CABLE TO STATE RE IN-COUNTRY PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS

Created: 1/14/1964

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

APPROVED COP RELEASE DATE: NOV 2

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FH CJA

T? ilYES ONLY FOR RUSK, HARRIMAH, BALL. HILSMAN, HUGHES OSD EYES ONLY FOR MC NAMARA, CILPATRIC, TAYLOR, KURLAK, MR'UNDY

KHITE LOUSE EYES ONLY FOR MC GEORGE BUNDY, BH

fcYES ONLY CITE CASOR STATE , HOP, JCS AMD CIA

HONOLULU FOR CINCPAC

JOIilT EKiiASSY,

REFl

THIS IS THE FIRST OF THREE MESSAGES IN RESPONSE TO REFERENCE AND DEALS UITH IN-COUHTRY PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS.

ARRANGEMENTS HAVE NOW BEEN COMPLETED FOR THE TURNOVER

BY CAS TO HACV OF BORDER SURVEILLANCE AND MOUNTAIN SCOUT ASSETS. THIS MESSAGE DEALS WITH THE REMAINING IN-COUNTRY PARAMILITARY OPERATIONS SPECIFIED IN OEPT^L THESE ARE THE COMBATTEAN PROGRAM, THE CH.IVIAU AIRB-ORI.'E RANGERS, AND THE

3. IT IS JOINTLY RECOMMENDED THAT THESE IN-COUNTRYASSETS BE TURNED OVER TO MACV FOR SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE.

*. THE COMBAT INTELLIGENCE TEAM PROGRAM COMPRiSt'SIOTALS OPERATIK'J IN TEAMS OF APPROXIMATELYEN EACH. IT PARALLELS IN EVERY WAY IHE MOUNTAIN SCOUT PROGRAM, THE ASSETS OF WHICH ARE NOW BEING ABSORBED INTO THE CIDG PROGRAM. HOWEVER, IT OPERATES IN NON-MONTAGNARD AREAS AND IS COMPOSED PRIMARILY OF ETHNIC VIETNAMESE. THIS PROGRAM ORIGINALLY CAME UNDER THE SUPPORT OF CAS SINCE IT WAS BASEDTAY-BEHIND PROGRAM WHICH WAS ACTIVATED WHEN THE NEEDS OF THE INSURGENCY SITUATION SO DICTATED. THESE ASSETS HAVE NOW BECOME OVERT. MACV HAS THE CAPABILITY TO ABSORB THEMART OF THE CIDG STRIKE FORCES. THIS ACTION WOPLP. MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF THESE ASSETS.

OF APPROXIMATELYEN EACHEPLACEMENT COMPANY OF 92

RE ORIGINALLY INTENDED AS STRIKE FORCES FOR OPERATIONS IN

LAOS AMD NORTH VIETNAM, AS WELL AS SUPPORT OF SPEICAL INTELLIGENCE

OPERATIONS WITHIN SOUTH VIETNAM. THEY HAVE, IN THE PAST, PERFORMED

THESE MISSIONSIMITED DEGREE AND HAVE ALSO BEEN ATTACHED

TO REGULAR OPERATIONS wen DESIRABLE. VIETNAMESE SPECIAL FORCES

ARE NOW UNDER THE FULL CONTROL OF THE JOINT GENERAL STAFF AND

MOST EFFICIENT UTILIZATION OF THESE FORCES IN CONJUNCTION

WITH OTHER OPERATIONS BEING CONDUCTED ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL

CAMPAIGN PLAN. THEREFORE, THESE UNITS SHOULD BE INTEGRATED

HITH OTHER ELEMENTS OF VIETNAMESE SPECIAL FORCES, THE GUIDANCE

AND SUPPORT OF WHICH ISACV RESPONSIBILITY. MACV

HILL SEEK TO REGULARIZE THESE GROUPS BY THEIR INDUCTION INTO

ARVN AND UTILIZATION ON OPERATIONS IN THE SAME FASHION AS OTHER

SPECIAL FORCE5. THE UNITS ARE HELL TRAINED, FLEXIBLE, AND AGGRESSIVE

THESE TRANSFERS TO tfAcV ARE MADE, MACV MILL HAVE

UNIQUE SUPPORT AND CONTROL OF OVERT IN-COUNTRY PARAMILITARY ASSETS AND WILLN BETTER POSITION TO SYSTEMATIZE COMMAND AND SUPPORT OF THESE IRREGULAR UNITS.

T IS UNDERSTOOD THAT CAS -ILL CONTINUE TO SUPPLY FUNDS AND MATERIAL TO MACV FOR THESE ACTIVITIES AT NOT LESS THAN THE CURRENT LEVEL OF SUPPORT THROUGHOUT FY fill. FYUNDING KILL BI HANDLED BY MACV, HOWEVER, CAS CHANNELS MAY BE UTILIZED FOR THESE FUNDS IF SO AGREED BY DOD AND CAS HEADQUARTERS.

CP-1-

Original document.

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