Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXIII, Southeast Asia

127. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)⁰

Washington, December 2, 1963.

Mac—

Forrestal didn’t get too far with Sihanouk, who apparently is determined to get rid of US aid missions, even though he might deign to permit some continued aid. But Sihanouk seems to be getting more reasonable, and determined not to break with us, since he still wants insurance against Chicoms.

Despite inevitable appearance of yielding to pressure, our problem remains that of keeping Sihanouk from committing suicide. So we ought to take advantage of advent of new Vietnam regime to press them to stop any Khmer Serei transmitting and muzzle Son Ngoc Thanh (as Forrestal proposes in Phnom Penh 435).¹ Latest is that transmitter may not be in VN after all.

Geneva-type conference on Cambodian neutrality is trickier, even if Sihanouk seems to be relaxing on “guarantees.” But one may well be inevitable; Harriman and Hilsman think so too.

RWK

0. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Cambodia, Vol. I. Secret.
1. Document 123.