MILITARY INTELLIGENCE DEFICIENCIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000800040033-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 20, 2003
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: June 19, 1961
• Content Type: MF

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
Ju1V r. ;~ ~~~~~
MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHAIRMAN, USIB
SUBJECT: Military Intelligence Deficiencies in Southeast Asia
There is grave concern in the Department of Defense about the serious
deficiencies in military intelligence in Southeast Asia. The Joint Chiefs
of Staff have advised the Secretary of Defense that collection emphasis
must be placed upon basic items of intelligence which are essential to the
development of accurate and meaningful intelligence estimates.
Although certain intelligence on that area has been extremely useful
from a military standpoint, the lack of current, detail information about
Communist forces has been one of the factors adversely affecting the oper-
ations of the Laotian Armed Forces. Repeated Communist violations of the
truce in Laos demonstrate the continuing nature of our need. Even with a
complete suspension of hostilities, moreover, we do not believe that the
requirement for more and better intelligence on Laos and neighboring
countries would be substantially reduced. The steadily deteriorating sit-
uation, the possibility of Chinese Communist intervention, and the
consequent possibility of U.S. contingency operations make it imperative
that greater effort be made to collect military information in that area.
The magnitude of these intelligence deficiencies may be judged from
the inclosed list of unsatisfied priority military intelligence require-
ments, which include items of vital importance to possible military
operations in that area. It is fully appreciated that this matter has been
under discussion at high levels within State, Defense and CIA and that
special efforts are now being directed at satisfying the most urgent require-
menu. Within Defense there is also awareness of the comprehensive nature
of this list and the practical impossibility of achieving more than partial
satisfaction of the deficiencies listed. Nonetheless, the seriousness of
the problem clearly indicates that this is a matter deserving of the most
careful attention in USIB.
It is suggested that such assets as might be held by individual members
of the intelligence community might profitably be reviewed within USIB for
a determination of their effectiveness in providing-the intelligence urgently
required by current developments in Southeast Asifi.
1 Inclosure
JCSM-373-61
CC to Dir, J-2,JCS
.~
proved For Release 2003/0-RDP80B01676R000800040033-~
~;XCLUDED FROM AUTOMA
REC~RAI7TNGl4~'P, F~-~e~~s
DOES N07` APPLY
~~ /~.
GRAVES B. ERSKINE
General, USMC (Ret)
Assistant to the
~`
Secretary of Defense
(Special Operations)
t~
z~_c ~
 SECRET
Approved For Release Z00~/D~T2~~ GSA-RDP80B01676R000800040033-6
PRIORITY P~lTLITARY INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENTS ON
lr Vlvdl'~lU~ 5 ~',i'~Ti~T n T ;~` ~ ~I~TD r~ ~~J_ ~f~ ~~ ~~.' r1'~ ,~ c~
_.__.___~1- _. ~ ~ .___._. _ ._ .. _ ..
-G/,-? L~
I . GS~OUND .E'C~i ~G~~.;~ , .
Det,erm^z~~~,,tio~~! of c~pab^lities ~~.nd likely couz?ses o:~:' ~.et~?.on
of the Gomrr!ur. Est :i oz'ces in the Southea.s c /`:sia area 7~equ~.res
conl;~lete and ct:~rreii` order of battle inx'orr.:at~i orl, 3.mportant
aspects of vail::~.ch a:ca unit ide:~.t`,.fi:;ati.ons and loca%'ans. Da.t~.
concern'Lrlg ~rga,n~..a.t-~.or., tactics, training, and 1og'.stics cn
the pr~7ncipal units are also e~asc,~t~yal to estimuti~zg
capabi_1.it:i.os oi? 'che Common _st m:.13.tay~~~r forces .
