Transcript of 176-10036-10179.pdf

================================================== Page 1 ================================================== 176-10036-10179] 2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F_ KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY NARA RECORD NUMBER 176-10036-10179 RECORD SERIES National Security Files AGENCY FILE NUMBER ORIGINATOR DOS FROM TO TITLE Status Report on Southeast Asia DATE 7/11/1962 PAGES 10 SUBJECTS DOCUMENT TYPE CLASSIFICATION RESTRICTIONS CURRENT STATUS DATE OF LAST REVIEW 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA COMMENTS National Security Files, Box 203: Vietnam Status 7/11/63. Box 1 ================================================== Page 2 ================================================== SEe SANCTITED Uck_DN Nu/ -61-338 Vqted ':'; V46 :|; SECRET S T 4 T 0 S R E P 0 R T ON S 0 0 T H € 4 $ T A S I A J U L Y 11, 1 9 6 2 PREPARED BY: MASK FORCE SOUTHEAST ASIA DEPARTMENT OF STTE SECRET ================================================== Page 3 ================================================== SBCREZ VIET-NAM Current; Overall Evaluatton The general trend appearg blightly fevorable, wIth the GWN continuing t0 mprove Its nillterje 3 and to' a limited eitent , Its political and econow nic posttiona Basic problems ara eroded but qulck end decisive actton $3 rar3. Tbere were no major breatthroughs Or Important victories an noze appear llkely In tbe {mmediate future. The Vet Cong 8how no veakendng In btrength or deterulnatzon despIte reportedly heavy 1ogga9. Oa the mIlitary side, Operatlong Binh Minb end Het Yan continued vell. Vlet Cong caeualtles were T and thetr ectivittes doim" (there j8 a unconfLrmed news report that a najor battle took place 3, honever , In wnlch the VC defeated a regular army battallon)e Tale may be due to raorgantzatton ard Weather rether than GWN succe8ses. 733 GWN took several but mnor. st0p9 to Increase popular support for the Nar @ffort, and geveral rwral 'e.231l and]econontc progoems noved ahead '8leLftcently . Op the Internatloal Sront, there were gone favorable reaponses 60 Our" efforts to set W en ald coordinatlng grorp of donor natlons. Economlc condltfong Improved sovennat, wlth' atable prIces, credtt a Uttle 1eg8 tight , consis ner goads eales end tax collectlons W, and rice dellvorles cont-ned goad. Feering that the prospective La gettlenent wLLl ZacllItate Vlot Cong actlvItlee end that It way prabage 0 0o So MoN0 to ncutrallzo VieteNem it- self , the CWN bae made d fficultiee et Ceneve over' geveral tssu8s and threatenb to boycott the conference. Presddent Kenedy ha9 sept Diem a Personal letter gtressIng the {mportance CB attach +0' & Iaos BeetZement and Our doterlnatton to contInue to help VJet_Nam defend Itgelf _ Thera 23 no rosponse a8 yet . Progresa 0n Action Progran 1o VC Actlrdtz Viet Cong activity continued at a relatively Jov level, %Ith aried ettacks falling to the Jovegt point over 2 yeat, for tbe porlad '20627 Juzze and rieIng oly alightly to 75 for the period June 27 P July 4a Ibe Jack of VC eggress_veness 1s IIkely due to tbe retny sea8on an tbetr efforts *0 regrol 1n order to counter tbe Improved @cbLllty and perfor- nonce Qf tho Gw {orces Observing that thts appeara to bo a period or VC reorganizatzon &nd essinLlatlon of recent Inf-ltratora, COMUSMACV me ports Indications thet VC units which prevLously opezated a8 geperato platcons and copenles a73 nox betng formed Into battaldong 0 Inf_ltration ev_dently conttnueg , but Intelligence 1e Bcerce. MACV J-2 8s6inate3 intlltrtiop Jn at 800-1,00@ and 800 for tha fArst three Week of but thls Information Is unc onfbrned and there ere Do reports 0f Infiltre- tion sfnce. SECRET being_ July goo 60, gocd Juce , May ================================================== Page 4 ================================================== SECREZ -2- In spite 0f reduced VC activitss VC casualties vere hzzh and ircluded s0hte mazn force Pergonrel , Ror the perled 20-27 Juno the VC Bufferad a reported increaee %f castelbe? af almnoat: 25 per Cent 'over tne previous reporting peried, K4lled