CONVERSATION WITH ED BRASWELL, CHIEF OF STAFF, SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73B00296R000100020032-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 31, 2014
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: November 18, 1970
• Content Type: MFR

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/31 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000100020032-4
OLC 70-0820
18 November 1970
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Conversation with Ed Braswell, Chief of Staff,
Senate Armed Services Committee
1. When Mr. Maury and I met with Ed Braswell this morning
and gave him figures on recent ICBM deployment, the conversation
turned to the war in Indochina. Mr. Maury reviewed again for Braswell
the programs in North Laos, South Laos,
Z. Braswell expressed concern that Chairman Stennis was not
getting a realistic picture of the situation in Indochina "from the military.
Braswell had previously asked for any Agency studies on the subject of
the South Vietnamese capabilities to take over the war in Vietnam and
today he said it would be useful if Senator Stennis could have access to
other Agency studies which would give him a thorough picture of the
situation.
3. He also mentioned the Senator's concern over the widespread
use of drugs by U.S. military personnel in Vietnam. He said the Com-
mittee will be receiving a briefing from DOD on this tomorrow. It is
Braiswell's understanding that raw heroin, originating in Turkey and
processed through France, is being brought into Saigon and sold to U.S.
military personnel at an amazingly low price considering that payoffs
have apparently been given to a number of people along the way. Braswell
suspects that this might even be part of a Communist plot since it did not
make sense to him that a drug of this high potency would be made avail-
able so inexpensively. He assumes that the Agency must know something
about what is going on and would like any information we can provide him
on this.
25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/31 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000100020032-4
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/31 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000100020032-4
4. He also alluded to the report recently publicised on infiltration
of enemy agents into South Vietnam. Mr. Maury pointed out that this
report was now quite out of date and he suggested that in lieu of providing
numerous papers we arrange to have George Carver brief the Chairman
and Braswell on these topics at their convenience. Braswell did not turn
down this suggestion, but repeated Its request for any written material
we could give him on these topics.
STAT
Distribution:
Orig. - Subs.
I - SAVA
1 Chrono
0 G C/rvz; 19 Nov 70
Deputy Legislative Counsel
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2014/01/31 : CIA-RDP73B00296R000100020032-4