July 1966–December 1968: Reconciliation Attempts; Assessing Cambodiaʼs Support of the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese; Attempts to Encourage Cambodia To Confront the Problem; Cambodian Detention and Release of the U.S. Crew of LCU 1577


186. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Ball to President Johnson

Source: Johnsonn Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, Walt W. Rostow, Vol. VIII. Secret. Rostow transmitted this memorandum to the President under cover of a note of July 5, noting that “State argues that we should not push the Black visit to Cambodia now, but leave it for his planned trip in the fall.” Rostow also noted that the Department would “prefer to let the Congressional delegation carry the mail on this round.” Rostow suggested that after seeing what kind of response Bowles had with the Cambodian Ambassador in New Delhi and how the British fared with the Soviets on a wider role for the ICC in Cambodia, then the decision on the Black visit could be made. The President approved the recommendation that Rostow “Report what Bowles gets and seek later instruction.”


187. Memorandum From James C. Thomson, Jr., of the National Security Council Staff to the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Cambodia, Vol. IV, Memos, 10/65–9/67. Secret.


188. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Cambodia, Vol. IV, Memos 10/65–9/67. Secret.


189. Telegram From the Embassy in India to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 17 CAMB–US. Secret.


190. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL CAMB. Secret; Limdis. Drafted by Barbour. The memorandum is part I of II. The meeting took place in Harrimanʼs office.


191. Memorandum From William J. Jorden of the National Security Council Staff to the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Cambodia, Vol. IV, Memos, 10/65–9/67. Confidential.


192. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Department of Defense, JCS Official Records, 9155 (1 Feb 1966) Sec. 1, IR 101. Top Secret; Sensitive.


193. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Roche) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, International Meetings and Travel File, Seven Nations Conference, POTUS Trip I. No classification marking.


194. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (Westmoreland) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Sharp)

Source: Johnson Library National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Vol. LX, Cables, 10/66. Top Secret. Exclusive for Sharp. Repeated to JCS for Wheeler.


195. National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Department of State, INR/EAP Files: Lot 90 D 165, NIE 57–66. Secret; Controlled Dissem. A note on the cover sheet indicates that the Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Defense, and the NSA participated in the preparation of this estimate. All members of the USIB concurred except the representatives of the AEC and FBI who abstained on the grounds that the topic was outside their jurisdiction. In a briefing memorandum to George F. Denney, October 5, Fred Green of INR/RFE noted that the White House asked for this estimate early in the summer of 1966 when it appeared likely that Harriman would go to Cambodia. According to Green, its terms of reference were broad because no NIE had been written on Cambodia since 1959. (Ibid.)


196. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL CAMB–US. Secret. Drafted by Blair and approved by S on November 21. The meeting took place at the Department of Foreign Affairs while Rusk was in Manila for the Summit Conference on Vietnam.


197. Telegram From the Embassy in the Philippines to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Repeated to Seoul eyes only for Secretary from Ambassador Blair. There was no time of dispatch on the source text, which was received at the Department of State at 2:07 a.m., October 31.


198. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 70 A 4662, Cambodia, 1966. Top Secret.


199. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Department of State, INR/EAP Files: Lot 90 D 165, SNIE 57–67. Secret; Controlled Dissem. According to a covering note, the Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State and Defense, the AEC, and the NSA participated in the preparation of this estimate. All members of the USIB concurred with its submission except the representative of the FBI who abstained on the grounds it was outside his jurisdiction.


200. Memorandum From the Deputy Director of Intelligence and Research (Denny) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, INR/EAP Files: Lot 90 D 165, SNIE 57–67. Secret; No Foreign Dissem; Limited Distribution.


201. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Australia

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 32–1 CAMB–VIET S. Confidential; Immediate; Limdis. Drafted by Ewing, cleared by Bundy, and approved by Rusk. Repeated to Saigon, Bangkok, and CINCPAC.


202. Memorandum From the Chief, Far Eastern Division, Directorate of Plans of the Central Intelligence Agency (Colby) to the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs (Bundy)

[Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDO/EA Files: Job 78–000032R, Chipwood Memos, Vol. II. Secret. 2–1/2 pages of source text not declassified.]


203. Briefing Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Bundy) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL AUSTL–US. Secret;Exdis. Drafted by Douglas R. Perry and Ewing of EA/BUC.


204. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Department of State, S/S-International Conference Files: Lot 67 D 586, CF 169. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Bundy and approved in S on May 1. Holyoake, Hasluck, and Rusk were attending the 16th meeting of the ANZUS Council, held in Washington, April 21–22.


205. Action Memorandum From the Chairman of the Cambodian Study Group (Unger) to the Under Secretary of State (Katzenbach)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret. Drafted by Unger and initialed by Kohler.


206. Memorandum From the Country Director for Burma and Cambodia (Ewing) to the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 32 CAMB. Secret. Initialed by Habib.


207. Memorandum From William J. Jorden of the National Security Council Staff to the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Read)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 32 CAMB. Confidential. Initialed by Bromley Smith. A note on the source text indicates that William Bundy saw it.


208. Memorandum From the Assistant Legal Adviser (Aldrich) to the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Bundy)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 8 CAMB. Top Secret. Drafted by Mark B. Feldman and Aldrich of L/EA on September 9. A note on the source text indicates that it was seen by Bundy. Copies went to Harriman, Habib, and Lacey.


209. Action Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs (Habib) to the Under Secretary of State (Katzenbach)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 CAMB. Top Secret. Drafted by Lacey and Perry on September 13.


210. Action Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs (Habib) to the Under Secretary of State (Katzenbach)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 CAMB. Top Secret. Drafted by Perry on September 13.


211. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Warnke) to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files, FRC 71 A 4919, Cambodia 000.1—1967 (381 Cambodia). Top Secret.


212. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Australia

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 32–1 CAMB–VIET S. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Bundy, cleared in substance with Rostow at the White House, and approved by Rusk.


213. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (Westmoreland) to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 5E (1)a, 5/66–1/68, Cambodia. Top Secret; Limdis; Exclusive for Wheeler. Repeated to Rusk, McNamara, and Sharp. This telegram was retyped in the White House and used at a lunch-eon meeting on December 5; for a record of the meeting, see Document 214; and apparently referred to at the meeting of 6:02 p.m. of December 5, see Document 216.


214. Notes of Meeting

Source: Johnson Library, Tom Johnsonʼs Notes of Meetings. No classification marking. The meeting was held in the living quarters of the White House. Attending were President Johnson, Vice President Humphrey, McNamara, Rusk, Vance, Helms, Rostow, George Christian, and Tom Johnson.


215. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Walt Rostow, Cambodia. Top Secret; Extremely Sensitive.