176-10037-10486 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY : NARA RECORD NUMBER : 176-10037-10486 RECORD SERIES : National Security Files AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : WH FROM : TO: TITLE : Memo RE: Covert Actions in Vietnam DATE :: 11/28/1961 PAGES : 4 SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 195: Countries, Vietnam, General, Memos & Reports, 11/17/61-11/31/61. Box 6. ,
- . + & : : wr . ° 98 November 1961 COVERT ACTIONS IN VIETNAM 1. The following paragraphs summarize the program which CIA is tow undertaking in Maigon with the Gavernment of Vietnam (GVN). Not included are those purely unilateral activities which ate for the most part agent penetrations of government qud oppesi- tion political parties and of the ministries and security services of the GYN. a. Establishment of intelligence, psychological warfare, political ection, and paramilitary acts in the central provinces of South Vietnam employing montagnard (highlander) personnel with the objective of gaining village support in identifying Viet Cong agents and activities and in neutralizing them. b. Rural reconstruction operations conducted in the eastern region of Sduth Vietnam employing amatl teams of volun- teare engaged in reactivation of village administration, medical assistance to villagers, establishment of village defense systema, and the formation of intelligente netwarka to Fepers on Viet Cong agents and activities in villages. c. Establishment and finanetal eupport of a Vietuamese -commerctal company, Vietnamese AirTrausport (VIAT), to provide commercial cover for @ variety of aircraft and crews of various nationalities to man them in support of joint paramilitary/ intelligence missions directed against the Viet Cong im Laca and North Vietnam. In South Laos there are three teams in operation against Viet Cong feeding statfons and their lines of communications which transit South Laos inte South Victoam. Two teams and one singleton agent teams are in place end operating in North Victaam collecting information for future action operations. Tentative plans are under way to add additional sabotage and harassment teams in North Vietnam in December and January. 3 ba} A14 wrwo.3. meee)
training of MSS péraonnel in counteraubverdion te Ae d, Establishment, guidance, training, and i support to the newly organized Central Intelligen “gant (G10) which has been given over-all fesponsibility for collating and evaluating all intelligence from Vietnamese sources and acts. as the central coordinating bady for intelligence activities of all GVN: sérvices, both military and eivilian. Trat ning of National Police and Surete Service ‘(NPSS). in ‘counteraubversion techniques gud support and guidance of operations tun jointly with the NPSS to pénétrate the Viet Cong. mech in South Vietnam. Plans are being developed for . revitalizing « nationwide "Special Branch” for Viet Cong perietra- tion operations when final transfer of the NPSS to the CIO is effected within the very nesr future. f. Viet Cong penetration operations run jointly with the Seeurity Service (MSS) in the remcaartbe site apes: and & Covert political and psychological warfare acth targetted aguinat the DRV @nd run jointly with the Vietnames National Army Payehological Warfare. Directorate. ‘These fi include “plack" and "gray'' adie operations, propaganda leaflet drops over Noxth Vietnam territory, and a letter-writing eany through which antl-DRV propaganda material is forwatded to North Vietnam via the international malls. h. Development of operations against ‘targets of oppor- tunity jointly with the Presidential Security Service, alga known as the Service d'Etudes Politiques et Socisies (SEPES), and utiligation of operational, Gl and CE information developed through Haigon with this service in aupport of all operations against the DRV as outlined above. f. Specisi Intelifgence operations with the gouth Vietoamese ‘vice against the DRV and Viet Gong targets in South "91489 Goi TOP SECEET
2. AS an adjunct to these liaison activities with the Vietnamese, both CIA and MAAG are also now entering into an expanded program of placement of intelligence advisors into the military and civilian components of Vietnamese intelligence and security services. In an effort to improve the functioning of the NPSS, CIA is in progress of placing one representative at each of six NPSS Directorates. These CIA officers are ta be supplemented by U.S. Army military intelligence specialists who will work with and advise the NPSS at the provincial level, insofar as the NPSS intelligence function is concerned. The CIA officers at the directorate level will, in addition, regularly visit their provincial counterparts to exchange ideas and to improve the targetting and conduct of intelligence operations. MAAG,. on its part, is placing intelligence advisors at General Staf? J-2, Field Command G-2, Corps G-2, Division G-2, and Regimental S-2 levels. In addition to and separate from these advisors, an intelligence staff is being establiahed under Chief, MAAG to supervise the operations of these advisors and to process information coming from them. &. The Evaluation Center, which has heretofore existed as a means of collating all source information for use primarily in identifying military targets is also being expanded through contributions of personnel by all U.S. agencies engaged in intelligence collection in Vietnam. A fulltime CIA officer has been assigned to the Evaluation Centar. 4. In addition, there has been established an intelligence committee with representatives from appropriate U.S. agencies in Saigon, chaired by CIA, the purpose of which ig to provide regular reporting to Washington plus special reporting on emergency situations as they arise. §, Provincial surveys designed to assess the criticality of intelligence collection, economic and programs, ete., are alse now being organized under the dixectian of Ambassador Nolting.
Ae CIA is contributing to these surveys by the assignment of personnel now in Saigon and by the provision of TDY personnel. It is esti- ' mated that these surveys will begin early in December and will last approximately four months. 6. CIA is also exploring with the Depart ment of State the possibility of obtaining policy authorization for the use of a small number of Chinese Nationalist personnel as pilots and Special Forces instructors for covert operations mounted from South Vietnam. "a1gR2