Office of the Historian

143. Minutes of a Washington Special Actions Group Meeting1

Washington, June 1, 1972, 10:07–11:15 a.m.

SUBJECT

  • Vietnam

PARTICIPATION

  • Chairman—Maj. Gen. Alexander M. Haig
  • State
  • John N. Irwin
  • William Sullivan
  • DOD
  • Kenneth Rush
  • G. Warren Nutter
  • Major Gen. David Ott
  • JCS
  • Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
  • Capt. Kinnaird McKee
  • CIA
  • George Carver
  • William Newton
  • NSC Staff
  • Richard T. Kennedy
  • John H. Holdridge
  • James T. Hackett

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS

It was agreed that:

  • —The State Department will prepare a draft telegram to Korea asking President Park to authorize the Korean forces in Vietnam to engage in a temporary exercise outside their area of operations to open the Kontum Pass. Gen. Haig will seek the President’s approval of the proposed telegram.
  • —The Chinese ships off-loading onto lighters at an island near Vinh will be kept under surveillance but not interfered with at this time.
  • —Ambassador Ingersoll should be informed that we will move some B–52s to Japan if Typhoon Lola strikes Guam. In addition, the Vietnam Working Group should review our arrangements with the Japanese for prior consultation on aircraft movements.
  • —The Thai Government should be informed that we wish to augment our tanker fleet in Thailand for about six months.
  • —The psywar proposal to preempt Radio Hanoi will be presented to the President in conceptual form, including a warning on the likelihood of criticism, for his decision.

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Korea.]

Gen. Haig: Anything else, Admiral?

[Page 355]

Adm. Moorer: The North Vietnamese have completely moved the 320th Division from around Kontum City to the Kontum Pass. Gen. Abrams would like to get the Koreans to help open the Kontum Pass. They did a good job clearing the An Khe Pass and he wants to use them the same way on the Kontum Pass. The problem is that it would require a decision by the Korean President. The ROK forces need Presidential approval to move out of their base area.

Mr. Sullivan: Can we lift them up there?

Adm. Moorer: Oh, sure. No problem on that.

Gen. Haig: I think we should draft a message to Korea asking the Korean President to authorize his forces to make a temporary movement to open up the pass, and assuring him that we will provide the necessary airlift.

Mr. Sullivan: Would they return to their base camp after the pass is opened?

Adm. Moorer: Sure. It would be a one-shot deal. We’re still waiting for the South Vietnamese to move up from Pleiku to open the pass. They may do so yet, but Abrams says this is one exercise the Koreans could undertake. If the SVN forces don’t do it within the next day or two, we should give the Koreans the initiative.

Mr. Sullivan: This is on Route 14 between Pleiku and Kontum?

Adm. Moorer: That’s right. We can move the Koreans to Pleiku and then on to the pass. They don’t have enough North Vietnamese in their base area to keep busy.

Mr. Sullivan: We can draft a message to Korea.

Gen. Haig: I’ll get it to the President when he returns and see if he wants to go that strong in a message to Park.

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Korea.]

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–116, Washington Special Actions Group, WSAG Minutes, Originals, 1/3/72–7/24/72. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the White House Situation Room.↩