BRIEFING OF NORVILL JONES AND RICHARD MOOSE, SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE STAFF, RE AID TO NORTH VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP77M00144R000300040029-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 24, 2004
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: January 29, 1975
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2004/06/24: CIA-RDP77M00144R0003000400
29 January 1975
SUBJECT: Briefing of Norvill Jones and Richard Moose, Senate
Foreign Relations Committee staff, re Aid to
North Vietnam
25X1A 1. Accompanied I INIO/SEA, to a briefing on
aid to North Vietnam, requested y orvill Jones, Senate Foreign
Relations Committee staff. Richard Moose of the Committee staff
sat in.
25X1A 2. gave a very comprehensive briefing on
evidence including underlining methodology and gaps in collection.
3. In response to Jones' request, explained that
a paper representing a community-wide effort would be available
at the beginning of the week after next, explaining the problem in
applying value to the aid because finalized economic statistics would
not be available until March.
4. The high quality of our economic aid information was
contrasted with the less than satisfactory coverage of military
aid and the staffers were cautioned on the sensitivity of the sources
involved.
5. In dealing with the net assessment problem,
proposed one alternative which would involve DOD backing out 45%
of U. S. aid to South Vietnam in order to achieve a more realistic
comparison with aid to North Vietnam. The differences between
the two countries' military missions, self-sufficiency, and
sophistication of weapons were also stressed.
25X1A
25X1A
25X1
Approved For Release 2004/06/24: CIA-RDP77M00144R000300040029-7
 Approved For Release 2004/06/24 : CIA RL77M00144R000300040029-7
6. Moose clearly is interested in challenging what he views
as Ambassador Martin's gross exaggeration of North Vietnamese
aid and concerned about possible pressure onthe Agency to maximize
figures. Christison did not agree with this assessment and explained
that unclassified bottom line figures without the classified caveats
on collection, methodology, and reliance on hard but incomplete
evidence would paint a distorted picture. Moose and Jones conceded
the points but still pushed for figures from the Agency which could
be used publicly in the-upcoming debates and specifically requested
such a paper with such caveats as we felt necessary.
7. Miscellaneous.
a. There was a fair amount of discussion on
Cambodia and Jones said that while he and Mansfield
were in the PRC, a reliable source told them that
North Vietnam extracted a duty of 80% of PRC aid
to the Khmer Republic. (It was apparent that we
do not have good information of North Vietnamese aid
to Cambodia. If the restrictions imposed upon Agency
activities in Cambodia is a proximate cause,
perhaps we should get this word to Jones and possibly
through him to Mansfield.)
b. Moose questioned whether the North
Vietnamese could really be importing one million
tons of rice as indicated by
explained and they acknowledged that the rice harvest
in North Vietnam was exceedingly poor.
c. Moose picked up a discrepancy in the 1973
prices of aid which was off some by two-fifths but
::]explained that it is not unusual for
analysts to adjust and refine figures and postulated
that the discrepancy may have been due to the fact
that the applicable price statistics were not available
at the time the earlier projection was made.
25X1A
Approved For Release 2004/06/24: CIA-RDP77M00144R000300040029-7
 Approved For Release 2004,(x6/24: C1A-I[3P'7M00144R000300040029-7
6. Follow-Up Actions.
a. Classified paper on aid to North
Vietnam no later than 12 February 1975 and
preferably on the 10th or 11th. Action --
b. Unclassified paper, action to be taken
and/or still to be determined --
c. Restraints on Agency activities in
Cambodia substantial impairment to Agency
collection of assistance data? Action -- Mr.
in conjunction with DDO, depending
upon their finding, to recommend course of action
to the Director through OLC.
25X1A
25X1A
Deputy Legislative Counsel
Distribution
Original ..Subject
OLC/
1 - OLC Chrono
(4 Feb 75)
Approved For Release 2004106/24 CIA. i*77M00144R000300040029-7