WHITE HOUSE CONCERN OVER LAOS DEBATE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74B00415R000200020089-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 21, 2006
• Sequence Number: 89
• Publication Date: October 1, 1971
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2006/09/21: CIA-RDP74B00415R000200020089-7
SECRET
1 October 1971
SUBJECT: White House Concern Over 'Laos Debate
CC- "r
1. At 1615 hours this afternoon, I received a call from Mr. Tom
Korologos, Special Assistant to the President, who said he understood
that "a deal was cooking" between Senators Stennis and Symington to
establish a ceiling on U. S. expenditures in Laos. He said this was
completely unacceptable to the White House and that he, General Haig
and Clark MacGregor were going over Monday morning to ask Senator
Hugh Scott for help in heading this off, and that he had asked Ed Braswell,
Chief Counsel, Senate Armed Services Committee, if he and the Chairman
would like a briefing. Mr. Braswell said that they didn't have time for
a briefing but would like briefing papers. Mr. Korologos asked that we
"stamp something secret" and send it over to Mr. Braswell, even if
it was the same thing we had already given him before.
2.. I said we had provided a substantial quantity of material on
Laos to Mr. Braswell for Senator St ' usa- and indeed the Director,
Laotian Defense Minister Sisouk an ur FE Chief, had
just spent some time with Senator Stennis and his staff this morning
going over the situation in detail. I said I thought it would be hard to
add anything to what we had already covered, both in written backup
material and in oral briefings. I explained that we fully appreciated
the problem, and had emphasized as strongly as possible to Senator
Stennis and his staff that any significant cuts in the present level of
U. S. support to the Laos effort would have the most serious consequences.
I said that only this morning Minister Sisouk and the Director had pointed
out to the Senator that any cutbacks now might be disastrous..
SECRET
Approved For Release 2006/09/21 : CIA-RDP74B00415R000200020089-7
 Approved For Release 2006/09/21: CIA-RDP74B00415R000200020089-7
SECRET
3o I immediately called Mr. Braswell to report the foregoing.
Mr. Braswell said it was a little late for the White House to get excited
now--that they should have spoken up earlier and not left it up to CIA
to carry the ball for the Administration until the last minute.
OHN M. MAURY
Legislative Counsel
Distribution:
Original - Subject
I - Chief, F
I'D- Chrono
CET
Approved For Release 2006/09/21: CIA-RDP74B00415R000200020089-7