476-10038-10005 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY : NARA RECORD NUMBER : 176-10038-10005 _ RECORD SERIES : personal Papers of Roger Hilsman AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : CIA FROM : TO : TITLE : Information Report DATE : 7/16/1962 PAGES : 9 SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : . COMMENTS : Hilsman, Countries, Vietnam, 3/1/62-7/27/62, box 3. Box 8.
-_ TT Sani feed wo Sie et — CT CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY . This moterial contalns:.infermation affecting ‘the: National Defense ‘ol the United States..within the meaning of the E:plonoge Laws, Title 18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation. of which In any. manner to- an- unauthorized person ‘is prohibited by ow: . CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS | -0-N-P-1-D-B-N-T- I-A NOFORN /CONTINUED CONTROL /NO DISSEM ABROAD ; _ BACKGROUND ONLY COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM -. °° REPORTNO.  TDCSDB- 3/650, 769 suBJecT ANALYSIS OF THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS‘ . ‘DATE DISTR.. “16 JULY 1962 - PROGRAM AND OF THE MONTAGNARD SITUATION - IN SOUTH VIETNAM . PRECEDENCE ROUTINE DATIEOR «LL JULY 1962. | REFERENCES. - ON INFO, oO oe PLACE& |: VIETNAM, SAIGON, (11 JULY 1962) DATE ACQ. . a . _ APPRAISAL © FIELD REPORT NO. THIS: 1s UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT. iS. TENTATIVE. source AN N AMERTCAN OBSERVER (3). STRATEGIC HAMLETS* PROGRAM .. i. IN ASSESSING ‘THE STRATEGIC. HAMLETS" PROGRAM IN. JULY 1962, it is. seem Te ha cert etapa ete TAN gb eS IMPORTANT TO MAKE THE DISTINCTION HETWEEN THE PROGRAM ASA GENERALIZED NATIONAL eee re dotn deans eee yuan te a tate ce aot ee rete an aero ayn ie * 1 dS OP a 8: rev 2 Tay RALLYING SYMBOL. _AND | AS. A SPECIFIC TACTI TACHIC. (COUNTERINSURGENCY. CAMPAIGN. * IN THE. arapeper centers 2 Ltt ome tT om AD sewegphmenne meme atte FORMER SENSE, THE STRATEGIC. aMLETS + ‘PROGRAM HAS GROWN _iy Rec RECENT MO MONTHS INTO. THE | nee nto suese ewer nee ~ GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM! Ss (GN. ) MAJOR TIBOLOGICAL 4 -AND | INSTITUTIONAL POOL 3 IN | ENEMY . THIS WAS MADE CLEAR. IN-. PRESIDENT NGO DINE DIEM* S DOUBLE , SEVEN ‘MESSAGE. ON THE BIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ACCESSION TO POWER . HE PROCLAIMED THIS THE YEAR OF - STRATEGIC HAMLETS , TESCRIBING THEIR: ‘ESTABLISHMENT AS CONSTITUTING ‘THREEFOLD POLITICAL, SOCIAL, AND MILITARY REVOLUTION ADAPTED 70 UNDERDEVELOPED CQUNTRIES. _— CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROIS : €-0-N-F-I+D-E-N-T-I-A-L.
CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS a NOFORN/CONTINUED CONTROL/NO. OT Pn aan BeT-D-BONTeT Ae DISSEM ABROAD /BACKGROUND, USE TOCDB-3/ 6507769: pS ONLY smAtecte HAMLETS BRING THE SOLUTION TO OUR TRIPLE. STRUGGLE, AGAINST UNTERDEVELOP- MENT, DISUNITY “AND COMMUNISM.” DIEM DEFINES “A ‘STRATEGIC- HAMLET “AS: “MELETANE ok A DEMOCRACY IN UNDEREEVELOPED COUNIRIES,".... THE GAINING OF LIBERTY, or HABEAS CORPUS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: BY ALL THE PEOPLE, LIRBRATING THEM, FROM THE GRIPOF ALL DETERMINISMS;" =. : re ' og | 2. THESE CONCEPTS ARE NOT NEW, HAVING BEEN FREQUENTLY EXPRESSED BY NGO | DINE NaU, BROTHER AND POLITICAL ADVISOR OF. PRESIDENT DIEM, DURING, THE PAST YEAR. IN EIS EFFORTS TO ARTICULATE THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS CONCEPT AND BRING IT. INTO ‘SHARPER FOCUS. IT IS ENCOURAGING, HOWEVER, THAT THE PRESIDENT. SAW.FIT TO EMBRACE "| “THESE IDEAS AND MAKE..THEM THE MAIN THEME OF HIS, DOUBLE SEVEN.MESSAGE. ” HITHERTO, | - THERE: HAS BEEN. SOME INDICATION: THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS NOT ENTIRELY SOLD .ON THE. STRATEGIC HAMERTS' PROGRAM IS IN THE MAINSTREAM OF THE "PERSONALIST” PHILOSOPHY, WHICH THEY CONSIDER SOUTH VIBTNAM'S ALTERNATIVE TO COMMUNISM ON THE ONE HAND, AND ' WESTERN TYPE ‘LIBERALISM OW. THE™-OTHER,, =-MEATEVER. MERITS THIS, PHILOSOPEY. HAS,.IT HAS - "SUFFERED FROM DIFFUSENESS AND 17s LACK OF . prsceiitn A ‘ABPLEGATION TO DAY TO par _ ee PROSLENS. BY TYING IT TO THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS CONCEPT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY HAVE FINALLY FOUND A MUCH NEEDED FOCUS , WHICH MAY SERVE TO “AROUSE A. CERTAIN AMOUNT OF. SUPPORT FROM AMONG THOSE “INESELECTUALS WHO ARE NOT TRREPARABLY ALIENATED FROM THE DIEM REGIE. t, ~ ae 3h Na AND OTHER SUPPORTERS" OF" ‘THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS PROGRAM: sm qu 7 Re ~ AWARE OF ‘THE NEED TO DESCEND. FROY, THE PLAIN, . PHULOSOPHY | IN ORER ‘0. MAKE, THE ~ | : CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION: {CONTROLS.. Soop depen ace | _.NOPORN/CONTENUED CONTROL /NO DISSEM “unas /aadikcsioun Use
CLASSIFICATION _ DISSEMINATION CONTROLS. NOFORN/CONTINUED CONTROL/ _ G-0-NeF-I-D-B-N-T-1-A-L NO DISSEM ABROAD/ BACKGROUND USE | TOCS DB~3/650, 769. | ONLY : PROGRAM ATTRACTIVE TO THE PEASANTS WHO ARE THE MAIN TARGET. IN A RECENT CON- VERSATION WITH NEU, HE STATED THAT HERETOFORE, THE APPEAL THAT THE VIBTNAME SE COMMUNISTS (vc) HAD FOR THE PEASANTS WAS _IN TERMS OF THE PRIVATE AND IMMEDIATE INTERESTS OF THE PEASANTS, WITH THE LATTER PERSUADED OR DELUDED INTO BELIEVING THE VC COULD BEST LOOK TO THEIR MATERIAL NEEDS. (FIELD COMMENT . SEE FVS-7609. >. TDCS-3/516,128.) THE MAIN PURPOSE OF Tue STRATEGIC HAMLETS’ PROGRAM IS " COUNTER THIS APPEAL BY PROVING TO THE PEASANTS THAT THE GVN CAN HELP ORGANIZE 08 WI CONINCE TM HAN HEY