Office of the Historian

250. Letter From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Nitze) to the Under Secretary of State (Katzenbach)1

Washington, October 1, 1968.

Dear Nick:

Your letter of May 9, 1967 transmitting the Initial Report of the Joint State-Defense-CIA Study Group for Cambodia2 envisaged reconvening the Group “as necessary on an ad hoc basis whenever approval is being sought for specific actions not recommended in the Initial Report”. The Group met on an ad hoc basis several times after approval of the Initial Report to address specific proposals.

As reflected in the attached memorandum, the JCS now propose additional political and military actions designed to cope with the problem of increased use of Cambodia by VC/NVA forces as a sanctuary and source of supply. The JCS concept for pursuit of VC/NVA force into certain Communist base areas in Cambodia is the most sensitive of these proposals.

I recommend that the Joint State-Defense-CIA Study Group for Cambodia be convened to consider the JCS proposals.

I would appreciate your views.

Sincerely,

Paul H. Nitze 3

Attachment

Washington, September 30, 1968.

Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Warnke) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Nitze)4

SUBJECT

  • Cambodia

In a 19 September 1968 memorandum to the Secretary of Defense,5 the JCS reviewed the current threat posed by VC/NVA uses of Cambodian [Page 551] territory as a sanctuary and source of supply and recommended the following political and military measures to cope with this threat or to induce the Cambodian Government to take more effective countermeasures against VC/NVA forces in Cambodia:

a.
Controls on the Mekong and Bassac Rivers to slow vessels to and from Cambodia.
b.
Ban on U.S. tourist travel to Cambodia.
c.
Expedite delivery of package of evidence of VC/NVA activities in Cambodia to the Cambodian Government (Vesuvius Program).
d.
Keep the Cambodian Government apprised of continuing U.S. concern about this problem.
e.
Approve a concept for pursuit of VC/NVA forces into certain base areas, contingent upon launching of major offensive by the enemy followed by withdrawals of his forces into these base areas. Authority to execute pursuit operations would be held in Washington.
f.
Authorize U.S. Market Time forces in the Gulf of Thailand to apprehend Cambodian naval craft which enter the territorial waters of SVN.

Because of major policy implications of the JCS proposals, I believe you should request Nick Katzenbach to reconvene the Joint State-Defense-CIA Study Group for Cambodia to address the JCS proposals. Under similar circumstances in the past, we have been successful in securing joint agreement on specific courses of U.S. action with regard to the Cambodian problem. Accordingly, I recommend you sign the attached letter to Nick Katzenbach and the attached memorandum to the Chairman, JCS.6

Paul C. Warnke 7
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 72 A 1499, Cambodia 000.1, 1968 (092 Cambodia). Top Secret. Drafted by J.H. Mobley of ISA on September 26.↩
  2. For a summary of the report of the Study Group, see Document 205.↩
  3. Printed from a copy that indicates Nitze signed the original.↩
  4. Drafted by Mobley on September 26.↩
  5. Attached, but not printed.↩
  6. Both attached, but neither printed.↩
  7. Printed from a copy that indicates that Warnke signed the original.↩