MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD FROM L. K. WHITE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01284A001800040055-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 24, 2005
• Sequence Number: 55
• Publication Date: March 26, 1968
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For [ease 2
128,D1800040055-4
26 March 1968
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
Morning Meeting of 26 March 1968
In
25
Godfrey advised that three enemy battalions besieged an American
artillery unit west of Kontum and were finally beaten back after some
initial success.
D/ONE reported that an ONE officer has produced a paper on
the Soviet military build-up along the Sino-Soviet border. The Director
suggested that the paper be distributed to the intelligence community.
DD/S reported that the trial of the two CAT pilots opened yes-
terday in Taipei and that the defense got a postponement until 22 April.
25
Carver noted that an ORD proposal for protecting the Khe Sanh
perimeter has been well received.
The Director drew attention to the item in today's New York Times
on the resignation of Sidney Roche, a civilian adviser in the U. S. mission
in Saigon.
Warner noted that the final phase of the NRO hearing went well
yesterday.
Bross reported that General Maxwell Taylor has requested a joint
CIA./DIA briefing on the enemy order of battle in South Vietnam. The
Director concurred in DD/I's suggestion that the briefing be scheduled
for next Monday.
Approved For Release 200
.184A001800040055-4
 Approved For ease
0128401800040055-4
Bross advised that the panel of the PSAC which is reviewing
Vietnam matters has requested a briefing on the enemy order of battle.
The Director asked Bross to inform Steininger that at this juncture CIA
is not able to oblige the panel's request.
ADD/P reported he has been advised that Warner Brothers has
produced a film entitled, "The Double Man, " which is antipathetic to
CIA.
The Director urged DD/I and Godfrey to examine means of im-
proving the cartographic aspects of the various intelligence publications.
ACTION:
1. The Director asked the DD/I to prepare a response to a letter
which he has received from a Gustavus Adolphus College philosophy
professor who has invited an Agency representative to address his stu-
dents on the question of whether intelligence activity is in line with
Christian principles.
The Director also asked the DD/I to examine what the Agency's
response should be to a request to host students from Princeton
University's Project Update.
25
25
25
Approved For Release 2005/11/23 : CIA-RDP80R01284A001800040055-4
SEC ES ONLY
 U.S:N SAIGON
QUITS IN PROTEST
He Charges U.S. Programs
in Vietnam Are Failing
By BERNARD WEINRAUB
Special to The New York Times
SAIGON, South Vietnam,
arch 25 - A former official
on Gen. William C. Westmore-
nd's staff who has worked for
the United States mission for
ore than a year is leaving
South Vietnam to protest "fail-
ures" of the American effort
here.
The official, Sidney J. Roche,
issued a report to the mission
saying that United States pro-
grams were being frustrated by
massive corruption, an "inef-
fectual" South Vietnamese
Army, badly managed aid poli-
cies and "unsound" American
military efforts. He particularly
cited his unhappiness with de-
velopments since the Viet-
, cong's unar New Year offen-
sive.
"I had hoped that the Tet
offensive would produce some
changes. in policies," Mr: Roche
said today. "However, it ap-
pears that we are going to fol-
low the same old road and pur-
sue the same old policies."
In 1964 and 1965, Mr. Roche
served on General Westmore-
land's staff as plans officer in
charge of defense planning in
Southeast Asia. After that tour,
he retired as a lieutenant colo-
nel with 27 years' military
experience.
He returned to Vietnam in
December, 1966, to serve with
U.S.Aide
the United States mission. He
has served as a civilian ad-
viser to the Fifth Division of
the South Vietnamese Army
and held several prominent po-
sitions in the mission's plan-
ning and pacification programs
for the provinces around Sai-
gon.
In one of these positions,
Mr. Roche served as liaison be-
tween Robert Komer, who
heads the pacification program,
and John Vann, the highest
ranking civilian adviser in the
III Corps area, which includes
Saigon.
Mr. Roche said that he de-
cided to resign shortly after
Mr. Komer's recent return from
a series of conferences in
Washington.
Hoped for Better Things
"We were all hoping that
when Komer went to Washing-
ton and Wheeler came here for
his visit, things would change,"
the hefty 51-year-old former
Army officer said. He was re-
ferring to the recent visit of
Gen. Earle C. Wheeler, Chair-
man of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff.
business is the same - pacifi-
cation is still the name of the
"But Komer came back and
ad a staff meeting and said
ears and it won't work now."
"We've got to be honest with
One of the points he stresses
few days and said, `You've hit
'the nail on the head."'
I here will come to the same con-
clusions,'' Mr. Roche said. "Peo-
a blueprint of what high-level
officials say privately is wrong
with numerous programs here.
"Anyone who gets involved
Sion. "What he's saying is, aft-
er all, what other people have
said before."
Says Many Agree
Mr. Roche's report reads like
not cutting it over here the
way things are going"
"We have got to sit down
and face certain realities here,"
he said in an interview. "The
limited response that we've
been maintaining is well and
good if it is sufficient to do the
job. It hasn't been so far."
