ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the many and diverse activities that took place between Saturday morning, October 22, and Tuesday morning, October 25. If the United States were to go beyond a simple "rescue mission" to a full-fledged invasion of Grenada, there would surely be risks involved. Military planning must be completed quickly and with absolute secrecy. Thus, the Joint Chiefs were instructed to proceed with invasion planning on the basis of a "go order." Especially in light of press reports that a Grenada invasion was imminent, steps must be taken to maintain the contemplated operation's secrecy. Ronald Reagan administration spokespersons would not be informed of the President's decision, thus allowing them to deny that any invasion was planned. George B. Crist's objective was to ensure that in case of an invasion, Caribbean troops would quickly be introduced to the island, thus facilitating an early US withdrawal.
