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

443. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to President Kennedy⁰

Washington, May 14, 1962.

Laos

At the off-the-record meeting today on Laos Secretaries Rusk and McNamara, Assistant Secretary Harriman, Mr. McCone, Generals Lemnitzer and Taylor will be present.¹

The main purpose of this meeting is to give you recommendations for the immediate future which have been agreed upon between the Departments of State and Defense.

State and Defense recommend that orders be given to land U.S. forces in Thailand around 10 o’clock tomorrow evening (our time). The number and types of these forces are given in the attached schedule;² but generally 1800 men plus an Air Force fighter squadron and a Marine air squadron would land tomorrow. Ten to 14 days later additional elements of the existing army battle group would arrive by sea, after which the total American force in Thailand would be between 5,000 and 6,000 men. It is recommended that the Air Force squadron would go to Udorn, approximately 30 miles south of Vientiane, and Ubon, further to the south, about 50 miles from the Lao border opposite Pakse.

The State Department is preparing a joint U.S./Thai communiqué to be issued simultaneously in Bangkok and Washington. It will refer to the Manila Pact but not the Rusk/Thanat communiqué, because the Manila Pact had Senate approval. It may also include some language taken from the announcement at the time of the Lebanese action.

A circular telegram to SEATO capitals is also being prepared by State.³ A SEATO Council discussion is envisaged later, and the introduction of a SEATO presence into the operation is contemplated by calling back the Air Cobra Exercise units. State believes U.K. and France may oppose formal SEATO involvement.

The State Department will inform NATO of the operation.

Governor Harriman is opposed to the reconvening of the Geneva Conference at this time on the grounds that it will (a) freeze the Soviet position before we know what it is, and (b) result in a lot of adverse propaganda. The possibility, however, is being contemplated of asking the Indians, because of their interest in the ICC, to discuss the matter in Hanoi.

The State Department is researching the question whether the United Nations must be informed, since it appears that there may be a requirement for this under the Charter and the Manila Treaty. Governor Harriman is meeting with a representative of U Thant.

Secretary Rusk may see Ambassador Dobrynin tomorrow morning simply to inform him of our actions.

0. Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, 5/11/62–5/28/62. Top Secret. There is no indication on the source text that Forrestal drafted this memorandum, but the last sentence in the fifth paragraph was added in his handwriting.
1. See Document 444.
2. Not printed; for text, see vol. XXIV, pp. 768–769.
3. The telegram was sent to Bangkok as 1756 and repeated to SEATO capitals and CINCPACPOLAD, May 14, 11:24 p.m. (Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/5–1462)