SCENARIO FOR LAOS OPERATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-3-4-0
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 17, 2011
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: January 23, 1971
• Content Type: CABLE

. ~tE,CF IVED
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/10/17 : LOC-HAK-490-3-4-0 rYtiGA
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T O P S E C R E T SENSITIVE 23~J925~ J~1N 71 VI C~S C!-iANNELS
FR'pM: AMBASSADOR, BU~IKER, SAIGON 65~J '~
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T0: THE WHITE MOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES' ONLY HENRY A. KISSINGER
" SUBJECT: SCENARIO FOR LA05" QPERATTONS
~..
1. PRESIDENT THTEU HAS EXPRESSED TO ME HIS CONCERN ABOUT, THE
NEED TO DEVELOP. A SCENARIO FDR THE FDRTHCOMIP!G?.OPd?RATIONS T[~ LAOS,
SCHI~ULED TO START FEBRUARY 5. ST NCE PREPARATIONS FOR THE OPEl~AT T
HAVE ALREADY BEGUN,' HE FEELS THE fr!ATTER HAS BECOME URGENT. THE
AIRBORNE DIVISION AND TWOwTHTRDS OF THE .MARINE DIVISION HAVE d3EEN
WTTHDRAS.IN FROM THE LINE FOR A'REST PERIOD. THE PRETEXT FO}~ THEIR
4~ITHD~"1WAL TS POSSIBLE ENEMY ACTION AGATNST THE SAIGOPd AREA DURING
THE TE~i HOLIDAY PERIOD'. '
2." THTEU SAID THAT WHEN THE MOVEMENT NORTH OF THIS LARGE NUM~3ER
QF-TROOPS AEGINS, THE PRESS WILL ANTICIPATE SOMETHIt~iG !FOOT, AND !~3E
WILL HAVE TO DEVISE SOME DIVERSIONARY SCENARIO FOR THIS. C4TVEi~}E~`IT.
WE SHALL ALSO Hg'.VE TD CREATE SDhIE OPERATIOCIAL DIVE}?SION DNE OR Tt~ID
DAYS BEFORE-THE LAOTIAN EXERCISE BEGINS. WITH ALL THIS ACTIVITY
HE FEELS THAT. NEITHER .WE NOR THE GVN CA PI REMAIN SILENT'.
3. HE ASKED WHAT QUR THOUGHTS !dERE FOR HANDLTNCi THE. LAOS SITlJATTON
AND ASKED WHETHER WE HAD TALKED ~~1TTH SOUVANNA. TF, FOR EXAMPLE,
THE PRESS "SMELLS" SOMETHING BEFORE THE OPERATION BEGINS APlD
QUERIED SQUVANNA AS TO HIS ATTITUDE REGARDIP!G ARVN OPERATIOf~S IN
SOUTH LADS AND HTS REPLY 'dAS PdEGATTUE, WHERE !+10ULD Td-fAT LEAVE US,
ESPECIALLY THE GVN WHOSE TROOPS 'rlDULD BE ABOUT TO ~7OVE OR EVEN
DN THE GROUND? Nq~~l WOULD- !dE RESPOND TO A C:EGATIVE R`;.ACTTON i3Y
SOUVAN"'A AFTER TN-~. OPERATION WAS UNDFR't1AY?
4. AS IS HTS CUSTOf~I AT TE'T, THTEU_ IS SPEr!DING THE NEXT FOUR. DAYS
IN THE FIELD WITH HTS TROOPS, RETURNING TO SAIGOfd L~.TE AFTc.RN00P! DF
THE 26TH. HE ASKED TO SFE ME THEN, HOPING T CAP~~ GIVE HTM AN INDI-
CATION OF THE KING OF sCECa~Rro WE ARE THINKING ABOUT. SINGE TF
A,7UN IS TO MEET PRESENTLY PROPOSED SCHEDULE, TROOP MOVEMENT WILL'
i'~VE TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER TET I MOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU
COULD LET ME HAVE INFORMATTOI BY THAT TIME.
5.~ WARh1EST f~EGARDS.
AC HPBUQY ,
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/10/17 : LOC-HAK-490-3-4-0