BRIEFING OF SENATOR JOHN STENNIS (D. , MISS.)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000100120088-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 88
• Publication Date: January 31, 1969
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2006/09/25 : CIA-RDP72-0.0337R60100120088-9
31 January 1969
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Briefing of Senator John Stennis (D., Miss.)
Stennis (D. , Miss.) on the Soviet Bloc, Middle East and Vietnam
situations. Also present were Ed Braswell, Staff Director of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, and William Spell, Staff Assistant to Senator
Stennis. The Senator's questions concerned primarily:
1. Accompanied I QCI, to brief Senator John
a. prospects and possible terms of a Middle East
settlement, and the Soviet role therein;
b. sources of support for Arab terrorists;
c. status of Paris peace talks;
d. progress of pacification in South Vietnam;
e. stability and effectiveness of Saigon government;
f. South Vietnamese military capabilities
g. possible results of partial, and eventually complete,
withdrawal of U. S. forces;
h. military capabilities of Vietcong'? North Viet tamese
forces
i. support of Soviets and ChiCorns to North Vietnam;
J. North Vietnamese and Vietcong casualties and defections--
do we have reliable and independent figures, or do we accept the
suspiciously optimistic estimates of the U. S. military ?
2. The Senator's questions reflected an overriding preoccupation
with the military and political situation in Vietnam and the reliability of
estimates and statistics thereon, particularly those provided by the military.
In general, he apparently feels that an excessively optimistic picture had
been created and in our next appearance before his Subcommittee we may
be in for intensive questioning along these lines.
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The Senator also commented on the Sentinel debate of last
session, which he said was already boiling up again. He predicted that
ht shortly be "drawn into the middle" of this one.
4. The Senator said he hoped the Agency Subcommittee would be
organized "shortly, " that Mr. Braswell would serve as the Subcommittee's
Chief of Staff, and that quite possibly Senator Russell would wish the
Appropriations and Armed Services Subcommittees to meet jointly.
5. Our briefing was interrupted by a phone call from Senator Stephen
Young in Ohio during which Senator Stennis commented that "I agree that this
is a serious problem" and "I understand your concern" and we won't do
anything until we can get together and talk it over. "' (1 don't knows the
substance of the above, but rather suspect it may have dealt with the Pueblo
problem. )
6. As we parted the Senator said he would like to have a further
briefing probably sometime next week to pick up points which time did not
to cover today. He indicated he would like frequent briefings in
future, but would gene rally be flexible as to the timing. He said if he
felt he should have the information right away he would tell us so. but that
rurally when he called for a briefing he would want us to' tell him whether
cat the timing was convenient for us.
JOHN M. MAURY
ve Counsel
bution:
Original * Subject
- Ex/Dir
OLC J'MM/jmd
Approved For Release 2006/09/25 : CIA-RDP72-00337R000100120088-9