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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.

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28 November 1961

COVERT ACTIONS IN VIETNAM

1. The following paragraphs summarize the program which

CiA is now undertaling in Matson with the Government of Vietnam

(CVN). Not included are those purely unlateral activities which

aro for the most part ageut penetrations of government ane oppos."

tion political parties and of the ministries and security services

of the GVIN.

a. Establishment of intelligence, psychological varfare,

political action, and paramilitary nets in the central provinces of

Souta Vietnam employing montegnard (atghlander) personnel with

the objective of gaining villsge suppart in identifying Viet Cong

agonts and activities and in neutralizing them.

b. Mural reconstruction operations conduoted in the

eastern region of South Vietnan employing amall teams of volun

tears engaged in reactivation of village administration, medical

anstatance to villagers, establemment of village defense syetems,

and the formation ef intelligence networke to report on Viet Cong

agents and activities in villages.

c. Eatablishment and finanetal support of a Vietnamese

commercial company. Vietnamese AirTransport (VIAT), to

provide commercial cover for e vertety of aircraft and crews of

various nationalitles to men them in support af joint paramilitaryl

Intelligence missions directed agninst the Viet Cong in Laos and

North Vietnam. In South Laos there are three teams la operation

agunat Viet Cong feeding stations and their lines of communicationa

which tranalt South Laos Into South Vletrama. Two teame and one

singleton agait feams are in place and operating in North Vietnam

collecting information for future action operations. Tentative plans

are under way to add additional sabotage and harnasment teams in

North Vietnam in December and Jamary.

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d. Establishment, guidance, tratning, and financial

support to the newly organized Central intelligence Organization

(CIO) which has been given over-all responaibility for colleting

and evaluating all intelligence from Vletnamese sources and

acts as the central coordinating body for intelligence activittes

of all GVN services, both military and civilian.

Tratning of National Police and Surete Service

(NPSS) in countersubversion techniques and support and guldance

of operations run jointly with the NPSS to penetrate the Viet Cong

mechaniem in South Vietnam. Plans are being developed for

revitalising a nationwide "Spectal Branch" for Viet Cong penetra-

tion operations when final tranafer of the NPSS to the CIO in

effected within the very near future.

Viet Cong penetration operations run jointly with the

Militaty Security Service (MSS) in the Saigon-Choion area and

training of MSS personnel in countersubversion techniques.

g. Covert political and peychologtoal warture sotivitien

targetted againat the DRV and run jointly with the Vietnamese

"black." and "

over North Vietnam territory, and a letter writing campagn

through which ant!-DRV propaganda material is torwarded to

North Vietnam via the International maile.

h. Development ot operations against targets of oppor-

tunity jointly with the Preaidential Securtty Service, aled known

as the Service d'Etudes Politiques et Sociatea (SEPES), and

utilisation of operationel, Cl and GE Information developed through

Halson with thie service in support of all operations igainst the

DRV as outlined above.

Special Intelligence operations with the South Vletanmene

Intercept Service against the DRV and Viet Cong targete in South

Vietnam.

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2. As an adjunct to these liaison activities with the

Vietnamese, both CLA 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 represertative at

each of six NPSS Directorates. These CIA officers are to be

supplemented by U.S. Army military intelligence specialista

who will work with and advise the NPSS at the provincial level,

Insofar as the NPSS intelligence function is concerned. The

CIA officera 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, la placing Intelligence advisors at General

Staff J-2, Field Command & 4, Corps G2, Division G-2, and

Regimental 3-2 levels. In addition to and separate from these

advisors, an intelligence staff is being establiahed under Chief,

MAAG to supervise the operationa of these advisors and to

process information coming from them.

S. The Evaluation Center, which has heretofore exited

as a means of colinting all source information for use primarily

In identitying military targets is aiso being expanded through

contributions of personnel by all U.S. agenctes engaged in

Intelligence collection in Vietnam. A fulltime CIA officer hus

been assigned to the Evaluation Center.

A. In addition, there has been establiched an inteliigence

committee with representatives from appropriate U. 9. agencies

in Saigon, chaired by CIA, the purpose of which is to provide

regular reporting to Washington plus special reporting on

emergency situations as they arise.

5. Provincial surveys designed to assess the criticality

of intelitgence collection, economic and programe, etc., are also

now being organized under the direction of Ambassador Nalting.

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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.

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