Thailand and Burma
363. Memorandum From the Military Assistant to the President (Scowcroft) to President Nixon, Washington, February 11, 1973.
Scowcroft conveyed Kissinger’s report of his meeting in Bangkok.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, HAK Office Files, Box 29, HAK Bangkok, Vientiane, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Peking, Tokyo Trip, February 7-20, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. A notation on the first page reads, “The President has seen.” The full memorandum of conversation from Kissinger’s meeting with Chartchai on February 9 is ibid., Box 1026, Presidential/HAK Memcons, January–March 1973, Folder 23.
364. Memorandum From Richard T. Kennedy of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, March 7, 1973.
Kennedy recommended that Kissinger tell Clements to prepare additional military assistance for Thailand.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 565, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 10, 1973–. Secret. Sent for urgent action. Kissinger initialed the “approve” option, and a notation from Scowcroft indicates that Kissinger followed up by calling Clements. A notation on the first page indicates that Tab B, attached, the proposed telegram to Unger, was given to the situation room for dispatch on March 9. Tab A, a telephone conversation between Kissinger and Clements from March 5, is attached but not published. Tab C, telegram 3675 from Bangkok, March 7, is attached but not published. On March 16, Kissinger asked Richardson to make twelve 105 mm howitzers available for Thailand in addition to the eight C–123 aircraft. (Memorandum from Kissinger to Secretary of Defense; ibid.)
365. Telegram 4623 From the Embassy in Thailand to the Department of State, March 22, 1973, 1236Z.
The Embassy in Bangkok recommended a reduction in U.S. forces stationed in Thailand.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 565, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 10, 1973–. Secret; Priority; Nodis.
366. Letter From Secretary of Defense Richardson to Secretary of State Rogers, Washington, April 3, 1973.
Richardson provided figures quantifying U.S. Department of Defense spending in Thailand and suggested that they be shared with the Thai leadership.
Source: Washington National Records Center, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 330–76–117, Thailand 121, 1973 April 3. Secret. On April 12, Rogers replied, “the tendency of Thai leaders to view bilateral assistance levels as perhaps the primary indicator of U.S. interest in Thailand’s security has long posed problems in our mutual discussions. Although we may never be able to eliminate this tendency completely, I am sure Ambassador Unger and his staff will appreciate and make good use of the newly-developed figures, which we are cabling out to Bangkok today. (Rogers to Richardson; National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–1973, DEF 19 US–THAI)
367. Executive Summary of an Intelligence Memorandum, Washington, April, 1973.
The memorandum examined Chinese support for Southeast Asian insurgencies and attributed this policy to the Mao.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, OPI 16 (Office of Current Intelligence), Job 80T00039A, Box 4, Item Number 13. Secret; No Foreign Dissem; Background use only.
368. Memorandum From President Nixon to Secretary of State Rogers, Washington, April 19, 1973.
Nixon announced the appointment of Ambassadors to Thailand and Cambodia.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 286, Agency Files, State, Vol. 18. Confidential.
369. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of Defense Richardson, Washington, May 3, 1973.
Kissinger endorsed the Department of Defense’s request to maintain Thai Special Guerrilla Units after their withdrawal from Laos.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 565, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 10, 1973–. Secret; Sensitive. Richards’s memorandum of April 6 is attached but not published.
370. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Richardson to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, May 10, 1973.
Richardson informed Kissinger about difficulties in funding the Thai Special Guerrilla Units.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 565, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 10, 1973–. Secret; Sensitive. In an attached memorandum, May 14, to Kissinger, Schlesinger stated that the 30 battalions must be retained through FY 1974, and provided options for doing so.
371. Memorandum From Acting Secretary of State Rush to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, May 18, 1973.
Rush submitted the study on U.S. counterinsurgency support for Thailand written in response to NSSM 159.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–193, NSSM 159. Secret; Nodis. The paper, dated March 30, is attached but not published. For NSSM 159, see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Vol. XX, Southeast Asia, 1969–1972, Document 174.
372. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Acting Secretary of Defense and the Director of Central Intelligence (Schlesinger), Washington, June 18, 1973.
Kissinger directed the DOD to fund the Thai Special Guerrilla Units during the 1974 fiscal year.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 565, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 10, 1973–. Secret; Sensitive. The Secretary of State also received a copy of this memorandum.
373. Memorandum From John A. Froebe and William L. Stearman of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, July 20, 1973.
