181. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon1
SUBJECT
- New South Vietnamese Operation
The South Vietnamese have initiated a new operation designed to keep enemy forces in southern Laos and the border area off balance and disrupt enemy supply operations.2 The operation will involve up to 11 ARVN maneuver battalions with US artillery and air support. The initial phase of the operation began last evening with a two battalion force landing near Ashau with the objective of making a feint toward Base Area 607 (see attached map).3 As of 9 a.m. this morning no contact with the enemy had been reported.
The next phase will begin on Monday, April 19, with units landing in selected objective areas in the Da Krong River–Northern Ashau Valley area in South Vietnam near Base Area 611. As the situation develops random battalion size raids will be conducted into enemy Base Area 611 in Laos.4
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 154, Vietnam Country Files, Viet 9 Apr 71–30 Apr 71. Top Secret. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”↩
- Haig informed Kissinger of the operation in an April 13 memorandum in which he noted that Souvanna had asked the RVNAF to undertake a smaller operation in the tri-border area east of Attopeu and Bowley. (Ibid., Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI)↩
- Not printed.↩
- According to a transcript of a telephone conversation between Nixon and Haig at 9:30 a.m., April 29, the President inquired whether the operation was primarily South Vietnamese and asked for a status report. Haig responded that “there are some U.S. 101st Airborne with them” and that the RVNAF had not yet encountered any resistance. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 998, Haig Chronological Files, Haig Telcons 1971, 2 of 2)↩