The Gaml?r!uil:+.st farce; ' effects ve secur~~.ty ^.nd
counterintelligeizce measures, the 1_~m:_ted bdestei~n confac U
ti~r:i.th the r~,rea ~.r~~ vrhicil. uni~:,s ma,:r be sta.tl_oned., ,arid rey~ar'~,~
of questionable ox' unknowL~ verac_'.t,y m~~,ke thi. 'c;?pE: o:C
~..x~f'aa~ma.tion ve:~'u c~.~fi'~.cL.lt to accaui:~.','~, ~~nd. to confi.rrsl.
Therm'ore, callert3.ozi empli^.s:i.s must be placed uL~or. trosv
basic ~.tems cif .~_ntell:ihence which a.re esseiltia,l to develo~~ing
accurate anc" r ean:~.l~~gfu_L int~ell'~~,er.ce c'stima~,es . It has
';~ecome -i.nc.>e~~s^:~g~_y ob~riaus ~;h~a~c ~;reatc:r c7_~.nc:c's,a..ne o0.-_1e~:t~.on
ef"f'or~t; is t;he so~?e r~ie:a.~s 'air Tnzi'1"cll rr~an~r cf' these esse_Zt~.al
:Lriform~.t~,on needs r~~ay bF sa.t sfied.
~aOUI'II GGi~T'~Z'UT?l~ST CHIT~ri~~ YTJ~:1N~~d PRGVT_IvCt:;~
Qrl'~ Q" 'L'hE NY'1i11:.:C' _ :'y .:i1.'=~ii;.-;i~ :;ti , .. _ _ .. _,'~_ ,..'i1 ~:~1, ~ _.S li1~E:~.~.~-
~; -.~_ , _ Uii. ~G.... (~':~~~.n~.;S.: ~ ._...- '.:if11~~ :, ~;ro~_~_nG 1 OZ'CES iT'! i C " ,
unnan P vas ~:
t.~h.c:sc farces ar: juclE;ed capable of t~!nd~:rtaking ~.nd~:pei~dE,::t
act~..ans ~.nyt~Tiiere sn Southeast; ~s:~::r ~.nd cf' impairi:,zg sercuslV
US interests there ?. Tht~ c~.e~rclo:~~rncnt of accur~:.te ~.-~d du~?:11dabl.e
intelligence est-_:nates re~;~'rcl:i.ri~ ~l~hF. canabi~.l~tic, ~.~?d :l.:si~el;Y
courses of action of t'rlese forces is a con'clr~uli~lg objective
o~: I~iigh priority ~.n army intell'~~;~~ncc .
The capab~.l ~_ties of the Chislese Goi,lmuntst Peo?1~ ~ s
Liberation !lrmy (PLi~) in Yunnan Province a.re known :gin ge:ler. ai
terms. The information from wh~.ch these capab.lit'.es are
~iudge:d j.s obtained yarge~.y from covert sources, and
intermittently, Pram open sources, such as newspapers s.nc?
rXCLUDED F3~OP~1 AUTCM~'T'"G REGRADIrTG;
L`OD UT_REGTI~TE 5200.10 DC~S ~~OT
APPL`t
SECRET Approved For Release 2003/04/24 :CIA-RDP80B01676R000800040033-6
1
~'CSI~~~-~"T~-61 :'.ppenc_ ~_;;. Ii
 Approved For Release 2003/04/24 :CIA-RDP80B01676R000800040033-6
o'che:~? periGdica~.s. ~~hE =LnteliJ_~;enen `_nfor:~ation rece:~ved ~x~o~n
~-?rlec~,? GG1lection resG~~rces a.ckcs tiine~:-nes,~ , Since the b' ~.l.k of
Z1S :in~'o.r?nat'~c~n C`Uli'eN From ~~,hesca ;::_ u':?:;c~~' s:i~;n:~~'ica.nt Wort ~oTls
c~~` ~c3ie' f':in:~.ahed :~_r;tel_Lz~~e.zee base,u crl it ~i~?e ;~~ecessar.~iy
f;onf~;.i.;~_vc .
~l mta:^e seM ~.r~,zs dei':i ^ _~rlc.y, Y~owuvor, is the l~ ck Gf.'