Froebe and Stearman reported to Kissinger on the Thai Government’s requests for a reduced U.S. military presence, and they recommended that Kissinger authorize a Department of State telegram in response.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 565, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 10, 1973–. Secret; Nodis. Sent for action. Concurred in by Eagleburger and Pinckney. Kissinger initialed the “approve” option. The Department of State sent Tab A, attached but not published, to the Embassy in Bangkok as telegram 144716, dated July 23. Tab B, July 18, is also attached but not published.
374. Memorandum of Conversation, New York, September 26, 1973, 10 a.m.
Kissinger and Chatchai discussed Cambodia, U.S. forces in Thailand, U.S. aid, and relations with Hanoi.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 565, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 10, 1973–. Secret; Exdis. The meeting occurred at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Drafted by Bergesen; cleared by Hummel and Unger; and approved in S.
375. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, October 15, 1973.
Kissinger informed Nixon of the change of government in Thailand and its likely effect on U.S. interests.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 566, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 11, October 1973–. Secret. Urgent; Sent for information. Scowcroft initialed the memorandum on behalf of Kissinger. Near the top of the first page, Nixon wrote, “K—Maybe not so bad as we first thought.”
376. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Deputy Secretary of State (Rush), Washington, October 15, 1973
Kissinger authorized a schedule for withdrawing Thai forces from Laos.
Source: [text not declassified]. Secret; Sensitive. Kissinger received this memorandum under a covering memorandum, October 10, from William Stearman of the NSC staff.
377. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, October 29, 1973.
Kissinger offered Nixon a reappraisal of the change of government in Thailand.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 566, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 11, October 1973–. Secret. Sent for information. Scowcroft initialed the memorandum on behalf of Kissinger. A notation on the memorandum indicates, “The President has seen.”
378. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of State (Pickering) to the Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft), Washington, November 29, 1973.
Pickering transmitted the Department of State’s view on U.S. deployments in Thailand.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Subject-Numeric Central Files, Top Secret Files, Box 4, DEF 1–1 US, 1970–1973. Secret. Barnes signed the memorandum for Pickering. Drafted by Dexter. Concurred in by Rush, Sneider, PM, and EA/RA. The DOD analysis of U.S. Deployments in Thailand, transmitted under Clements memorandum of October 13, is attached but not published. Kissinger requested this DOD study in a memorandum, attached but not published, from August 28. For NSSM 171, see Document 2.
379. Telegram 1667 From the Embassy in Thailand to the Department of State, January 30, 1974, 1248Z.
The embassy assessed developments in Thailand.
Source: National Archives, Record Group 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Secret; Limdis. Repeated to Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Paris, Phnom Penh, Rangoon, Saigon, Singapore, Vientiane, the Consulates of Chiang Mai and Udorn, USSAG at Nakhon Khanom Royal Thai air force base, the 13th Advanced Echelon at Udorn, CINCPAC, and DIA.
380. Memorandum From the National Intelligence Officer for South and Southeast Asia at the Central Intelligence Agency (Christison) to the Director of Central Intelligence (Colby), Washington, March 8, 1974.
Christison forwarded guidelines for responding to a military coup in Thailand.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency, OPI 122 (National Intelligence Council), Job 79R01099A, Box 11, Folder 7, Contingency Planning for a Possible Military Coup in Thailand. Secret. On the routing slip attached to the memorandum, an unknown hand wrote, “Excellent memo. Let’s hold it for possible use at a WSAG or elsewhere.”
381. Memorandum From Deputy Secretary of State Rush to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, March 14, 1974.
Rush submitted State’s response to Department of Defense proposals concerning U.S. deployment and equipment turnover in Thailand.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 566, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 11, October 1973–. Secret. Davis’s memorandum of March 9, on U.S. deployments in Thailand, and March 12, on U.S. force reductions in Thailand, and their accompanying DOD attachments are attached but not published.
382. National Security Decision Memorandum 249, Washington, March 23, 1974.
Kissinger issued NSDM 249 concerning U.S. deployments in Thailand.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific, Box 16, Thailand (2). Secret. Copies were sent to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Attached to a Defense copy of NSDM 249 is a message written in red pencil by an unknown hand on OSD letterhead: “Sec Def said, ‘not sure I’ll do anything about this one.’ ‘More crap just to keep us busy.’ Suggest we tell Doolin to go slow + check with us at each step. T.” (Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330-78-0011, Thailand, 370.02)
383. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, May 22, 1974, 10 a.m.
