaster also reviewed the “arrangement” that President Eisenhower together with Vice President Nixon had established inwards the lawsuit that the president was temporarily incapacitated: “the Vice President would accede to the powers of the Chief Executive.” Although Eisenhower may non receive got mentioned it, Nixon had been routinely accompanied past times his ain emergency satchel-holder. For his vice president, Lyndon B. Johnson, Kennedy made no such arrangement.
During the briefing, Eisenhower said something to this effect to Kennedy: the satchel would last “carried past times an unobtrusive homo who would shadow the president for all his days inwards office.” To demonstrate the White House’s emergency capabilities, Eisenhower afterwards recounted that he pushed a button, said “Send a chopper,” together with inwards half-dozen minutes “a helicopter sat downwardly on the lawn exterior my oval office.”[8]
Source: Dwight D. Eisenhower Library, Office of White House Staff Secretary, Emergency Action Series, box 2, Fed. Emergency Plans (1), re-create from Declassified Documents Reference Service.
One of the items inwards the emergency satchel that General Goodpaster mentioned inwards the briefing to John F. Kennedy was Federal Emergency Plan D-Minus. This Office of Civil together with Defense Mobilization study reviewed plans for U.S. authorities actions inwards emergency conditions, including the Emergency Action Documents that would last signed inwards those conditions. If emergency measures did non receive got a statutory footing together with trying to obtain the proper ascendancy would “jeopardize the national security, the extraordinary powers of the President nether the Constitution shall last used every bit legal ascendancy for the required actions.”
Among the documents cited, together with presumably included inwards the satchel, were several proclamations. One declared “the existence of an unlimited national emergency together with a province of civil defence emergency.” Given the supposition that nuclear state of war would involve disastrous breakdowns of civil lodge together with authorities at all levels, the diverse orders together with proclamations provided for broad supposition of ascendancy past times federal officials. One annunciation provided that whenever the Director of [Office of Civil together with Defense Mobilization] determines that a province authorities or political subdivision thereof is unable or unwilling to perform essential civil functions,” the Director would receive got responsibleness for those functions alongside assistance from armed forces commanders that had resources “not needed for the behaviour of armed forces operations.” Another annunciation established what amounted to martial law, such every bit authorizing the secretarial assistant of defence when “necessary to hold populace monastic tell together with enforce Federal, State together with local laws.”[9]Other proclamations authorized “apprehension of persons considered unsafe to national security” piece an executive monastic tell established an Office of Censorship.
Source: John F. Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1/62-12/62
With the Berlin province of affairs on his mind every bit a possible source for a nuclear conflict, President Kennedy fifty-fifty considered the possibility of a preemptive strike against the Soviet Union inwards the lawsuit that province was preparing an attack. Although the “black bag” included information on how to the Joint Chiefs would go far carry upon alongside the president, Kennedy wanted to a greater extent than than that: he sought a reliable laid of procedures inwards house for the command of nuclear usage decisions. According to questions prepared for JCS Chairman Lyman Lemnitzer past times White House naval aide Captain Tazewell Shepard, the president wanted to know whether inwards an emergency he could monastic tell a nuclear strike without consulting the Joint Chiefs or the secretarial assistant of defense, what he would say to the War Room when he called, how could it last proven that the caller was inwards fact the president, together with whether it was necessary to authenticate to the secretarial assistant of defence presidential approvals for nuclear weapons use. For Shepard the cardinal work was whether the procedures described inwards the “JCS Emergency Actions File” were flexible plenty to enable the president to receive got such actions. Plainly, Kennedy did non desire to last inwards a seat where he would alone say “yes” or “no” to the Joint Chief’s asking for strike authorization inwards a crisis.[10]
Source: John F. Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1/62-12/62
No tape has surfaced of the Kennedy-Leminitzer meeting, but according to Bundy the takeaway from the give-and-take was that the president expected to last able “to initiate, every bit good every bit participate in, an emergency conference alongside the secretarial assistant of defence together with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.” Apparently, this framework would create routines for authenticating the president’s identity so that nuclear weapons usage decisions could last made. In monastic tell to educate sense at the Joint War Room so that staff could handgrip a presidential asking for an emergency conference, Bundy advised McNamara that Captain Tazewell would last carrying out “random” drills to laid upwards “conference checks” alongside the secretarial assistant together with the Joint Chiefs. The “drill” could drive some inconvenience but “occasional practise has acquire a necessity.”
1962-01-20
Source: National Archives, Record Group 218, Records of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (RG 218), Records of JCS Chairman Lyman Lemnitzer, box 1, CMs.
One other dot tin last made virtually the Kennedy-Lemnitzer meeting: that the president got fairly deep inwards to the weeds of nuclear targeting, every bit indicated past times a inquiry that he asked virtually SIOP targeting of Poland. The response that went to Kennedy cannot last found at the JFK Library together with a re-create was non kept inwards Lemnitzer’s papers. But the JCS had such information at hand; for example, according to a June 1961 report, Warsaw Pact air bases inwards Poland would receive got been slated for targeting (along alongside others inwards Eastern Europe). If the alert strength had been launched, casualties inwards Poland would receive got been inwards the 497,000 range; a total strength laid on would receive got caused at to the lowest degree 2.6 1000000 casualties.
