Office of the Historian

110. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam1

Washington, May 7, 1963, 7:57 p.m.

1055. Joint State/Defense message. Embtel 824.2 Herbicides. Program has been reviewed by highest levels:

Defoliation: 1. Authority to initiate defoliation operations is delegated to Ambassador and COMUSMACV. 2. Guidelines: Defoliation operations should be few in number, undertaken only in following circumstances: a) where terrain and vegetation peculiarly [particularly?]favor use of herbicides; b) in areas remote from population; and c) when hand cutting and burning are impracticable. A few high priority projects can be undertaken in populated areas where military advantage very clear and hand cutting and burning not feasible.

Crop Destruction: 1. All crop destruction operations must be approved in advance by Assistant Secretary FE and DOD. 2. Guidelines re Crop Destruction: a) Crop destruction must be confined to remote areas known to be occupied by VC. It should not be carried on in areas [Page 275] where VC are intermingled with native inhabitants and latter cannot escape. Also should be limited to areas where VC either do not have nearby alternative sources food or areas in which there is overall food deficit e.g. High Plateau and Zone D.

General Comments (applicable to both defoliation and crop destruction):

a.
All herbicide operations to be undertaken only after it is clear both PsyWar preparations and compensation and relief machinery are adequate. Would appear GVN should increase compensation efforts.
b.
Suggest further increase reliance on hand operations where feasible which less awesome than spraying by air.
c.
Continue efforts counteract international effect Commie propaganda through demonstrations, visits by newsmen, etc.
d.
Request by first week July a full report and evaluation of all 1963 herbicide operations to serve as basis decision here whether continue defoliation and crop destruction.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27-10 S VIET Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Montgomery and cleared by Heavner, Hilsman, Harriman, Heinz, Murrow, and Forrestal. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD. On May 15 Forrestal sent a copy of the telegram to McGeorge Bundy with a covering memorandum which reads, in part: “The arrangements described in the cable are satisfactory to me, but let me know if you have any other thoughts.” Bundy initialed the memorandum and indicated in the margin that the arrangements described were “OK”. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 4/63-5/63.)↩
  2. Document 63.↩