Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Vietnam, Volume I

188. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Gates)¹

Washington, August 30, 1960.

SUBJECT

• Counter-Insurgency Operations in South Vietnam (U)

JCSM–382–60

1. The Joint Chiefs of Staff believe that encouraging the Government of South Vietnam to adopt a national course of action designed to reduce the growing threat of Communist insurgent actions is vital to the continued freedom of that nation and an important action to preclude the necessity for implementing U.S. or SEATO war plans. Further, to this idea and in extension of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense, JCSM–232–60, dated 6 June 1960,² there are transmitted herewith for your consideration, as Appendix “A” hereto, a draft outline plan prepared for the Government of South Vietnam,³ and as Appendix “B” hereto, a draft State-DOD–ICA directive,⁴ to initiate U.S. support of this plan.

2. The Joint Chiefs of Staff are of the opinion that the following steps should be taken to improve counter-insurgency operations in South Vietnam:

a. The enclosed draft outline plan, prepared for the Government of South Vietnam, should be forwarded to the Ambassador and his Country Team in South Vietnam for study, comment and further development.

b. A joint State-DOD–ICA directive should be issued to cause the preparation of estimates of U.S. personnel, matériel and budgetary support required for execution of the national emergency plan of the Government of South Vietnam.

c. The expanded national plan of the Government of South Vietnam and the estimates of U.S. support required should be reviewed jointly by the U.S. Government agencies concerned.

d. When policy approval and budgetary support arrangements have been completed by U.S. Government agencies, the U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam should be required to initiate action to gain acceptance of the plan by the Government of South Vietnam.

e. Provided the plan for counter-insurgency operations is approved for implementation by the Government of South Vietnam, U.S. personnel, matériel and budgetary support should be provided according to the ability of the country to receive and effectively utilize such support.

3. It is recommended that you initiate action necessary to obtain support of and transmit the draft outline plan for the Government of South Vietnam and the Joint State–DOD–ICA directive to the Ambassador and his Country Team in South Vietnam and to the Commander in Chief, Pacific, for necessary action.

4. The Joint Chiefs of Staff believe that the steps recommended by CINCPAC to coordinate and control counter-insurgency in South Vietnam are worthy of consideration as an approved procedure for other underdeveloped countries with actual or potential insurgency problems. It is therefore recommended that these steps be considered as a model for those countries with such problems.

For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

N.F. Twining
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff

1. Source: Department of State, Phnom Penh Embassy Files: Lot 62 F 30, 381 Vietnam. Secret.
2. See footnote 3, Document 178.
3. The draft was attached, but is printed in its approved form as Document 196.
4. The revised draft was attached, but is printed in its final form as Document 206.