THE ASIA LETTER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000300360129-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 17, 2000
• Sequence Number: 129
• Publication Date: May 25, 1971
• Content Type: LETTER

Approved,,F'c rRelease 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-01601 R
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STATINTL
STATI.NTL
.25 May 1971
THE C.I.A. IN ASIA (I): When United States Central Intelligence
Agency Director RICHARD HELMS was getting ready to visit Saigon last fall
for. talks with South Vietnamese President NCUYrN VAN THIEU, he sent ahead
an unus ual ca ll. i.ng card.
It was in the form of a news leak to the New York 1'ils.
A story quoting "government officials" reIcntc.~d ii considerable detail
the C.I.A. finding that there were some 30,000 agents of the Vietcong that
had insinuated themselves into the Saigon government apparatus.
The findings revealed Hanoi. intentions to increase that number. to
60,000 by. the end of 1971..
" fhe conclusion was that the Saigon gover.nme:nt would not be able to
cope with these agents in shaping the country`s future.
The information had very little to do with fact.
The fi a es came Out of ah-c Richardv e Hlmsj -hat.
The, story was, pfrankl.y,~designed to. scare the hell out of President
Thieu and make Helms bargaining position a little easier.
Wlhhat Helms was selling was the C.I.A. line of a need for a tougher
security stance internally. Basically, President RICHARD NIXON had asked
Helms if there was something he could do about the rampant corruption
inside the Thieu government----?off1cer.s squandering aid funds on luxury cars,
wine and women and allowing an unacceptab'e amount of Uncle Sam's cash t6
turn up as flight capital to Swiss and French banks.
was one of the rare (but. increasin~,)'.,i.nstances when Helms and the
44A.---generally close..-mouthed adherents; to. the "no comment" school.- .had
ever used the press for-leverage.
But it tells a lot about the C.I.A., which often feels frustrated .
~~
about. not, getting its message ac.roaS/4 to the people it wants 'to reach in
and out of the administration,
.
..For the last few months, for example, the C.T.A. has been peddling in
Washington and elsev7here details of an intensified Communist Chinese road-
'building effort in northern Laos. .
.But correspondents involved with Peking ping-pong and other developments
have found the story not glamorous enough, nor different.enough, from earlier
,ones on the same subject to get much space.
Helms visited Laos, which has come to be known as "C.I.A. Country",
660-twisting Thieu's arm and then went on to Tokyo to discuss Red China '-s
nuclear, rocket and submarine deve~.opments with officials of Japan's
intelligence;-defense establishment.
'Chose events were not reported in your daily newspaper. and the.exact
l_
It oDer`ltes in many diverse ways. .
(Fop Su provedoFOICCJ a eA2O011?t3I04r,oAC4"DR$O-4+1604 R1 O03OO3,60129-1
't'he C.I.A. is a many tentacled thin.
 STATINTL
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STATINTL
25 May 1971
THE C.I.A. IN ASIA (1): When United States Central. Intelligence
Agency Director RICHARD HELMS was getting ready to visit Saigon last fall
for talks with South Vietnamese President NGUYEN VAN THIEU, he sent ahead
an unusual calling card.
It was in the form of a news leak to the New York Times.
A story quoting "government Officials" related in considerable detail
the C.I.A. finding Lliat there were some 30,000 agents of the Vietcong that
had irlsinuaLed themselves into the Saigon government apparatus.
The findings revealed Hanoi intentions to increase that number to
609000 by the end of 1971.
The conclusion was that' the Saigon government would not be able to
cope with these agents in shaping the country's future.
The information had very little to do with fact.
The f i f,ur es came Out Of a hat-? --Richar.cl helms' hat..
The story was, frankly, designed to scare the hell. out of Pr.esi.dCIA t
Thieu and make Helms' bargaining position a little easier,
What Helms was selling was the C.I.A. line of a need for a tougher
security stance internally. Basically, President RICHARD NIXON had asked
Helms if there was something he could do about the rampant corruption
inside the Thieu government---'officers, squandering aid funds on luxury cars,
wine and women and allowing an unacceptable amount of Uncle Sam's cash to
turn. up as flight capital to Swiss and French banks.
It was one of the rare (but increasing) instances when Helms and the
C.I.A.-?--'generally close-mouthed adherents to the "no comment" school-----had
ever '~.)sed the press for leverage. K
But i.t tells a lot about the C.I.A., which Often feels frustrated
about "not getting its message across" to the people it wants to reach in
and out of the administration.
For the last few months, for example, the C.IoA.' has been peddling in
Washington and elsewhere details of an intensified Communist Chinese road-.
building effort in northern Laos.
But correspondents involved with Peking ping-?pong and other developments
have found the story not glamorous enough, nor differentenough, from earlier
ones on the same subject to get much space.
Helms visited Laos, which has come to be known as C.I.A. Country",
after twisting Thi_eu's arm and then went on to Tokyo to discuss Red China's
nuclear, rocket and submarine develops{tents with officials of Japan's
intelligence-defense establishment.
These events were not reported in your daily newspaper and the exact
details will never be known.
The C.I.A. is a many tentacled tiling.
App. .vtU. 'd.tR-61 t 2dM O.3 ~~Y'C?1A-RDP80-01601 R000300360129-1
(FOR SU9i':.RI.3 R; ONLY Ot: A CONFIDENTIAL DRSIS. REPROCUCTION OR QUOTATION IN WHOLE OR PART PROIi191TE0
WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION )