Eisenhower knew the invasion of Cuba would not commence on his watch; the inauguration was only a few weeks off and there was still much planning to be done. But he could take one decision that would bind Kennedy’s hands and make it difficult for him to back away from the plan: he could break off diplomatic relations with Cuba, a move widely understood as a harbinger of armed conflict. He told Livingston Merchant on December 29 that he wanted this done “before January 20,” when he left office.