He said that a sharp increase
by American forces, as well as
increased bombing of supply
routes in North Vietnam to-
gether with the port of Hai-
phong, could be a solution."
"The purpose of war, any
war, is to impose your will
upon an enemy and not settle
for a military standoff," he
said.
Mr. Roche's "termination of.
service" report, widely distrib-
uted in the United States mis-
sion, has been received with
anger and some embarrassment
in high official quarters.
"It's one man's opinion," said
one person close to the mis-
For R se 20051'
in Saigon fits, Charging `Failure'
goes on, the traditional ap-
proach has always been to en-
dure, if not accept, the tendency
of Vietnamese officials to dip
into the public till.
The Vietcong, making good
use of propaganda, point out
South Vietnamese corruption
and emphasize to the people
the perfidy of their leaders, Mr.
Roche says.
They also point out that Unit-
ed States officials are little bet-
ter because they support the
South Vietnamese and, there-
fore, must support their corrupt
practices, he continues.
"It is a propaganda line that
is becoming increasingly hard
to counter, especially when so
little defense is possible," he
goes on.
Says It Prolongs War
Aside from the monetary loss
to the American taxpayer, he
says, "which no doubt is a stag-
gering amount, the harm to the
United States and the war ef-
fort is enormous and its effects
are prolonging the war."
Of the South Vietnamese
Army, called the A.R.V.N., Mr.
Roche writes:
"The Army of the Republic of
Vietnam may very well be the
worst army in all of Asia. It is
organized along the lines em-
ployed by modern armies 30
years ago.
"It is top-heavy with needless
headquarters and administra-
tive elements. Its weapons, in
the main, are outdated and no
match for modern Chinese and
Russian weapons now in the
hands of the Vietcong and
North Vietnamese regulars.
"Its leadership is ineffectual,
poorly trained and head over
heels in graft and corruption.
The army is quite content to sit
in camps, take their share of
the graft and corruption and let
the United States Army do the
fighting and take the casualties.
"During the recent Tet offen-
sive, instances were reported of
refusal by A.R.V.N. command-
ers to venture out of forts to the
assistance of towns and villages
under siege by Vietcong troops.
All of these problems remain
after more than seven years of
military assistance by the Unit-
ed States."
Says Police Neglect Duty
On other subjects, Mr. Roche
says that the Vietnamese na-
tional police has "largely abro-
gated" its duty to destroy the
Communist party apparatus.
"It is imperative that the na-
tional police organization be
trained in the vital task of de-
fending the nation from internal
subversion," his report says.
Mr. Roche writes of United
States aid:
"United States aid programs
in Vietnam have been wasteful.
Programs have been overfunded
with no clear cut idea of the
goal to be obtained. Programs
are badly managed, with confu-
sion as to who really manages
what.
"Supervision has been non-
existent and many struggle with
the idea that somehow we will
win by the sheer weight of our
expenditures. Waste has been
the keynote with many United
States employes apparently la-
distant and vague source which
has an unlimited bounty to dis-
pose of, all free."
Mr. Roche suggests the possi-
bility that the entire aid pro-
gram be taken over by the mili-
tary.
"An agency either unable or
unwilling to police itself should
be policed by others," he writes.
Sees Error in Direction
Of the pacification program,
Mr. Roche writes:
"The Revolutionary Develop-
ment, or pacification, program,
which has such worthwhile ob-
jectives as improving the liv-
ing conditions of the Viet-
namese peasants by building
hamlet schools, roads, dispen-
saries, and providing security
from Vietcong attacks is poor-
ly supervised.-
"This is not surprising when
one realizes that the Central
Intelligence Agency, whose
charter by Congress is to pro-
vide foreign intelligence to the
United States and to organize
overseas intelligence nets, is the
principal supervisor.
"It is small wonder that the
principal effort by the C.I.A
would be the organization of
intelligence nets rather than
the supervision of a very worth-
while program."
Mr. Roche writes of United
States military operations:
"American men are dying this
very day because of faulty tac-
tics devised and ordered from
Washington, tactics which limit
choice of targets, prescribe
types of weapons and define
military objectives.
Wants Tactics in Field
"The right of Washington to
dictate the strategy cannot be
questioned. However, the tac-
tics to achieve the objective of
the strategy should be left to
field commanders."
Sitting in his crate-filled
apartment this afternoon, Mr.
Roche, who is scheduled to
leave for the United States on
Wednesday, said quietly: "It's
not a question whether we did
the right thing four or five
years ago. It's a question of
trying to extricate ourselves and
save Southeast Asia for our
side."
"We're not going to do it un-
less we face realities and make
some changes," he said ."We
have 20,000 dead so far and,
God forbid, we're going to have
another 20,000 dead if we con-
tinue as we are."
Mr. Roche, who is leaving
two months before his 18-
month contract expires is re-
turning to his home in Colum-
bus, Ga., where his wife and
four children live. He said he
had no immediate future plans.
"I just want to go fishing for
a long, long time," he said.
sion that all of the supplies ands
equipment come from some fr
-4