Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume II, Vietnam, 1962

57. Letter From the Deputy Chief of Mission in Vietnam (Trueheart) to the Director of the Vietnam Task Force (Cottrell)¹

Saigon, February 12, 1962.

Dear Cot: As you may know, the British Advisory Mission under Mr. R.G.K. Thompson has already submitted to the GVN a draft directive for pacification of the Delta area, which sets out in the form of a NISC directive the concepts outlined in Thompsonʼs earlier papers (Embdes 205 of 11/20/61).²

The Mission has also prepared three draft Policy Instructions for the implementation of the Directive, one Instruction on Coordination, one on Control Measures, and a third on Strategic and Defended Hamlets. Thompson has given these draft Instructions to Secretary Thuan, who told him that he agreed completely with the ideas therein and that the whole plan (presumably both the Policy Directive and the Instructions) would be put up to the National Internal Security Council this week.

The three Instructions have already been cleared with MAAG. I might add that Thompson has been in constant touch with us on this and has meticulously coordinated his efforts with MAAG and the Embassy. His recommendations closely parallel those we have been or would be making to the GVN, and if accepted, they certainly would be a major step forward for all concerned.

Copies of the draft directive and two of the three draft instructions are enclosed in 5 copies, the one on Strategic and Defended Hamlets in single copy; we will forward additional copies of the latter when they are available later this week.³ Also enclosed is a copy of Thompsonʼs letter of February 10 transmitting to Secretary Thuan the latest of the three Instructions; you may find Thompsonʼs comments of interest.

Best personal regards.

Sincerely,

Bill
Counselor of Embassy

1. Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 66 D 193, 1-C.1. Secret Official-Informal. A handwritten note on the letter by Trueheart asked Cottrell to pass to Hilsman copies of the draft instructions on Co-ordination and Control Measures, noting that he already had copies of the draft Directive and draft instruction on Strategic Hamlets.
2. Despatch 205 transmitted Thompsonʼs earlier papers (Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11-2062), including a letter from Thompson to Diem, November 11, 1961, and attached memorandum of November 13, 1961, conveying Thompsonʼs impressions of how to clear the Delta area of Communist insurgents. For text, see United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 11, pp. 345-355. The draft NISC directive is not printed. (Kennedy Library, Hilsman Papers, Vietnam, 1/62-2/62)
3. A letter of February 19 from Trueheart to Cottrell transmitted additional copies of the draft instruction on “Strategic and Defended Hamlets.” It also reported that Thuan had told Nolting on February 17 that Diem had approved the draft instructions and policy directive and was submitting them to the National Internal Security Council. (Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 533, CF 2048)