Office of the Historian

202. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, May 14, 1971.

SUBJECT

  • 40 Committee Decisions

Due to the illness of the Executive Secretary and the absence of detailed minutes, the following decisions are hereby recorded for the official record:

[Omitted here are the records of decisions for unrelated meetings.]

Meeting: 14 May 1971

PRESENT

  • Mr. Kissinger, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. Helms
  • Mr. Richard Davies, Mr. James Schlesinger, Colonel Richard T. Kennedy,
  • Mr. Cord Meyer, Mr. Fred Valtin, and Mr. Wymberley Coerr were also present.

[Omitted here is discussion of unrelated topics.]

(8) South Vietnam—Status Report on Worldwide CA Program in Support of SVN and Against the VC 2

Funds in the amount of $235,000 for FY 1971 and $228,000 for FY 1972 were approved.

(9) South Vietnam—Status Report on Covert Media Activities3

Funds in the amount of $47,900 for FY 1971 and $50,000 for FY 1972 were approved.

[Omitted here are the records of decisions on unrelated topics.]

  1. Source: Department of State, INR/IL Historical Files, 303/40 Committee Meetings. Secret; Eyes Only. Prepared by Jessup on October 22. Copies were sent to Mitchell, Packard, Johnson, Moorer, and Helms.↩
  2. Reference is to a March 18 memorandum for the 40 Committee, which described underwriting visits to South Vietnam by selected journalists and influential personalities, publishing and distributing literature, and replaying news items and feature articles, etc. Bunker had been briefed on the program and Green and Sullivan had given their approval. (Ibid.)↩
  3. Reference is to a May 6 memorandum for the 40 Committee. (Ibid.) On May 17, Kissinger sent Nixon a separate memorandum from Helms, May 6, describing the CIA’s special covert action program designed to forestall the second phase of the enemy’s spring campaign, which included the following: “GVN police capture of 491 confirmed or suspected VC and killing of 19 others, instituting rigid identity and security checks in densely populated regions of MR 1 and 2; and spread misinformation.” (National Security Council, NSC Intelligence Files, Subject Files, Vietnam 14 Jan 1971–22 Dec 1971)↩