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

41. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson¹

Washington, April 29, 1964.

RE

• NSC Meeting on April 29²

The main business of this meeting is to review intelligence information indicating greatly increased use of Laos for infiltration from North to South Vietnam. I think you may want to follow the following order of discussions:

1. Briefing by McCone on this situation.

2. Briefing by State (presumably Bill Bundy) on the political and paramilitary situation in Laos.

3. Consideration of measures to get more hard evidence on North Vietnamese use of the Laos corridor—State and Defense.

I doubt if you will wish to authorize specific actions today. It may be better to hear the argument and let the meeting continue without you to prepare a coordinated recommendation. I think such a recommendation can be developed by State, Defense and the White House promptly, but it is not in hand now.³

McG. B.

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Laos, Vol. II, Memos, 4/16/64–4/30/64. No classification marking.
2. See Document 43.
3. In a handwritten note at the bottom of this memorandum Bundy indicated that a summary of the problem for cross border operations prepared by Forrestal on April 29 was attached. For text, see Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, vol. I, p. 275.