Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume I, Vietnam, 1961

Saigon, October 18, 1961.

I. Political-Social (Responsibility-Mr. Cottrell)

1.

How stable is the Diem Government?

2.

How can the political base for the counter-insurgency program be improved?

3.

What would be the political effect of the following:

4.

What are the pros and cons of a bilateral treaty?

5.

What are the essential reforms to urge on Diem? What approaches to use?

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II. Military (Responsibility-General Craig)

1.

Operations and Training.

a.: How is the ARVN presently disposed and how does it operate against the VC? Are present resources being used to best advantage?
b.: How can the tactics and organization of ARVN be improved for combatting the VC?
c.: How can the rate of increase of ARVN be accelerated? What should be the ultimate strength?
d.: How can SVN forces take offensive action against the VM?
e.: What can be done to combat more effectively the VC infiltration by land and sea?
f.: What is the status of Special Force training? Is it adequate? Are the trained units properly used?

2.

Logistics.

a.: Are present logistical resources being used to best advantage?
b.: What additional equipment is needed? Why? When? How much? Who operates?
c.: What improvements are needed to facilities such as ports, airfields, roads and signal communications? Why? How much?
d.: What can US logistical units, or US contractors do to help in logistics field? Engineers? Helicopters? CAT?
e.: What prepositioning of military equipment and supplies is warranted now?

3.

Intelligence.

a.: What are the hard facts with regard to the VC insurgency? Tactics? Location? Routes of infiltration? Sources of supply?
b.: How can the SVN intelligence system be improved? Photography?
c.: What are the possibilities of organizing an effective village alarm system?
d.: What are the reconnaissance capabilities? Ground? Sea? Air?

III. Political Warfare (Responsibility-Mr. Rostow)

1.: What are the techniques of political warfare which can be brought to bear on the VC insurgency problem?
2.: What importance is there to improving radio and TV facilities?
3.: How is white and black propaganda organized? Is it effective?
4.: What can be done to improve Diem’s image before his own people and outside world?

IV. Unconventional Warfare (Responsibility-General Lansdale)

1.: What unconventional warfare techniques should be considered in coping with VC insurgency?
2.: How can we carry unconventional warfare to the enemy?
3.: Are preparations adequate for waging unconventional warfare?

V. Covert Activities (Responsibility-Mr. Smith)

1.: What are the covert and clandestine capabilities of SVN? Should they be increased?
2.: What covert offensive actions should be considered?
3.: What is being done to reduce or eliminate US participation in covert activities?
4.: What are the possibilities of exploiting third country nationals in covert operations?
5.: What is the extent of disaffection directed against the Diem Government?
6.: What is the state of loyalty of the Armed Forces to Diem?
7.: What is the true attitude of the SVN toward US?

VI. MAAG and Military Aid (Responsibility-Adm. Heinz)

1.: How is the quality, size and organization of the MAAG?
2.: Is the MAAG close to the RVNAF? How many are in the field? How are US advisors assigned to units?
3.: Is there need for a program for further “encadrement”?
4.: What is the status of organization and training of the Civil Guard and the local Security Forces?
5.: How can the Secretary of Defense be kept better informed?
6.: Is US military aid being used to the best advantage? Is it properly related to economic aid? Can the reaction time be reduced?

VII. Economic (Responsibility-Mr. Howe)

1.: Is there need for a revision of the economic aid program to direct it more specifically to combatting VC insurgency?
2.: Is economic aid properly related to military aid?
3.: What are the short-term projects of greatest promise which should be pushed forward now?
4.: What economic reforms which we are justified to urge on Diem? What approaches to use?

VIII. R&D (Responsibility-Dr. Rathjens-Mr. Godet)

1.: What R&D items offer promise in the short term in combatting VC insurgency? What is needed to expedite them?
2.: Can the R&D organization be improved?

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Viet-Nam Country Series Taylor Report (Rostow Working Copy). Top Secret. There is no heading on the source text, but another copy bears the following handwritten notation on the cover sheet: “Questions Distributed by Taylor Mission for Answer by Task Force Saigon. October, 1961.” (Washington National Records Center, RG 84, Saigon Embassy Files: FRC 68 A 5159, SGN (61) 19-GVN August through December) The questions were apparently given by the Taylor Mission to Embassy personnel at the briefing of the Taylor Mission by the Saigon Task Force on October 18.↩