Office of the Historian

131. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Rusk at Geneva1

Washington, March 26—1962—8:20 p.m.

Tosec 150. Eyes only for the Secretary from the Acting Secretary. Tosec 140.2 President has now approved rules of engagement for US aircraft to intercept Communist aircraft over South Viet-Nam. Public posture is to be one of discreetness and we are asking field to work it out so that if US-marked plane actually destroys Communist plane, public handling will be simply that Communist plane crashed, thus attempting avoid problem of degree to which Americans engaged in active hostilities in SVN. We feel confident Communists will in any event receive message loud and clear.

Ball
  1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 533, CF 2059. Secret. Drafted by Johnson, cleared with Rice and Pezzullo, and approved by Ball.↩
  2. Document 129.↩