Office of the Historian

472. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State1

Saigon, December 28, 1964—9 p.m.

1975. For Secretary Rusk. DOD for McNamara. CIA for McCone. White House for Bundy. CINCPAC for Sharp. Embtels 1941, 1962 1956, 1964, 1970 and CINCPAC 262150Z.2 Although we will probably never have evidence which will stand up in court of VC complicity in the Brink bombing, no one in this part of the world has slightest doubt of VC guilt. This conviction is reinforced by the broadcasts of SVN National Liberation Front Radio which rejoice over this act of terrorism, praise the perpetrators and anticipate with pleasure similar acts in the future.

As Embtel 1970 indicates, the National Liberation Front is clearly claiming the credit for Brink affair so that the question of whether they can be proved responsible becomes academic. They say that they did it and we should treat them accordingly.

The US Mission Council has just reviewed all aspects of this matter and joins me in a unanimous recommendation that a reprisal bombing attack be executed ASAP on Vit Thu Lu military barracks accompanied by statement relating this action to Brink bombing. The attack should be primarily a US operation but General Westmoreland would like to include some VNAF.3 I do not feel strongly on latter point. As US relations with RVNAF seem to be improving at the moment and since there were 43 Vietnamese casualties in the Brink bombing, I am prepared to recede from the view expressed in Embtel 1941 and accept inclusion of VNAF.

Taylor
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to CIA, the Department of Defense, the White House, and CINCPAC.↩
  2. Telegram 1941 is printed as Document 468. Regarding 262150Z, see footnote 2 thereto. Telegrams 1962 and 1956, December 26; 1964, December 27; and 1970, December 28, all reported National Liberation Front broadcasts on the bombing of the Brink Hotel. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S)↩
  3. On December 28, the Joint Chiefs of Staff also supported this proposal in a memorandum to McNamara. (JCSM–1076–64; Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD/ISA(Admin) Files: FRC 69 A 7425, Vietnam 381)↩