In action for the teo Neck perLod MeL 865 PC ard Lbl frieadly forces _ Reports cont_rue to indicste : critical VC ghortage of @dical suppltes Cnconfirmzd reports rsiae tne possIbllity thet the Vc are attaining & 8nti- aircraft capabillty {Folloiog Itens are keyed 6o the Viet-Nam drefe action progrem of 3) 2 . Stretgtben_popular sw2p0rt The GVN took seperal steps to generate Dore Popular support Jn @na" lest) tvo #eeks, Zhese include tbe Jaly 7 releese of 791 priscners in connection #Ith the celebration of tho "double sevea" holiday (anaivergary %f Den'9 coming to power) ) a stepped-4p drive to Too: out lox-Jevel corruptzon &nd abuse OI poter by GVN officdals, end a Pre8iden- tially proposed anendnent to the Coustitution permitting tbc questlontng of Cabinet Iniaterg both by Commttteos of th6 Natlonal sa8ebly and by the Natlonal Asgembly 10 plenary 8e8s1on _ Ibo priboners releesed pey includa leading oppositlonist Phan Quang eno .hag been In prigon sinco bls par- ticpetion in the attempted 1960 coup_ #e have urged tne la8t itca oq Biem 1a the past In an effort 60 Increage the povers and prest1ge of the Nattonal Assembly. Another favorable developrent 1s increased emphasig On working with and for tne People in tbe current tralning program for strategic hanlet cadre8 _ Ngo dina Mnu (President '9 Drotner in charge Of ebe stretegic hanlet Progtam L5 concerred that tae program wln genuine popular support, He favor? the elecekor of hamlet officlals by secret ballot Inatead Qf by custongry_Shob o2 nanris _ Tnle i9 nor boing done in gona hanlets 4, Segk International_Support (6) Cenbodten Relatlone. The GVN replied milaly to the Cambodlan note concerninz the ARVN border Incursions of June 16 but did apologize or oIor in:emnities , The note Ingtsts that all precautions sere takea &0 avoia crossLrg the poorly marked {ronter _ admita that In spite of these pre- caubions the frontier may have beea violated points 0ut that any such Inad- vertent cfossing vaa notlvated by hostility toward Cambodia, denies tba arrest Of or Rern &9 Canbodien Inhabitants, and Ptoposes a mixed border Cons tol ccmittee 1 study froatier inczdents and provide for future border coogeratior: . Ancther source of CVH-RKG friction, disputcd coastal islands_ 9 4a3 thc subject of an exchenge 02 notes which tbreatened t0 st1r &P furthar troible betieen Camboltz and Viet-am_ SECBzY July Dan, not not ================================================== Page 5 ================================================== SRCREI 3 (b) nud Country 4ld. The Unlted Statee ha8 8uggested a Saigon, and pOSbIbly 8 Itor TaaaIngton neetLng &f donor ' country repre- gentatIveb to Coordinate ald' to Viot-Nam_ Iae intentlon 18 to stsulate more third country ald Lf posstble and to make sure tbat carrent third country contributlons are boing effectlvely epplied. To date, Australla and New Zealand bave 1ndicated vLLLLngness to particlpate In gucb neetings, Oernany vlll taka in inforwal Saigon neetings but would not attend any formal Washington gathering, and tbe Japanese are "proceeding wi th cantionh because of the expressed fear that too close Identificatlon vi &h Uhe 0.8. 0lll open , up Japanege technLcians In Vlet-Nam to Viet Cong reprlsals_ Canada hag declined to partlclpate becanse of It8 nenbership O0 tha ICC _ The Belgians French , Italian8 an the OK have not responded . Negotiat_ong for the Integration of Australlan traioers Into our MAAG eppear neer completion . Tbe GW has Indicated Its MIllingness to receive a Nev Zealend medical at any tlme and the detatle are worked out WLth Wellington and Satgon _ 10 _ MLLLtary Civic Action The 3l9t Engineer Battalion a88isted the Local population at Cheo Reo In PleJku Province In the conatructLod of e Buddhlst temple _ In addIton to the 150,000 copies of a neus obeet distrlbuted veekly by goldLera to the local civilan populatlon, 35,000 coptes of the Bheet ware ' al8o air dropped . 