Office of the Historian

111. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (McNaughton) to Secretary of Defense McNamara1

I–26277/64
Washington, July 15, 1964.

SUBJECT

  • Operation Triangle—“Second Thoughts”

I met with Mac and Bill Bundy this afternoon2 to discuss their “second thoughts” about Operation Triangle. Our thoughts ran along the following lines:

1.
“Triangle” is going probably July 19 or 20 or soon thereafter.
2.
[2–1/2 lines of source text not declassified]
3.
The Bundys are worried about Operation Triangle because (a) delay allowed improved PL preparations, (b) unconfirmed reports of VM battalions in Rts 13/7 area are frightening, (c) leaks of plans “to the barrooms of Vientiane,” (d) loss of “cover” since the PL do not appear to be attacking Muong Soui, (e) excessive bickering among the Lao generals, (f) larger-than-expected US-attache participation (11 Americans) in [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] artillery and Lao ground operations,3 and (g) the wet weather, which will hamper artillery movements and T–28 operations in support of offensive actions.
4.
Bill Bundy will draft a cable to ask Unger—after assuring him that we will still support Triangle—whether, in view of the “new facts” (especially the “offensive” appearance of Triangle) the Operation couldn’t be (a) tempered or (b) cancelled.4 His pitch to Souvanna might be that the plan (and its leak) has already served its purpose—viz., defending Muong Soui. (It must be borne in mind, of course, that the Thai may be harder than the Lao to “turn off.”) It would be made clear that, in any event, we should see that the Operation is touted as defensive.
5.
My judgment is that we are too far from the facts and the scene to tamper with this fragile little operation. However, I see no objection to asking Unger his opinion.

John T. McNaughton
  1. Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/Admin Files: FRC 69 A 7425, Laos 381 (9 Apr 64), Laos Operations. Secret. A note on the source text indicates that McNamara saw it.↩
  2. The proposed agenda of the July 15 meeting is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Laos, Vol. XIII, Memos, 7/64.↩
  3. CIA is undertaking to see that US personnel are briefed on how to extricate themselves and that the possibility helo evacuation is examined. [Footnote in the source text.]↩
  4. Document 112.↩