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Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011
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| DATE | EVENT OR DOCUMENT | DESCRIPTION |
| 27 Sep 1961 (Continued) |
which the VC publicly beheaded Diem's province chief and escaped before government troops arrived and increased infiltration through Laos demonstrated "that the tide has not yet turned" militarily. | |
| 1 Oct 1961 | Diem Request | Diem requested a bilateral treaty with the U.S. This surprised Nolting but probably did not surprise the White House, already warned by White of the grave military situation. |
| 1 Oct 1961 | State "First 12 Month Report" | This political assessment mirrored Nolting's "no progress" report but State found the military situation more serious than Embassy reports had indicated. |
| 5 Oct 1961 | The "Rostow Proposal" | Suggested a 25,000-man SEATO force be put into Vietnam to guard the Vietnam/Laos border between the DMZ and Cambodia. (The Pathet Lao had gained during September, as had VC infiltration through Laos to the GVN. This prompted plans for U.S. action.) |
| 9 Oct 1961 | JCSM 717-61 | The JCS rejected the Rostow proposal: forces would be stretched thin, they could not stop infiltration, and would be at the worst place to oppose potential DRV/CHICOM invasion. The Chiefs wanted to make a "concentrated effort in Laos where a firm stand can be taken saving all or substantially all of Laos which would, at the same time, protect Thailand and protect the borders of South Vietnam." But if this were "politically unacceptable" the Chiefs "provided…a possible limited interim course of action": deployment of about 20,000 troops to the central highlands near Pleiku to assist the GVN and free certain GVN forces for offensive action against the VC. |
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TOP SECRET – Sensitive
