MEMO FOR THE DIRECTOR FROM GEORGE A. CARVER, JR.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R000800060021-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 16, 2004
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: April 4, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved Fo'f~else-~i~b 07/08 :CIA- DP80R0172 0
4 April 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR
1.. Attached is a note prepared by my colleagues which
yati may find of interest. I knew the enemy was close. enough
to Phnom Penh to have considerable harassment potential but
did not realize the full extent of the potential threat to the
capital that currently exists .
' " 2. OCI is preparing a PIP on the Cambodian situation, the
draft of which I have discussed with and Lehman. I
tliiink it will run up the right kind of warning. In Cambodia,
there. are two distinct but obviously related current problems:
(a) For a variety of reasons -- disaffection with
Lon Non;. a concern on the part of key military
commanders that they may be~next~on his
hatchet Iist, a potential. gasoline. crisis,
perceived enemy threat, etc. ---the atmosphere
in the capital is becoming increasingly.
volatile. Nothing of consequence may happen,
but you have a situation in which a small
act by someone, misinterpreted by someone
else (or even the .rumor of an action which.
has ?in fact not occurred) could have a
catalytic effect in precipitating a crisis ,
even one which nobody intended or wanted
to initiate .
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(b) The preoccupation of the Cambodian
military leadership with internal political
problems has reduced the army's capacity
for action against the enemy to a point
where a very small amount of insurgent
military pressure applied at the right (or
wrong) place or time could collapse our
allies' house of cards .
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Geo ge .Carver, Jr.
Special Assistant for Vietnamese Affairs
Copy No. 1
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1 - DCI
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2 -VAS/ RAC
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3 -GAG Chrono
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