Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume VII, Vietnam, July 1970–January 1972

48. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon¹

Washington, October 11, 1970.

SUBJECT

• Announcement of Expedited Troop Withdrawals from Vietnam for Inclusion in the Presentation to the East Coast Editors, Monday, October 12, 1970

For a host of complex reasons involving manpower constraints directly linked to draft calls as well as fiscal limitations, Secretary Laird proposes to proceed with an expedited drawdown in the authorized ceiling of our forces in Vietnam between now and Christmas.² In addition to the reduction in our troop levels of 50,000 to be accomplished by October 15, Secretary Laird will reduce the authorized ceiling by another 40,000 between October 15 and December 31, 1970.

The expedited schedule does not affect the overall reduction of 150,000 by May 1 which you have already approved; it merely expedites the pace of these withdrawals between now and the end of the calendar year. Thus 90,000 of the 150,000 will be withdrawn this year, with the remaining 60,000 between January and May 1971 rather than the reverse which was originally projected.

I will send you a separate memorandum on this subject outlining the reasons for the expedited drawdown over which it now appears we have no control, and the implications which it will have between now and May 1.³

In view of the fact that we are faced with a fait accompli on this expedited drawdown in our troop levels it is certain that the fact of the stepped up schedule will soon become known. In fact, Secretary Laird proposed to me today that he be authorized to announce the incremental drawdown of 40,000 between October 15 and Christmas at his Monday morning Pentagon briefing. Since this announcement will further enhance the impact of your peace initiative I believe that you should get full credit and recommend that you make the announcement tomorrow at the press briefing for East Coast editors in Hartford. I have so informed Secretary Laird and he is in full agreement.

At Tab A⁴ are talking points on this subject if you wish to treat the issue in this way. Alternatively, at Tab B⁵ is an announcement which could be read and handed out.

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 95, Vietnam Subject Files, Viet: Troop Redeployment 1970. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”
2. On September 17, Laird sent a proposal to Kissinger that he described as the “best balance between military requirements and manpower and budgetary constraints,” adding that it was no riskier than the original plan and was endorsed by the JCS. He explained that because of sharp reductions in active duty manpower due to the 1971 budget, he could not keep to the original schedule without diverting troops from other already weakened units, principally in Europe, and that the original schedule would cost an additional $400 million to implement, which the Defense Department could not absorb. (Ibid.)
3. Not found. In a September 22 handwritten note to Smith, Lord indicated that Kissinger “was leaning toward acquiescing in Laird’s figures.” (Ibid.)
4. Tab A is attached but not printed.
5. Tab B is attached but not printed; the text is the same as the announcement that was released on October 12, in which the President indicated that he was accelerating the rate of withdrawal because of the “continued progress of the Vietnamization program.” (Public Papers: Nixon, 1970, p. 836)