NEW LODGE AIDE MAN OF LEGEND FOR BOLSTERING DIEM'S REGIME LANSDALE, INSURGENCY EXPERT, SAID TO HAVE PLAYED KEY ROLE IN SAIGON IN 1954

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000300430060-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 1999
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: August 19, 1965
• Content Type: NSPR

NEW YOM TIMES
Sanitized - ApprovFp5 I ease : C
CPYRGHT
New Lodge Aide Man of Legend
For''Bolstering Diem's Regime
Lansdale, Insurgency Expert,
?`. Said to Have Played Key
Role 'in Saigon in 1954
C PYJFe~lrTe New York Times
Aug. 18 -Edward G. Lansdale,
once a much sung operative o
the Central Intelligence Agency
and' now a retired Air Force
major general, will bring with
him eight to 10 aides , when
he comes here to serve as
special assistant to Ambassa-
dor Henry Cabot Lodge, official
United States sources. said to
day.
When he made a rather leg-
endary reputation in Asia i
the nineteen-fifties Mr. Lans-
dale had a famous "Lansdal
team," which Included experi-
enced, well-informed and hard
boiled inteligence experts.
It could not be learned today
who would be on his, new tea: i
It was reported here that
which depicted' American set-
backs in Asia and lauded the
unorthodox but effective Celo-
nel Hillendale.
Pacification May Be Tested
One official said today that
E was possible that Mr. Lans-
ale and his assistants would
ttempt to apply some of their
acification ideas to Vietnam
rovince but that this was ).not
ertain. He added that Mr.
ansdale would not arrive with
r. Lodge Friday but would
ollow shortly.
A Vietnamese official said
hat his Government had not
eon consulted about Lans-
ale's appointment but had been
Wormed. He said. that the Gov-
rurnent'had not objected.
There had been a considerable
tir here already in expecta-
ion of Mr. Lodge's arrival. This,
,as based on rumors that Mn
lodge would insist on the. res-
or?ation of FL, civilian govern-
Went.. A. member of the ruling
uilitary directory; said that the
rumor's were discussed two
eeeks ago at a meeting of the
nilitary leaders.
The rumors may' have been
unacn [?rem [nlcrnni.,'nn[
Premier Ky. at a news confer
Gen. i')dward E:. Lansdale t
uicc Aug. 7 ,that the Vietnam-,
Ind di(ided Vietnam into .Nort se should beware of "chains and
partrnent had said Mr. Lans nd South. `
,
dale would serve as. "a specia Some of Mr. Lansdale's. clos
assistant on pacification"- t associates became discourages
Mr. Lodge, who is to arrived with President Diem before h
Saigon Friday. was deposed and killed in th
The news that Mr. Lansdal fall of 1963. There is reason t
would be returning to Vietna believe that Mr. Lansdale ha
was received with great Interest become discouraged even ear
by both Vietnamese and Ameri ier.
cans. An authoritative Viet Mr. Lansdale did not serve i
namese source said that Pre Vietnam during the last year
ruler Nguyen Cao Ky and Presi of the Diem regime. Most Viet
mier Nguyen Cao Ky and namese and many American
President Nguyen Van Theft believe that he was formall,
were suspicious, but not ner- barred from coming here, an or
vous, about Mr. Lansdale's ap der that many of them attribut
pointment. to Secretary of Defense Robert
The Vietnamese added that S. McNamara and the senio
these officials knew Mr. Lans American officials in Vietnam
dale only by reputation, which According to those who kne
among the Vietnamese is that him well, Mr. Lansdale was al
of a kingmaker. Those who ways, far more than a man in
know Mr. Lansdale well were terested in.. political intrigue
said to be happy at his return. nd propping up : shaky Asia
Lansdale Bolstered Diem governments. These friends ad
mire him as a fresh '. and dy
Some historians credit Mr' arms thinker on "counterin
Lansdale' and his team with ';urgency," or the art of de
major role in helping Ngo Din'] eating guerrillas, to a great
Diem to overcome what ap extent through ' the expansio
peared to be almost dnsurmount f popular support among th
able difficulties 'facing hi opulation,
when he took power in 1954 ' Mr. Lansdale is assumed t
after the Geneva Conference e the "Colonel' Hillendale" i
ended the French Indochina war the noVel "The Ugly American/
?lavery" in its ties with its aI-
ies.
McNamara Opposition Reported
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18-
Administration sources indi-
cated today that , Secretary of
Defense McNamara and some of
his military advisers had op-
posed the assignment of Mr.
Lansdale to Saigon.
Presumably, they were over-
ruled by President Johnson on
the advice of 'Ambassador
Lodge.
State Department officials
said Mr. Lansdale had been au-
thorized to recruit a staff but
the list of his assistants was,
still incomplete and therefore
not available for publication.
The objections to Mr. Lans-
dale at the Pentagon are said to
be based on'his service in Viet-
nam a decade ago, a period of
frictions between him and reg-
ular chains of military coma
mand. 'He Chas a' reputation' for
individual and unorthodox forms
of diplomacy. but no specific ex-
amples of conflict could be ob-
tained, here today.. -
Sanitized - Approved ,For Release : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000300430060-2