Gc~ntlnuinr~ iT~'o~.~m~~r,i.an to m~:,inta_Ln ~~nte?.l:i_oence on the :~o:cces
~,Jh~.Ch 1"li~~iC iJC,G?i1 CGI:.I j.i"mE'.Ci ~,71G, ~`l..Cc,F`pt~i'i, c,?1(~. ~;C~ GOTif"1.I'!Tl tCnt:i.i;ive
accep'caT~ces sh~i.ch :~~'re:~uentitr clay ue "c~,uec: upon eyther oya or
-i.~iccmp7_ete 7n~'G~.~mat:.on, The ir:te~~_+g~ilce ne~;a~: re.sul.~c~Ti~; z~?Gm
th_Ls cie~'~i.c-! e~lc4- ~~.rc: i1:lasi:rated :_~7 tY'ie specs ~_c iii~el.ly~cnG~~~
re c~i.~irei~lerits ~:r}~L~~_ch~'ollo~r:
a . Cu:~?re nt o ~~"der o~ ba'~t~.e ?~.iif'ci~m~.t:~ on o: P:~A un~_t ti
it"': Yunl~an Y~rlj J1.i7~Ce : :LC~.tnt:i.~`_.C~ ~_`tC1-1, S ~ x'enF'vi1, ~_OCc`3..t~_Q:fl;
ot~gar,z~a~cion, anc; e~,u'~.pment c:c '~.nc?e~,~e~~lt~.ent cx't~.~?_~.c.:~~y itT~itr3
~ 1.r'..St ].Yi:"Qx~11at~ Qi1 01a :%r.aE~enc~en'u e.rt '! :~.~ery Llni'G :i V'e^.`"-~
rEpCY'GE'C'l :?.}J::C'O"~".:7'.1u.tP_l;~;T f 'L?~rg ~.*(;1.:~',S ~:.~m-,O ) lOC~l.tion,
:~i~.t-';t:i'G:l.:L?_Cct,r._~C)s:.: ~~iiC~. i"t10`~~P,1",1Elic~". GI` 'e~.i.i1?Fltc";.~. dnd baU~2:~__.'~::~.
s_t~;e colclba~, e:i.elne~.ts, espec;:_a~.~',% ~l: vhe vic~.ni'cYr o` the:
bc~rdo~~ :`_xafo:cra~c _-_o~ ~~i~ ~ Deaf .~o~~ >.".res ~ar~del? nGriil~.~
ea_rc~anlst?~~nces ox~ under candit.oTis o{' liani-i_ted wwr? a:"~eGt.Lng
th4 ove.>_,~:i ~. s';a.tus :i~' "porde~r Ur-_~ur.Lt;y aloz.g the ~~curid~~ra.c~s:
1'F Z.'Gh z3Llx'lTla ~+.T?~ C~ r ,~~~ O S ,
SECI3.ET
Appendix A
JC SF~T--?`7~- J-~
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 Approved For Release 2003/04/24 :CIA-RDP80B01676R000800040033-6
d. 'the lacat-Lon a.nd s~zppoy t ca~;~s.Us.lit .es of PLt~
1.o~i.;;t:~.cal ~w:~stalla.tions j.n Yunnan Prov:~_rice, ~.ncludi ng
del~_very ax~:d ''.^eplenishmcirt d~.ta..
e . T'ze cu?^rexlt corrd~.ta.onc and c;~pac:~ty off' :I~_T7eS of
cominunicc-'l;a_o}1 ~_t1 or 9.r.uo Yunn~tl~ 1'rovir~co, nart~CLl~.d'~'`'i_y
~,uo~~~ S:iz~ (Lao ~:) - Ch ' e -~ ,-i (Yunnan } ; Tanom (3urma. } -
Ta-lo (y'ur~nan}~ Kunryon~ (~urma} - r~ien-tip,
My it kyin a
(Lu:~r~~ } -
pao - Shan (vr?r~nan } .
