JOHN ROCHE VISIT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R000500060081-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 19, 2004
• Sequence Number: 81
• Publication Date: April 4, 1967
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2004 ; CIA-RDP80R0 720R000500060081-8
4 April 1967
MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: John Roche Visit
1. John P. Roche came to see me at 1000, 4 April, partly to muse
about political developments in South Vietnan.. but primarily to pass and
discuss his 27 March rn oranduzu for the President on Hanoi's (Ho's)
concept of negotiations. (A copy of Roche's memo is attached. You can
skip the clipped enclosures thereto which are simply documents showing
how perceptive Roche has been in the past. )
2. Roche's argument -- that regards negotiations as a political
tactic, not an objective, and will use this tactic whenever he considers it
most advantageous to do so -- is well-founded and well put.
3. Roche said he and Rostow had discussed this memo with the
President last week. The President was receptive, inclined to accept Roche's
pitch, and directed that a strategy or contingency plan be worked out for
handling the situation that would arise if Ho adopted the negotiation tactic.
Rostow told Roche to get in touch with me so the three of us could work out
a strategy that would best serve the national interest.
4. 1 am personally quite willing to lend a hand in this exercise since
it relates to a critical problem on which I have strong views that, apparently,
are substantially shared by Roche and Rostow. I am not willing to do so,
however, without your approval since work on this exercise gets into a
politically charged policy area outside of the Agency's technical jurisdiction.
George A. Carver, Jr.
Special Assistant for Vietnamese Affairs
Attachment
Mr. Roche's memo to the President
25X1 dated 27 March 1967
ase 2004/06/ l _C,F DU%%141a2 UQVY RY060081-8
w/o at~
1 - Negotiation file w/att 1 - VAS Chron