Scowcroft and Kintner discussed U.S.-Thai relations.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 566, Country Files, Far East, Thailand, Volume 11, October 1973–. Secret. Drafted by Smyser. Froebe’s talking points for Scowcroft, May 21, are ibid.
384. Memorandum From the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (Colby) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, May 23, 1974.
[1 page not declassified.]
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger and Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, Box 2, Folder 16, Central Intelligence Agency, Communications, 3/8/74–5/31/74. Secret.
385. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, May 24, 1974, 10:30–11 a.m.
Schlesinger and Kintner discussed military assistance to Thailand, U.S. force reductions, Indian Ocean Surveillance, and OV–10 Aircraft.
Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330–78–0011, Thailand, 091.112, 30 May 1974. Secret. Drafter by Kelly and approved by Peet. Schlesinger’s talking points from Kelly, May 23, are ibid.
386. Telegram 9350 From the Embassy in Thailand to the Department of State, June 7, 1974, 1156Z.
Kintner complained about U.S. policy toward Thailand.
Source: Library of Congress, Henry Kissinger Papers, Geopolitical File, Container CL 238, Thailand, 1974–1976. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. An unknown person marked up the telegram and sent an attached note about it to Eagleburger: “LSE A rough message which you should read. Kintner’s pulled out all the stops—and in the process overstated his case. One point—a key one—he seems to forget: our expenditures in Indochina are as much in Thailand’s interest as they are in our own. Kintner does make a valid point, however: can’t we do something more for the Thais on such aspects as sugar quotas, textiles, etc.?”
387. Memorandum From W.R. Smyser of the NSC Staff to Secretary of State Kissinger, Washington, August 16, 1974.
Smyser asked Kissinger to approve a Department of State cable regarding renewed economic assistance to Burma.
Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Country Files, Box 2, Far East, Burma. Confidential. Sent for action. Scowcroft initialed his approval of the State cable as drafted. Concurred in by Ellerman. Tab A, the attached draft telegram, was sent to Rangoon as telegram 181158, August 18. (National Archives, Record Group 59, Central Foreign Policy Files) On August 17, Smyser sent Scowcroft another memorandum arguing for the superiority of working through an international aid consortium rather than giving bilateral aid to Burma. (Ibid.)
388. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, September 12, 1974, 4 p.m.
Kissinger and Anand discussed U.S. force levels in Thailand and economic aid.
Source: National Archives, Record Group 59, Central Foreign Policy Files, P–770087–0333. Secret; Exdis.
389. Memorandum From Richard Kennedy and W.R. Smyser of the NSC Staff to the Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft), Washington, September 28, 1974.
Kennedy and Smyser asked Scowcroft to call DOD’s attention to the request in NSDM 249 for Thai force level options.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–245, NSDM 249, Folder 4. Secret. A handwritten notation from Scowcroft indicates that he handled the matter by phone. Tab A to Wickham was not found. In a memorandum to Scowcroft from September 30, Froebe wrote, “I understand that you have asked Defense (General Wickham) to forward the options study of our residual force presence in Thailand requested by NSDM 249 to the NSC staff by October 4.” (Ibid.)
390. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, October 9, 1974, 4:30 p.m.
Kintner and Scowcroft described the situation in Thailand, U.S. force levels, and foreign aid.
Source: Library of Congress, Memoranda of Conversations, Container CL 284, Staff and Others, 1974. Secret; Sensitive. On September 27, in telegram 15626 from Bangkok, Kintner expostulated on “Southeast Asia in a Global Context.” (National Archives, Record Group 59, Central Foreign Policy Files)
391. Minutes of the Secretary of State’s Staff Meeting, Washington, November 14, 1974, 8:11 a.m.
Kissinger and his staff discussed Thanom’s activities and the political situation in Thailand.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Transcripts of Secretary of State Kissinger’s Staff Meetings, 1973–1977, E5177, Box 5. Secret.
392. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of Defense Schlesinger, Washington, November 14, 1974.
Kissinger directed the DOD to produce an alternative scenario for U.S. military force levels in Thailand.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–245, NSDM 249, Folder 4. Secret. Kissinger received this memorandum to sign under a covering memorandum, November 1, from Kennedy, which stated, “It is apparent that a basic difference of opinion exists between Defense and State, on one hand, and the CIA and ourselves on the other, concerning the ability of US combat air units in Thailand to exert any meaningful influence vis-à-vis the Hanoi leadership.” Schlesinger’s October 11 memorandum to Kissinger on “Long-Term US Military force Levels in Thailand (FY 1976 and Beyond),” is attached but not published.