REPORT BY SECRETARY MCNAMARA AND GENERAL TAYLOR TO SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP65B00383R000100280101-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 17, 2004
• Sequence Number: 101
• Publication Date: October 8, 1963
• Content Type: MFR

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ME4ORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Report by Secretary McNamara and Creneral Taylor
to Senate i'oreign Relations Committee
1. The undersigned sat in for the more than three?hour
briefing tiy N'LcNam.s.ra and Taylor a the Sena.te Foreign Relations
Co.,..,-1.Littee. The attendance was good. Present were: 'iv.ibright.
ChurcA, Carlson, Aiken, Hickerilooper, Launch*. and
Spez.k.nan. Gore and Mansfield were present for only a portion of
the briefing.
2. Mr. McNamara made a general introduction and then
turned tne ,neeting over to General Krulak for & brief discussion of
the disposition of the Vietnamese forces and the Viet Conk forces.
3. General Taylor then reported on the progress of the war
statinz timt it was going well and that the recent political disturbances
had not significantly affected military operations as yet. He discussed
the 'various indicators as to how the war was going, i.e.. (a) Viet Cong
casualty rates, (b) weapons losses, (c) defectors, and (d) combat
incidents. General Taylor indicated that in contrast wita condition.
so:t4e tirze a6o the Vietnamese army is now in the field and It is
receiving better intelligence from the villages which form the basis
of successful attacks on Viet Cong. Taylor sumnied up the progress
of the war by saying that In the north in Carps areas I and 2 the war
was going well. in Corps area 3 which includesalgon the results are
,Aszed .ipold in the fourth Corps area, the Delta area in the south, needs
attentio4 and is getting attention in terms of increased effort and the
shifting of one division from the north was mentioned. Taylor. in
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summing up, atated that there are lie discernible 'affects of pZltIci1
activities oz the progrites of the war away from the Saigon area. On
the other )sand. as one gets cloaer to Saigon. there are individual
officers ,who an concerned but Taylor could find no evidence that the
polLtical slination is *floc ,tiaig the performance of the 'military or the
course of the war. Taylor stated that the military in the fieldwere
somewhat more optimistic than he wit.a is to how long the war would
last and when it would be won but he gave his view thit In Corpsareas
1 and 2 the task could be completely turned over to the Vietnamese by
the end of 1964 and in the Delta area by 1965.
4. Senator ',Albright asked for comm. on the reports of
siketounairon in the U. 6. elements in Vietnam. loicNarnara pointed out
that there are different roles atid naturally there will be different views.
However. his report to the-Poresidient was fully istdorsid by all
department* and approved by the National Security Council and included
a conclusion that the erosion of popular support has not yet gone to the
point of 2rcventing the war from going ahead successfully. In saswer to
a specific question. McNamara stated that CIA always fully coordinated
Its act.vities and this had never been otherwise. Ha said the Agency had
been critizised unfairly sad had nem, to his knotaladeo. acted Contrary
to instructions. He touched on th.e. mission assigned to the Agency of
training counterinsurgency forces and the turnover of this respen.sibillty
to IOD. He stated the Agency had carried out this assignment ably.
5. Senator 9park.man raised the press report of CIA support
of special forces which had been used to attack the pagodas. Mr.
McNamara very clearly pointed out that CIA had in fact trained and
supported these forces at the Instruction of the U. S. Gowerninent for
border patrol work and training the mountaia tribe. He pointed .4%itt
that these forces under General Tung had been extensively used La
combat operaiions but without the knowledge of the U. S. Government
had been utiLlsed in past for the pagoda raids. McNamara emphasised
that in any event this should not be termed CIA support if the special
forces but should lie tor-ed U. S. Government support since CIA was
only carrying out instructions. Sparkman asked about tto reports on
the recall Of Richardson and his replacement. Mr. ACKAIMILialk suggested
that this was a question better addressed to Mr. McCaw'.
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SECRET
. Senator Hickenlosper put in the record the Starnes article
at Z October I03 an/ than proceededto ask questions a/boat each item
In the article. kt Ilickenloeper divided his questions into ten
specific points. To each of these McNamar., responded variously
'4notbdng to support the Owlet"
no refusal to carry out instructive* on century "faithfully
-serried out" all ei its orders;
"watotutded charges 4'
"CIA he.. always ham cooperativei"
implication of failure at CIA, to follow orders ? no evidence to
support and ia any *veal not acceptable" to McNamara since
the Ambassador is the Imes;
know of no CIA. penetration et U. S. ageselael
found no military criticism of CIA and La tact many military
serve under CIA control mid in general the view seemed
to be that CIA officers were brave and imaginative.
Mr. McNamara made the point that there might well be a question of
whether or not CIA should have had the responsibility of training these
large forces since the CIA people inveived could not Tomato covert and
that this is a legitimate question for consideration; but in carrying out
the assignment CIA had dope an ewe/UM job. McNamara stated also that
CIA activities were very well controlled and were well known to him and
to General Taylor throughout the world. On the question of the intelligence
put out by the Agency. McNamara stated that it is quite satisfactory from
his viewpoint. He also stated the Agency to tally under Whit* House control
Senator Hickenloopor had asked General Taylor to either associate himself
with AteNebraarais views or add any comments and Genera/ Taylor did not
offer any different view& Asked U he beg say general comment. Mr.
/McNamara stated lie could sum is all up by saying the wards ia headline
"Arrogant and Disobeys" are simply sot true and that there is so evidence
to support It. Senator Hieltealooper :flared his view that therm was an
organised ruovemem to discredit our Information agencies. mentioning
CIA sad TN, with a view of destroying them. Mr. McNamara said he
had no evidence to support thin,
7. Senator Meese Made eeineense-to kis views on reint
Committee stating lbe was proud to be in the group trying to being CIA
umber checks and balances. Meese also asked bow rawly CIA people are
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working in AID in Vietnam and Mt. McNamara suggested this question
be asked of Mr. McCaw..
S. When Church asked for an appraisal of the effectivraess 01
the Diem gevernment. Mr bieNsmara said be thought the proper question
was is it the most effective government. Taylor also stated the record
should show that in fact there is no alternative at the present time to the
Diem government.
9. These were several ether relerseces to the DCI appearing and
during the course of the meeting Senator FuIbright sent word to inquire
U the Director could be available fear friday morning at ten o'clock.
(Senates Fulbright was subsequently advised that this was satisfactory.)
cc DC!
DDCI
Executive Director
DD/ P
OGC/LC Subject - Sen. For. Relations
OGC/LC - Chrono.
0Gc /LC:JSW:niks
?ECRET
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SI John S. Warner
3010 1$. WARNE/t
Lagislative COW' sill