171. Minutes of a Meeting of the Special Group for Counterinsurgency1

PRESENT

  • Governor Harriman, The Attorney General, Mr. Gilpatric, Mr. Bell, General Taylor, Mr. Murrow, Mr. Forrestal, Mr. Colby vice Mr. McCone
  • General Krulak was present for Item 1
  • Mr. Koren was present for Items 1, 2, and 3
  • Mr. Bowling was present for Item 4
  • Mr. Maechling was present for the meeting
[Page 390]

1. Southeast Asia Status Report

Viet-Nam Mr. Koren commented that the Vietnamese action to follow through on funding of CI project has been most encouraging. About 64% of the rural population has been incorporated into the strategic hamlet program, and the hamlets now completed are over one-half of the projected goal. The press has reacted favorably to recent efforts to brief them on military operations. The Group reviewed the Buddhist problem and expressed concern over the hesitancy of the Vietnamese Government to take action to ease the situation. It was acknowledged that the situation could rapidly become more serious, but that the Country Team is handling the situation well.

Mr. Bell inquired about the validity of the number of returnees reflected in the status report, and what follow-through procedures are utilized to convert them into useful citizens. He observed that if good results have been achieved in this program, these facts should be exploited in the press. The Group requested State to submit a report on the results achieved in this program.2

“While there has been an impressive increase in surrenders under the surrender program the overwhelming portion of these are not true VC, but individuals who have come out of VC areas. It is impossible to determine how many VC have surrendered but one estimate is that not more than 20 out of a total of several thousand who have surrendered since the announcement of the surrender policy are VC. The government had done nothing to develop a program of rehabilitation of surrendered VC.” (Ibid., S/P Files: Lot 70 D 199, Chron File-Robert H. Johnson-1963-Jan-June)

In response to Mr. Gilpatric’s question on what else is being done in the Montagnard program, Mr. Koren stated that we are distributing food, medicine, and clothing to the tribesmen. Mr. Gilpatric commented that if we have a good story to tell on this program, it should be brought to the attention of the press. The Group requested State to submit a report on the successes achieved in this program.3

[Here follow discussion of Thailand and Cambodia under item 1; and items 2, “Progress Report on Internal Plan for Cambodia”; 3, “Progress Report on Internal Defense Plan for Thailand”; 4, “Follow-up Report on Iran”; and 5, “Miscellaneous”.]

Executive Secretary

James W. Dingeman
  1. Source: Department of State, Special Group Counterinsurgency Files: Lot 68 D 451, Special Group (CI). Secret. Drafted by Dingeman who is not listed among the participants.
  2. No such report has been found. On June 20, Robert H. Johnson of the Policy Planning Council addressed a memorandum to Rostow, in which he questioned the success of the returnee program as reflected by the statistics released by the South Vietnamese Government. Johnson had discussed the program with a member of the British mission in South Vietnam and concluded:
  3. On June 19, Henry L.T. Koren circulated a memorandum to the Special Group for Counterinsurgency which summarized U.S. efforts with the Montagnards. (Ibid., Special Group Counterinsurgency Files: Lot 68 D 451, Special Group (CI))