Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXIII, Southeast Asia

34. Letter From Secretary of State Rusk to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Lemnitzer)⁰

Washington, June 16, 1962.

Dear Mr. Chairman: As Alexis Johnson informed the members of the Special Group (CI) at its last meeting,¹ I have requested Governor Harriman to constitute an interdepartmental Task Force to coordinate United States activities in the Southeast Asian countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Laos and Viet-Nam.

I suggest that this Task Force, to be known as Task Force Southeast Asia (TF/SEA), be composed of representatives of the Department of State, the Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Agency for International Development, and the United States Information Agency. Other departments and agencies could be represented as required.

The present Task Force Viet-Nam would remain in existence and its composition, terms of reference and scope of operations would be unchanged. However, in order to insure that TF/SEA is kept fully informed and that the work of the two Task Forces is completely coordinated, TF/VN would be represented on TF/SEA. TF/SEA would be charged with the following tasks:

1) Plan programs to carry out established United States policy with respect to these individual countries (or among two or more of them).

2) Coordinate, guide and follow closely execution of these programs to insure maximum cooperation and expeditious completion.

3) Develop new policy recommendations which will further United States objectives in these individual countries or in the area as a whole.

The new Task Force would be under the direction of Assistant Secretary for Far Eastern Affairs W. Averell Harriman, who is designating Henry L. T. Koren as Executive Officer and Robert G. Cleveland as Deputy Executive Officer of the Task Force.

I believe that TF/SEA should begin its work as soon as possible. Therefore if you agree, I suggest that Governor Harriman’s office be notified of the name or names of your representatives on TF/SEA, to permit setting an early date for a first meeting.

Sincerely,

Dean Rusk²

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 790.5/6–1662. Confidential. Drafted on June 15 by Dexter and cleared by Cleveland and Cottrell, in substance by Koren, and in draft by Harriman and U. Alexis Johnson. Executive Secretary Brubeck sent the draft of this letter to Rusk with the explanation that Johnson, who prepared it under Harriman’s direction, “feels we should move promptly to meet the expressed interest of these Agencies in an ‘umbrella’ Task Force for Southeast Asia. The new group would in no way interfere with our present handling of Vietnam and Laos.” Identical letters were sent to McNamara; McCone; Fowler Hamilton, Administrator of AID; and Edward R. Murrow, Director of USIA.
1. The minutes of the June 14 Special Group (CI) meeting are in the Kennedy Library, National Security Files, NSC, Special Group (CI) Meetings. Regarding establishment of the Special Group (CI), see footnote 1, Document 423.
2. Printed from a copy that indicates Rusk signed the original.