HAE A RARE THD SURFER 0 OF THE. GVH AND THE ‘DBERAT OP THE ENEMY. THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE GOVERNMENT CAN ACTUATE THE PROMISE OF A “TRIPLE. REVOLUTION" IN TH CouNtRYSIDE MAY IN THE LONG RUN HE uw MOST “IMPORTANT RESULT OF THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS' PROGRAM, OUTWEIGHING THE IMMEDIATE. “mortoH ADVANTAGE . a are a 4, AS A tactic OF THE COUNTERINSURGENCY PROGRAM, | hd, SHOULD Be #5, EMPHASIZED a ‘THAT THE | STRATEGIC HAMLETS construe _-ONLY_ONE_OF. A NOYES. OF DIFEERENT. APEROACHES ~ apING DEVELOPED 10 PACIFY SEB, couMRYsiDE, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A GENERAL - “PENDENCY, ‘EVEN AMONG THE VIETNAMESE, £0 LUMP ALL TE APPROACHES TOGETHER UNTER THE GENERAL ‘cere OF STRATEGIC HAMLET. UNDER CURRENT GVN PLANNING, THE ‘STRATEGIC - HAMIETS PER SE ARE A PREVENTIVE (MECHANISM ADE AT ARRESTING THE EROSION OF THE i GOVERMENT CONTROL AND PRESENGE IN THE Couwmysiie THE STRATEGIC EAMETS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED IN WHAT NEU CALLS “AN AREAS, I.E., AREAS WHE ‘THREAT : 18 EIST SERIOUS A WHET COVENGGIT_OA_ CHOATE SILLA. TRISES HO VILLAGE“ DEFENSES MOST - CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS . nO pNoF--D-BeN-T-12A-L _NOFORN CONTINUED CONTROL /NO DISSEM M_ ABROAD /BACKEROOND USE ONLY
_ CLASSIFICATION ~~ DISSEMINATION CONTROLS NOFORN /CONTINUED CONTROL/ SE C-O-N-P-I-D-BoN-T-I-AcL BACKOROUND USE . ONLY /NO DISSEM | TDCSDB-3/650, 769 _ ABROAD a a. 7 QUICKLY AND WITH THE LEAST EXPENDITURE OF THE OVEREXTENEED CONVENTIONAL MILITARY CAPABILITY. IN THESE HAMLETS , "PEASANTS GENERALLY MUST LOOK AFTER THEIR OWN en ae ee " TERENSE. IN ."B" AREAS, PROVISION HAS BEEN EEEN MADE, IN THEORY AT LEASE, FOR OUTSIDE HELP. FROM CIVIL GUARD << SELF-DEFENSE CORPS FORCES AND IN SOME CASES FROM THE oo VIETNAMESE NATIONAL ARMY (VNA) ELEMENTS. IN ee AREAS, WHICH ARE DEEP IN THE TERRITORY CONTROLLED BY THE VC, THE CONCEPT Is To ESTABLISH LARGE SETTLE SETTLEMENTS naan ee REMINISCENT OF DIEM'S EARLIER AGROVILLES , INTO WHICH EVEN THE VC WOULD BE HERDED EE ne cee a ec AND } KEPT, PENDING "RE-EDUCATION" AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE SECURITY SITUATION. THIS . “xa OF RESETTLEMENT LARGELY AWATT THE FUTURE , AND IS PERHAES THE MosT. DEBATABLE FEATURE OF CURRENT GVN PLANS. THE FOURTH Bees: OF HAMLET DEFENSE ESAGED. BY Sree ee NEU, Is A STRING OF KIBBUTZ-TYPE POSTS TO WEIGH YOUNG HIGHL MonTVATED PAMILIES TO ve STRONGHOLDS . WOULD BE SENT TO LIVE ON A PERMANENT BASIS IN AREAS ADJA 5. THE TECHNIQUES USED IN THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS' PROGRAM, IN OPERATION | - SUNRISE, AND IN OTHER PROGRAMS ARE INCREASINGLY HEING INCORPORATED INTO OVER-ALL ‘PROVING PACIFICATION PROGRAMS, OF WHICH (OPERATION: HAL YEN It IN PHU YEN PROVINCE IS 4 PROTOTYPES. TWO MORE PLANS, FOR BINH DINE AND Quanc NGAI ‘PROVINCES IN CENTRAL - VBA, ARE CURRENTLY BEING PLANNED AND THE OUTLOOK IS FOR SEVERAL MORE IN THE . NEXT FEW MONTHS. 