BRIEFING OF CONGRESS ON THE PHOENIX PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP77M00144R000300130040-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 8, 2004
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: October 14, 1975
• Content Type: MEMO

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OLC 75-2576
14 October 1975
SUBJECT: Briefings of Congress on the PHOENIX Program
Congressman Dellums has requested specific information on who in
Congress and OMB were briefed prior to the execution of "Project PHOENIX"
and the CORDS Program.
1. The PHOENIX or PHUN'1G HOANG Program was a Vietnamese Government
internal security program designed to neutralize the Vietcong infrastruc-
ture (VCI). The Government of Vietnam called it PHUNG HOANG and the
American side called it PHOENIX. The program was first established in
December 1967 by decree of the Vietnamese Prime Minister with the aim of
coordinating all efforts against the VCI. In 1968, the program was made
more official by a decree of the Vietnamese President. This provided. for
the establishment of an organizational structure to coordinate collection
of information and the conduct of activities targetted against the VCI.
As such, it involved the activities of various U.S. Government agencies
working in Vietnam. The overall direction of the American side of the
PHOENIX Program was the responsibility of the Deputy Commander of U.S.
Military Assistance Command of Vietnam for Civil Operations and Rural
Development Support (CORDS). Accordingly, the PHOENIX Program was not a
CIA program, but rather a program in which a number of U.S. Government
agencies, including the CIA, and counterpart Vietnamese organizations
made contributions.
2. The CIA, therefore, did not brief the Congress on the PHOENIX
Program but rather briefed the Congress on its activities in Vietnam
which contributed to satisfying the objective of the PI-IOENIX Program.
When the program was first instituted in December 1967, the Agency had
several ongoing activities which later contributed to PHOENIX. A review
of the files of 1965 to 1966 showed that the Congress was briefed on
certain activities which contributed to the PHOENIX effort on the dates
indicated:
a. 28 July 1965 - A meeting was held with a staff member
of the House Appropriations Committee.
b. 21 September 1965 - Mr. helms accompanied by William
Colby met with the Mahon Subcommittee of House Appropriations.
c. 8 February 1966 - The Director met with the CIA Sub-
committee of the House Appropriations Committee. , .
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d. 9 February 1966 - The Director met with the CIA Sub-
committee of the House Armed Services Committee.
e. 5 April 1966 - The Director met with the CIA Sub-
committee of the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations
Committees.
3. Regarding the Office of Management and Budget, CIA budget and.
supplemental request are discussed and cleared with 0MB before it goes
to Congress. Fund requirements for Agency activities contributing to
the PHOENIX Program were included in CIA budget and supplemental request.
For example, on 23 July 1965, Admiral Raborn met with Mr. Charles Schultze,
Director of BOB to discuss Agency budget for FY 1967 through 1970. The
discussion included a review of requirements for Vietnam. Monies were
requested for political action, advanced political action, counter terror
and census grievance teams.
4. The foregoing does not constitute an exhaustive search of all
briefings of Congress on CIA's connection with the PHOENIX Program. The
findings as indicated above show that the Congress and 0MB were told of
CIA activities in Vietnam which later contributed to the PHOENIX Program.
.. 5. A background on the PHOENIX Program and how it fitted into the
overall U.S. Government effort in Vietnam can be found in the Hearings
Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, 91st
Congress, 2nd Session, on Civil Operations and Rural Development Support
Program. The title of the Hearing is "Vietnam: Policy and Prospects,
1970."
Distribution:
Original Review Staff
vY - OLC Subject
1 - OLC Chrono
cc: Chief, EA Division, w/att.
OLC:RC:cmw (typed 24 October 1975)
25X1A
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