469. Editorial Note
At the 468th meeting of the National Security Council, December 1, Allen Dulles gave his usual briefing on “U.S. World Developments Affecting U.S. Security.” Dulles reported on the situation in Laos as follows:
“Mr. Dulles then estimated that the situation in Laos was moving closer to all-out civil war. Phoumi is carrying out limited military operations from Savannakhet in the narrow neck of the country as a part of his threatened offensive action against the government. Souvanna Phouma’s forces are moving to Luang Prabang and are now less than 80 miles from the city. One column has defected to Phoumi and no serious conflict has taken place. On the political side, efforts to unseat Souvanna Phouma continue. Phoui and Phoumi are endeavoring to induce a majority of the members of the National Assembly to go to Luang Prabang to form a new government of national safety which would bring together all the anti-Communist forces in the country. One difficulty with this scheme is the reluctance of the King to take decisive action. Mr. Dulles believed the King was anti-Communist and favored Phoumi and that if he acted decisively, the Laotian situation might yet be worked out. However, if the King did not act decisively, there was danger of civil war. Meanwhile, Souvanna Phouma was sending good-will missions to Hanoi and Peiping. The Soviet Ambassador had recently made a trip from Cambodia to Laos where he had agreed to furnish Laos with oil and relief supplies. Five IL–14s (Soviet aircraft) were due to arrive in Hanoi today for supply flights to Laos. These planes had the same numbers as Soviet planes which had been seen in the Congo not long ago, leading Mr. Dulles to conclude that the Soviets apparently had a contingent of emergency planes for use in operations of this kind.” (Memorandum of discussion by Boggs, December 2; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)
Soviet Ambassador Abramov arrived in Vientiane on November 22, met with Souvanna Phouma, and extended an offer of 250,000 gallons of fuel, and milk, flour, sugar, and other foodstuffs as a “goodwill gift” to be flown in from Hanoi and Haiphong. Abramov did not stay in Vientiane, but Anatoly Ratanov remained as Chargé d’Affaires, the first permanent Soviet representative to Laos. (Telegram 982 from Vientiane, November 23; Department of State, Central Files, 851J.0061/11–2360)