The Meeting

The year is 1951. The world is once again on the precipice of war. President Truman, desperate for a solution, meets with his closest advisors.

Transcript

5. Dialog [National Security Council Meeting, June 1951]
6. Dialog [National Security Council Meeting, June 1951]
7. Dialog [National Security Council Meeting, June 1951]
12. Dialog Truman: So...
14. Dialog Truman: ... What have we got?
15. Dialog Bradley: It's a mine field Mr. President, plain and simple.
16. Dialog Bradley: It's a mine field Mr. President, plain and simple.
17. Dialog Bradley: It's a mine field Mr. President, plain and simple.
18. Dialog Bradley: It's a mine field Mr. President, plain and simple.
19. Dialog Bradley: For Iran, for Britain...
20. Dialog Bradley: ... possibly for the whole free world.
24. Dialog Truman: McGhee?
26. Dialog Mcghee: Agreed.
27. Dialog The Iranians want the heads of all Brits.
28. Dialog And anyone percieved as a friend of the Brits.
29. Dialog Including us.
30. Dialog Grady in Tehran calls the situation, and I quote...
31. Dialog "most explosive."
42. Dialog Truman: And Britain?
43. Dialog Acheson: They're seriously poised to invade.
44. Dialog Acheson: That oil company is their country's single biggest income source.
45. Dialog Lose it and their whole economy starts teetering.
46. Dialog Acheson: They'll stop at nothing to get it back.
48. Dialog Truman: We've got to jump in now or it's all going to explode.
50. Dialog McGhee: Beg pardon, Mr. President...
51. Dialog McGhee: ... Jump in and do what?
52. Dialog McGhee: If we tell Britain to back off, we'll just get into a fight with them.
53. Dialog Bradley: Which...
54. Dialog Bradley: ... if it spirals out of control...
55. Dialog Bradley: ... could split the whole Western Alliance.
59. Dialog Truman: Leaving the Soviets unopposed in Europe.
61. Dialog Bradley: Exactly, sir.
67. Dialog Truman: Hoo boy.
69. Dialog Truman: And if we were to just let Britain invade?
70. Dialog Truman: Then what?
71. Dialog Bradley: Among other things...
72. Dialog Bradley: ...the Soviets would be highly motivated to step in on Iran's side.
74. Dialog Acheson: The Soviets vs. the West.
75. Dialog Acheson: God knows how many countries would get sucked into that fight.
76. Dialog Acheson: God knows how many countries would get sucked into that fight.
78. Dialog Bradley: World War Thr--
79. Dialog Acheson: Tst! Omar, let's not--
80. Dialog Truman: The point is...
81. Dialog Truman: ... we're screwed no matter which we do.
84. Dialog Acheson: I see one slim option, sir...
85. Dialog Acheson: ...Very slim.
89. Dialog Acheson: First: we press Britain to stand down just for now.
90. Dialog Draft a letter to Atlee personally.
91. Dialog Hope to God we can stall him.
93. Dialog Truman: And?
94. Dialog Acheson: Then we work quickly.
95. Dialog Pry open even a small window for dialogue.
96. Dialog We then step up as mediators...
97. Dialog ...and hammer out a deal...
98. Dialog ... For everyone.
99. Dialog Mcghee: A window for dialogue?
100. Dialog Meaning get Mossadegh to agree to talk to the Fraser gang?
101. Dialog Meaning get Mossadegh to agree to talk to the Fraser gang?
103. Dialog Acheson: Yes.
104. Dialog Bradley: Uh!
105. Dialog Bradley: Are you dreaming, Dean?
106. Dialog Bradley: Even if we could get a diplomat safely into Tehran right now...
107. Dialog ...which is doubtful...
108. Dialog ...who in the world's good enough to cajole Mossadegh into that?
121. Dialog Truman and Acheson: Harriman.
122. Dialog Truman and Acheson: Harriman.
123. Dialog Narrator: W. Averill Harriman. Yale Skull and Bones, racer of Thoroughbreds...
124. Dialog ... director of the Marshall Plan in Europe.
125. Dialog Called "infallible" in diplomatic circles...
126. Dialog ...Harriman could talk the talons off a hawk without disturbing a feather.