12 _ Develg?end Implevent Iutwally Agreed Plana Operetzong_Btph MLnh_epd_Rel_Yen- reportb both clear- ard-hold oporatzons contmulng to Rake progres8 Vitbout gerious VC reaction . Increased contact wlth the PC 10 reported In the Ral Yen erea, however , as the mlltary move into VC territory_ Bamlet Counc1ls have been elected In the Bai Yen area, but tbe Enbasey notes a serious problem In the fact that a hanlet Council menbor recelves oly 300 piasterg (about $4.00) per month for wat 1s theoret- cally 8 full tima job _ In Operatlon Bnh Minh, an effort utll be wade to Induce tbe People to mOve voluntarily Into the fourth villege to bae 80& up there Tba plan cells for extensive propaganda and explenations Jn advance of tbe move eetabllahment of mlitary control Over the area 30 that the people will be free to mOvB voluntarily, end up to 15 deye to accomlish tha move itself (prevIous regrouping actions allowed only a veryghort period for the phyeIcal move ) Monteguardg- Lategt Inforuation developed a5 9 result 'Of Jotnt Burveys IndIcates thhe Hontagnard eltueton 15 more a long term problem tban an emargency _ There bes in fact been a movement of sone 17 , OCO Hon- tegoard 88 a reaction to VC pregsures , and thie movenedt will probably contInue particulerly if the GWN provides adequate food and securlty _ SBCRBI Part Jet team belag Selgon ================================================== Page 6 ================================================== SECRBT ~b- Aluogt all Montegnard refugees are at leaet terporerily resettled an re- ceiving mnimu food, shelter and gecurity. The Embasgy coments that iile tblg Laforaation sonerhet reduces tbe urgency 0 the problem, it doe8 not change tbe problem 1 0 magnitnde 0r iportance_ Dfficulties stemlng from the abgedce 02 a well directea, n2eional Moatagaard rellef program, limited rellef regources , an tbe Viet- narese prejudice againat the Hontagard conttnue _ But tbe prIncipal epd mogt encowraging aepect 19 tbe Zact that tha Montagnard bave fled Obe VC preasures end nora may do 90. StreteeioEanlet Rogrez- Zhe Becond ten tralnlng Cobrse Yor 490 strategIc hamlet cadzos [ag ]Iaugrated by Ngo dinn Nau &0 Salgon July 2 _ Eture Plena- According to CAS, General: Dina '8 plan for the pacd- ficetlon 07 B.nb D{n province bas been approved by Dlem apd 01ll g0o@ be presented %0 tbe Dubasgy- The Flrst Corpg Cowmander 18 aleo reportedly des veloping Plans for two proviuces In ble area; these plang are 8a1d to stem {rom the 0.S . Interest and gupport for Bai Yen. 15 . Provdde Increaged Techntcal Aselstance _ WLlege Radlog _ As of July 4, 817 of tbe plenned 2500 villege radiob erere Installea and opera Testa of radlos for nse on traLos were gtarted . Defollation _ The Enbasgy hae proposed 9 tast Of the ezfectiveneag 0f defoliaata against VC food patches In the ' mountaLnous area of Operation Ral Yen . Governor HarrLman .oppose8 the uze of defollants on food crop8 bez cause Of tbe effect on Asian opinlon _ Declalon an action %ill be deleyed 0ntll the Covernor 1 8 return from Geneva _ 20 _ Integrete_Economc Measunes With Counterinaurgency B{fort' Agticultural Extenslon:, A pilot tralning progran for &gricultural efforte a8oCTated Miub couater Ngurgency Plans oponed July 3 in Qui Nbod. One hundred fermers Wlll gtudy farnlng and stock radaing metbodb for One nonth, includlng the 030 of fentllizerg and pesticldee_ Provtncial Bospitale- Congtructio o1 four @2 the 25 planned hospital surgIcal Guites began 0 schedule _ Ant--Bat Prograv Tbe OSOM-supported rat destructlon campalga wea carried Out 1 ten norehern provinces June 12-22, resulting in the destructio? 0f an estimated 15-20 mtllion rats Or 20,000 per_villege _ 25 _ PubLicize the Wer Within Viet-Nam aud InternatLonallz Etet-Nan Poto Servdee_ OSTS Selgon 1e gending 'out a veekly packet 02 photos dosTgned to eaTiat thTrd country interest &nd support for the GVN SECRBT day ting ================================================== Page 7 ================================================== SECRBF' -S- Ier effort _ Elght posts have reported favorably on the effort, inlicating ro dificulty In placing the photoe In leading newspspers 28 . Establish Network_%_USTS_Sub-poste - Tne GWV hag agreed to the egtabllebment of virtually ary nunber 0f USIS