Perhaps Kennedy wanted the information to acquire a amend grasp of the targeting of Soviet satellite countries together with the provisions planned for SIOP 63 for the possibility of withholding nuclear strikes against those countries or China.
1962-10-13
Source: RG 218, Chairman Maxwell Taylor Papers, box 2, 031.1. Meetings alongside the President Oct 1962
By the even of the Cuban Missile Crisis, if non earlier, the satchel carried past times armed forces aides had some other moniker: the “President’s Black Bag.” What information was existence revised for inclusion remains unknown.
1962-11-12
Source: RG 218, Maxwell Taylor Papers, box 2, 031.1. Meetings alongside the President Oct 1962
The JCS had provided the president’s naval aide, Captain Shepard, alongside an “Emergency Actions Folder,” presumably for inclusion inwards the “Black Bag.” The “folder” may receive got been an update of the “Emergency Actions File,” alongside to a greater extent than provisions for presidential initiative, every bit requested inwards document 1. According to Shepard, the information met White House requirements “very satisfactorily,” perhaps a reference to the flexibility that President Kennedy had requested before inwards the year. Apparently, the folder included information on armed forces actions required past times diverse Defense Readiness Conditions (DEFCONS), complementing the to a greater extent than detailed information that would last available to the Joint Chiefs.
1963-06-04
Source: RG 218, Chairman Maxwell Taylor Papers, box 1. CM 1963 619-63 -- 698-63
One of the cardinal elements inwards the Black Bag would last the “SIOP Execution Handbook” laying out the key nuclear strike options available to the president every bit codified inwards the SIOP. Basic piece of work on the handbook had been done so that it could last considered farther past times the Chiefs every bit good every bit past times the president together with the secretarial assistant of defence “if appropriate.” More piece of work was to last done, however, peculiarly on the “Consequences” department which would justice the fatalities together with industrial impairment that would final result inwards the Free World together with the Sino-Soviet bloc caused past times SIOP execution. In addition, the department would justice the residuum nuclear forces that would last available to both sides. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 recent state of war game had resulted inwards a “more favorable Free World posture” together with Taylor believed that should last taken into describe of piece of work organisation human relationship inwards the “Consequences” section.
1963-07-06
Source: RG 218, Maxwell Taylor Papers, box 1, CM 669-63---795-63
A calendar month later, the firstly “SIOP Execution Handbook” had been completed together with Taylor found it to last a “valuable compendium of information for prepare reference,” providing inwards “outline together with summary shape a give-and-take of the major decisions required for implementing the SIOP.” He asked the Joint Chiefs for their comments.
1963-07-24
Source: RG 218, Maxwell Taylor Papers, box 35, Memos from President 1963
During this meeting, General Taylor presented Kennedy alongside a re-create of the “SIOP Execution Handbook.” After Taylor reviewed the decisions required for SIOP implementation, Kennedy asked questions virtually the handbook.
1963-12-05
Source: RG 218, Maxwell Taylor Papers, box 1, CM-1051-63 -- CM-1102-63
In the wake of President Kennedy’s assassination, Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay wanted to acquire the novel president, Lyndon B. Johnson, upwards to speed on the SIOP. He proposed a special command postal service exercise (CPX) to “familiarize him alongside the intelligence that would in all likelihood last available, the armed forces considerations involved, together with the decisions that he would receive got to brand inwards monastic tell to execute the SIOP.” Despite LeMay’s efforts, Johnson was non interested.
1964-01-11
Source: RG 218, Maxwell Taylor Papers, box 2, 031.1 Meetings alongside the President
One of Taylor’s aides handed off the latest version of the “Gold Book,” which covered the emergency actions that the Joint Chiefs would receive got during an emergency. The “Gold Book” would last component subdivision of the president’s “emergency kit.”
1964-02-15
Source: RG 218, Maxwell Taylor Papers, box 2, CM 1964 1163-64--1229-64
With the “Gold Book” finalized, the handbook for the “Execution of the JCS Single Integrated Operational Plan” had also been updated so that it reflected the latest version of the state of war plan, SIOP-64. Recommending reproduction together with distribution to the appropriate officials, Taylor noted that the “decision section” had been reorganized so that it had a breakdown of the recommendations that the Chiefs would brand to the president, the decisions that the latter would receive got to make, together with the “implementing directives” that the Chiefs would number to the appropriate armed forces commands.
1964-03-23
Source: Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, Files of C.V. Clifton., box 1, Gold Book
A give-and-take of the possible role of the secretarial assistant of province inwards emergency “Gold Book” conferences provided an explanation of what the “Gold Book” was genuinely about. According to General Clifton, the Joint Chiefs saw the “Gold Book describe of piece of work organisation ... [as] genuinely a armed forces command physical care for inwards which they would go downwardly the describe after national decisions receive got been taken.” Presumably, the secretarial assistant of province would participate inwards the basic “national decisions” virtually the usage of nuclear weapons.