~. Th~o
locat :' on,
c;urr-~cixi urz, su~ord~_n~.L~.on and s.i~e
of schools a_n ~:'uni~ra~~ Prc~r_~r~ce t~^ainir_g agents ~'or opcratzons
'3.n the ne __~;hbo~?'_x~~; rl~-~t1_oa~s cf sots.~a.. The, urgency of fhe current ar.~t~.cal s:i.tua.tion
".x~ Lass has _nueizsfied the demands for day--to-day est~~mates
corxeerning the c~~L:~?bilities, ef-~'oct':veness, a.nd likely courses
of action of the ;ommunist r~orces active ixi the Plaine des
Ja.rres ^rea. These estimates contrLbui;e sigr~'~_f'icantl~T to the
support of US judgements having tirorld-wide importance.
There :;_N a continuj.ng lack ~-n the flow oi' intelligence
nformat:i_on on order. of battle data and the military activ~.ties
of. the Commuri:~.st T+'orces in Laos; :~axr~orma.tion urgently needed
to '~.ncrease tl~ca L-irne~inc:ss anc:i significance of intelligence
est`tma'ces de-~eloped on these fox^ces . i:urrent .~nfol~rnatlon gaps
a.re reflecteu ira fine pl?i ority ~_r,te-i~ ligezce requirements below:
Si;CRET
JC~M-373-~Z
?~~~.pendix A
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 S~~ CRET Approved For Release 2003/04/24 :CIA-RDP80B01676R000800040033-6
a. Sp~:cwf'ic ~:nfori:latiox. concerni.ig strength, lacats_exl,
or~,a~.i.zaU:`.an, composltian, and equipment of Corruiur;is~c Forces
~_rx t~iF P7.a~.xle dos Jarres ax:?ea anc? in central Laos.
'u < In~'ormat ~or~ an strelgth, :1_c~en?,i.ficat on, locat:"_ori,
r.arnpos:.itian, a.sc~. nature of ~.cti',':i.~'~ ~~ssociateu ~ai_trl. I~~orth
Vs.etrlamesa uni'cs i.n awos ar :ii'1 ;;he Lao=Jictrlam ~acrder area.
c , rnfa:~m~.tian on troop c:eplot:xenL, troop tactical
train_~.r~g, al~d other 'or-:,sic tactual i~yepara~c~ons - offeY~si.;ro
ox~ def'ens~.s.e -? uUfi~.cie.~tl~~ de~f;^.:~.lpc~. or docL~rri~nted to
~~rov~.u d.E~.ta rc'qu3.~~c3 :ir_ develan ~n~ ~~ssessiner.ts an tl~le
tiata.tus o.f CamllxanLst ~brces mil:i.tar~r capa.b _lit~.~~s, a G.
COL VP,'Tlt:"'_ai1~1,1, unconvnntionaJ.. or ~sychalogica). natuz.e, 'i"i
~;he Pl~.ine d.es J~.~~res aria and. '_11 ce~.~cra1 y,aos .
d.< Infarr~zat~_aii on. ~.ogis;~.ca.l ~'uctoY?s ~,fi'cctinb
~OIIl?riL1i17_St ~`JI'Cea ap@icLf;10:]^a ~.ri 1~c':OS, ~x1C~.u-:1'tY?~ C:%'~+.stE'nCE',
corid.l,~c~n, ~~.nd capacitjj at' k~rid;es; L~.~aff is dens~_t;;r on tht~
'_.!lc'~.yrl ~:7U.p17_L'? I'OUtf: f'rOrll Narch V~~ ~tilam; t;,Tpi: of Cc'3.x'~;O ~Jr ~ rl
ri1U~i@dy csi'1~ f;~`le LC?Gatr?i~ 3'1.Zt' ~.'~t Car?1JOS:LGaan a:? ::iLi.~LJ.;'
C ., lrli'O~~?llc'.'G1411 co~~cern ~sl~'; t