sub-Pogts througbout the country _ Negotietions On lacations ard Phygieal Arrangement: are underiny . SECRBD ================================================== Page 8 ================================================== SECRBL -6- THAIAN Cuzent Sttuatzon Evelustlor The RIC bas eccepted the International Court decielon ararding the disputed Para VLbarn Temple *0 Cembodle _ Tbal delegateg atterded tha Censwa Coaferece O@ Laos, slch reconvened On Jaly 2 _ but the RiG haa Qcb annornced {88 intentlon r0 attena tha nert meeting of the SEATO Cownctl Of Representattves In mid-July- On July 2 the US begzn the redeployment of 1,C MerLnes frow the Thira Herire Expedltlonary Brigede at Udor Possible Tosl concern Over ebls move Brg Zeagened by our inforing them 6t tho eame tlue of 8 0S- {Inanced progren to Improve logistic facllities In Tnelland (see below) _ On June 29 police arrested one suspected Commnlst in Chiengrai and Ow1a in Letang, both In tbe North of 5halland . Tne Tai press reports 8a8t subvergive documente Ware confJscated at both locatonb According to unconfiried reportg thage docuents orlginated {rom a Commniet prO- pegende rlng Opere out Of Northeastera Burma Progress_ oActzon Pregran 1. Improved_Logigtle_Bec_lities Re bave outliued t0 the RIC 0ur propoecd progrem to Lmprove logistlc Iac2lltles in Tailand _ Ine prograr #ould consist malaly of a POL pipeline to Koret In the nortbeaet, rolllng stock, eirfield 15- Provewent , storagc area8 ; and prepoeitiontng 0f hecvy nilitary engineer- irgequtpnent . Ine Tbal have egreed to the proposal In princsple altbough Sarie regerved bis decssion Od our] request that tbe RFC provide the rieht- 6-ky_for the pipellna &rd In-coutry transportatlon _ 2 . Interual Securttyy Plen We hsve Justracted Bmbeesy Bangkok C0 cable suniaries of €hoge portions Qf the plan whtch Gll not have been pouched In tine t0 reach the Depertment by July 11 Inle wiLl permlt congderatlon Of the babic coimonente of the entire plan durirg Secretary McNamera 8 {orthcoming to Honolulu . SECREI Yet tlng erip ================================================== Page 9 ================================================== SECRBI IAOS Curent_S-tuatlon_EveluatLo@ @e principal renainlng Lssue8 before the , Geneva Conference, Including SZAFO_ baving. been: regolved ; 1+ 18 antlclpated that tha nev Accorde' pay be signed nert Neek . There 18 nevertbelesa one 'BerJoug stumbllng block, riicb erdangers the gt_efectory concLuezon o2 the Conference, 1.e., the pogsible refueal 0f the GVn *0 Ibe CVN '8 Poeltlon gtems from Its bellef tbat s0 @ary conce8elons have beea pade to the ` Comuunlste that the gecurlty Qf SWN 18 gravely threatened _ He are, borever, hopeful ' that Dien 4ll 8t4ll be persuaded that 5e have achleved tbe best , obtainable' compronise for Laog a@d that we gtand ffru O@Qpr]_commd twent8 to SVN _ Progztees Od Action EPzogren Tnera hag been Lttle progreee Op our; ectLon program. We are con? centrating at preeent O0 the followiLng problemg : 1. Econouc_Aggigtance Elaboratzon 6f our future ald to Iaos awaltb tbe vislt 02 Souvanda Fnouna to Waehington, tentatlvely echeduled for July 25-27 _ In the' Ieantine te Beek to spread tbe burden of provlding Souvanna Bita tbe materlel a891stance' be requtreg 'by elletlng contribu- tons from other Free World natlons 2 _ RLG Diplorat-c_Relatlons Tbe RIG ' 8 declsion to recogniee 5 bloc countries and accept an exchange %f Ambasgadors pobes 8 major problem wlth respect to the CWN CRC Federel Republlc of deruany and the ROK _ Forther actlon by tbe RLG 13 deferred until Souvanne '8 ratur to Iaoe _ In the ip- terim 63 ara attempting to assi8t the pro-Heatern countries Involved in eetablLehlng or mainteining satisfectory reprebentation 10 Lao8 . 