Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXVIII, Laos

301. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State¹

Vientiane, July 24, 1967, 0550Z.

433. Ref: CINCPAC 200137Z Jul 67.²

1. If the CINCPAC staff officer who wrote reftel will kindly raise his right hand, he can have my job tomorrow. However, when he comes (and if he persuades higher authority to accept his plans) he had better bring another 200,000 U.S. troops with him to “pacify” the area he wants to occupy in Laos and to defend it against North Vietnamese forces operating against it on short DMZ-type logistics lines.

2. I am disappointed that messages of this type are permitted to move in official channels and receive wide dissemination. It is the sort of thing which is giving marijuana a good name.

Sullivan

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Limdis. Repeated to CINCPAC, Bangkok, Saigon, COMUSMACV, JCS, and SecDef.
2. In this telegram, July 20, CINCPAC recommended the expanded use of U.S./Thai and U.S./South Vietnamese teams in Laos under COMUSMACV control. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Laos, Vol. XVII, Cables, 2/67–12/67)