7 | (6. BY 30 JUNE 1962 THERE ERE ‘APPRO: LIMAUBLY 2, 000 STRATEGIC HAMLETS | . ALREADY COMPLETED, "WHICH REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF 1,300 SINCE JANUARY 1962, INDICATING A MONTHLY CONSTRUCTION RATE OF SOMETHING OVER 200. GVN SOURCES CLAIM THAT 7,900. ARE SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY THE END OF THE YEAR. QUALITATIVELY, CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION. CONTROLS 6-0-N-Pel-D-B-N-T-I-A-L NOFORN/CONTINUED CONTROL /NO- DISSEM _ ABROAD /BAPKGROUND USE ONLY
. “GLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS " a 7 ‘NOFORN /CONTINUED CONTROL /NO * ¥. C-0-N-F=I-D-B-N-T-I-AcL DISSEM ABROAD/ BACKGROUND use ~~ | TOCS psy 650,769. - ONLY © a, THERE Is CONSIDERABLE VARIATION, SOME. BEING VIRTUAL FORTRESSES 4 AND OTHERS HAVING es erie Ve penetrate marr women 2 Fares of Rous + Bins tabi nian oo) -ONEY, TOKEN SIZE FENCES OR OTHER, TRFENSIVE, ‘revices, WHICH COULD FE EASILY ‘BREACHED BY TH THE BVC. IN THE PAST, MUCH HAS HAS DEPENDED ON THE DEGREE OF ENERGY, INETrArvE and , RESOURCES, OF THE. PROVINGE. CHIEF, AS WELL AS HIS UNDERSTANDING OF waar “NEU. AND OTHER omen aca oem oie sccm sense ot ane ** NATIONAL ‘LEADERS WANTED IN TERMS Ae STRATEGIC HAMLETS , IT IS HOPED 1 THAT SOME iff STANDARDIZATION EFFORT WILL ENSUE AS THE PROGRAM EECOMES MORE CLEARLY SEPINED, + 2a wee pantameo Memmi — cy is eye exeenas hme Saat omelet Ser Nena Wid nae etn + ee er Seen owe. ESPECIALLY ‘THROUGH THE STRATEGIC. HAMLETS" (CADRE ‘SCHOOL, _ THE SECOND COURSE OF sme Siete wm ew os OS Nat Tatas Biome +S a WHICH BEGAN ON 2 JULY. Sr ereneys = ED. PRETO ee anes wt CBOGRAPRICALLY, THE STRATEOIO MWGETS ARE WINELY DISIRISUMED, ‘BY 30 "JUNE, ABOUT 950 HAD ) BEEN CONSTRUCTED IN THE VNA III- CORPS AREA, OF WHICH ‘OVER 300 “WERE BUILD IN THE SINGLE, PROVINCE OF ‘VINE BING; 858 IN ‘THE II CORPS AREA, (173 IN eee | DARLAC PROVINCE AND 164 IN BINH DINE PROVINCE ; AND, 195 IN THE I CORPS. AREA, WITH 85 IN quate NAM. THE LOW RATE IN THE VNA I CORPS AREA MAY REFLECT IN PART nico > DINE CAN? 5 OFTEN REPORTED cooLMEss TOWARD THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS' coNcEP. re HAVE. BEEN INDICATIONS iC THAT CAN HAS REACHED AT LEAST ‘TACIT SICHANGE CHEATER SUPPORT. FOR THE. UNIERSTANDING WITH HIS BROTHER NGO DINE STRATEGIC HAMLET HAMLETS FOR FULLER SAIGON. ud ‘ANS D_REGIONAL FORCES' | B RING. consmtioreD IN SAFER ~ AREAS AWAY FROM TE MAIN ‘conc TIONS OF V6 STRENGTH. THIS DOES Nor MEAN, i HOREVER , THAT THEY ARE NOT WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF ve. ELEMENTS SUFFICIENTLY Ne “STRONG TO ATTACK ISOLATED HAMLETS WITH SERIOUS EFFECT. TO DATE, THERE HAVE BEEN , 7 = "CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS | YOM PAL-DEANAMTAL NOFGRN/CONTINUED CONTROL/NO DISSEM 1. ABROAD BACKGROUND USE ony