1964-03-23
Source: Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, Files of C.V. Clifton, Box 1, Gold Book
General Clifton relayed to Bundy the Joint Chiefs’ continuing involvement inwards the president’s participation inwards a “small-scale ‘command postal service exercise,” where the Chiefs went over the SIOP alongside the president, Bundy, together with the “aides who are going to cart the Gold Book around.” Based on a scenario, it would involve a “typical province of affairs involving SlOP together with the Gold Book -- national decisions, etc., together with the choices he would receive got to make.” By having the armed forces aides together with other cardinal staff members every bit observers at the exercise, they would larn how they would last “able to aid the President inwards an emergency.” According to Clifton, Joint Staff Director General Andrew Goodpaster wanted staff members present, but advised the briefers to last careful non to cite the super-secret “Furtherance” instructions concerning the emergency pre-delegation of presidential nuclear usage decisions.
1964-08-21
Source: LBJ, National Security File. Files of C.V. Clifton, box 2. SIOP
Prepared past times ii of President Johnson’s armed forces aides, this memorandum describes the SIOP briefing given to President Johnson past times Joint Staff vice managing director J-3 (operations) General John McPherson. The briefing reviewed the “five decisions [not specified] which the President must make, together alongside the advice he powerfulness await from the Joint Chiefs for each decision,” the JCS’s procedures for implementing the decisions, together with the “consequences of SlOP execution inwards damage of human casualties.”
Apparently “absorbed” past times the briefing, Johnson “expressed particular involvement inwards the casualties which would final result from a nuclear exchange.” When he asked what would plough over if a crisis occurred when he was inwards mid-air, Wheeler said that the Chiefs would communicate alongside him past times radio together with implied that General Clifton or other armed forces aides would aid the president alongside the “interpretation of the work at hand.” Generals LeMay together with Wheeler made some other endeavor to convince Johnson to participate inwards a SIOP exercise, but no president would last willing to do so until Jimmy Carter.
1965-00-00
Source: LBJL Files of C.V. Clifton, box 1, Hold for CVC, Volume 1
In a proposal to define the responsibilities of the White House armed forces aide inwards connection alongside procedures for presidential decisions during a armed forces crisis, Clifton provided some perspective on the history of the Football together with its antecedents: “the evolution of the requirement for the president to receive got sure enough documents accompanying him together with last made available to him on brusk notice has developed over the past times xv years, largely because of the possibility of the Presidency existence destroyed past times nuclear attack.” But the Football’s contents together with presidential communications requirements expanded alongside the growing complexity of the emergency response work (development of SIOP together with options, predelegation arrangements, etc.)
Mentioned inwards this document were unspecified rulings past times the Attorney General concerning presidential decisions on the usage of nuclear weapons. Also mentioned was the was the formal role, firstly inwards 1958-1960, of the White House Communications Agency [then known every bit the White House Signals Detachment] inwards the transportation of the “emergency powers documents.”
1965-00-00
Source: LBJL Files of C.V. Clifton, box 1, Hold for CVC, Volume 1
This massively excised document, in all likelihood drafted past times Clifton who retired inwards June 1965, suggests that President Johnson did non similar to last “followed so closely” past times the Football carrier together with that he had discussed alongside McNamara a scheme that would eliminate the “need for an aide to last inwards constant attendance upon him.” As those sentences were crossed out, Clifton may receive got idea that they were besides indiscreet or perhaps the province of affairs changed.[11] In whatever event, he proposed a novel scheme past times which the White House Communications Agency would hold constant communications alongside the president. Clifton also suggested consolidation of the PEADS into the ii or 3 most of import documents that the president would demand “very quickly.”
Thinking to a greater extent than broadly inwards damage of continuity of authorities together with presidential succession, Clifton recommended arrangements to ensure that the vice president together with the side past times side ii presidential successors could last located together with communicated alongside whenever the president was traveling.
1965-06-14
Source: LBJL Files of C.V. Clifton, box 1, Hold for CVC, Volume 1
This may last the alone declassified document that genuinely mentions the Football, which patently was heavy plenty that the weight work was mentioned twice. In this massively excised memorandum, Naval aide Josephson provided his thoughts on the Football, Presidential Emergency Action Documents (PEADS), the SIOP, secure communications, together with the duties of White House armed forces aides. Possibly novel Presidential Emergency Action Documents had been added to the Football, so increasing its weight. Josephson did non consider that every bit a work but was concerned that because alone a few of the PEADS had genuinely been approved past times the president, at that topographic point could last some inquiry of legality. In whatever event, Josephson wanted to brand sure enough inwards a crisis that the president could sign off on essential orders before something happened to him. Besides the Football’s weight, the other number that came through was whether SIOP execution should involve coordination betwixt the national safety adviser together with the Joint Chiefs. Josephson did non believe that it should, patently thinking that at that topographic point should last no mediation betwixt the president together with the Joint Chiefs
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