3. ICC _ He have aeked Our Ceneva delegatlon to request tbe ICC to prepare 8 detatled budget end llgt of equlpweat need8 80 that s+61ll be prepared to meet qulckly Ou share Of the requlrenants _ With regard t0 tba essentzol beavy equapmant belicoptera and Ulebt ejrcraft 0 B8 ere taking atep8 to make 1t imedietaly avaLlable to tbe ICC _ 4 MAC UAthdreral Wth the 8tgning of the Accorde, we Kll beek Canadian cooporavon In uttlLairg to the full tbe, 75eday period for the vithdrawal of forelg mlltary personnel. mle *tll elve 1s the nexlmum posszble opportuntty to deteruine wethar the DRP $0 abidirg by $ts comntments acd #becher the Sovlet8 a9 Co-Chalruan are cerrying Ou1 thetr undertaking_ SECRBI s2g0 _ ================================================== Page 10 ================================================== CONF "IDZNTIAL -8- BURA Curredt S-tuatton Evaluatzon Tne interual Sltuntion rematns ungtable _ Tals fect, Ba8 ateblighted by Inc_dedts on July 7 ard 8 wben atudeat. denonstrationa led by pros Coxmunist orgenazetions sere ruthlesely represeed by the police ard arty _ Thege #ncidents could uell lead to Incraased public dlgaffectzon utb tac Ne Hin regine and to 8 5xe batereen tbe regina and tbe 'opportunietic leftlet groupe wo bave, heretofore, beed Its oly outspoken cfvllian tical bupporterg _ Interwal security coad_tions are apparently continuiag to deterlorate; tbough ' not dramatically _ Aepecial Governnent amnegty offer expired Jtne 30 wiebout produclng sigificgnt regponse from the insurgente . Progress on Actlon Progrem 1 PolLtLcal It be8 been confirmad thet Brigadler Tin Pe 0r tbe Unlon Revolatlonary Cennctl will COme to WashLngton for medicel treatment a8 planned probably i0 late although precise date8 bave not beon deteritred_ 2 _ Econontc (AID) No new developnents _ 3 _ JUtarz 4 Kne Burtee80 are ready forvally to -accept the FI 1962 nilitary "ga2eg" program. Stete and DOD have agreed to accelerate delivertes of M2 carbines 8s requested by tne Burwese , to tho extent production facflitdies permt , i0 order to contrIbute to plenzed pobt-mongoon counter-Irgurgency operatlons M1s action will elso, hopefuilys ear 80me Pollticel credit for th0 United Statee. b Embassy Rangoon ha? conf Lrwed that Onlted Stetes traiatng for Barrea8e off cere 11ll be continued under the FY 1962 progrem. 117 prospective students heve been proceseed for tha coming year _ CONFIDENTTAL Poll July, ================================================== Page 11 ================================================== SECRET -9- CAMBODIA Current 8.tuation_Evaluattor Canbodia 's , differences with neighboring Thalland and South Viet-Nam continue, but heve 90 far pot s1gnLfLcantly affected tbe preaently generally gtlsfactory reletione between the United-States ad Cambodiaa Tha movee concerning Preah Vihear temple ere watched closely; and it appcarj Ilkely that" 12" the announced declslon to, nespect .the Worid Court'9 eward 19. pot' implomonted by, September the mitter mv be brought by Cambodla to tbe `attention of tbe ONGA, The diopute botwoep Canbodia and . Vlet-N am over the ' ownerghtp of islands off the 'Cambodian ghore hag Cop to tbe fore aga10, with tbe GW rejecting a Cambodian protest sgalnst Vietnae me8e ,naval povements near tbem on tbe ground8 that they belong to Viet-Nemo Organlzation of a nov Cabinot baa been poetponed pending rellgious rites celebratlng tbo World Cowrt decigiono: New ovidence of ,antl-Sihanouk plotting In Bagkok bas developed. Eoezeee_ Q Action Program 1o BKG-GWBorder Commigeio@ (Polo 8) The GWN reply. to the RKG '8 Proz test_ 8gai570 70x Junc 1 bordor voletlons J9 pot entiroly eat1Lsfactory, bat Phnon Ponb bellevo8 it may_allov progrooo on the bordor conmiseLon propoeal and bes raiged this billty with the Foreig: Hlnistrya 20 Borce Increese (MLla 1). Tba init;al reection Of the RKG to epprovel of' tho roquozt Zor 2 Torco incroage of 3,184, for HAPsupport 10 One Of diseppointment that mlltary budget gupport Nab not includedo 30 Ney_Alscraft (Mlo 5). Four To28 elrcrafty frst increment . Of 91xe teen; havo @rivad 1 Cambodkea Forual turnover aaits tbe orival of Anbassador Sprouseo 4o Hebrsy_Repetse (Econ. 9) . Inultedon9' 10 bld bave been 8ent Que; and tho ropalr contract 18 gcbeduled to be awarded by' August 15. Contractora would bo scheduled to ComBDCe work November 1, under tbo propoged contract. SECRET thoy bolog posei - only,

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