GAO SURVEY ON LAOS REFUGEE PROGRAMS FOR SENATOR KENNEDY SUB-COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000200110013-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 8, 2002
• Sequence Number: 13
• Content Type: MF

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SECRET
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA: Deputy Director for Plans
Deputy Director for Support
SUBJECT: GAO Survey on Laos Refugee Programs for
Senator Kennedy Sub-committee
. This memorandum is for the information of the Director.
2. Background: The Senate committee on Refugee Affairs,
chaired by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, met on 7 May 1970 to
United States Government (USG) organizations' relations to the Laos
refugee problems. Prior to the hearings CIA representatives met with
Department of State, DOD, and AID personnel for discussions. It was
decided that questioning by the committee would probably focus on the
following areas of AID operations in Laos which are associated with or
3.
govern
O attempted to obtain the desired information from
t agencies in Washington. On 11 May the GAO team
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State, USAID reviews completed
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release. The basic problems encountered by GAO were to identify the
number of people being supported in the programs to include their status
as combatants, dependents of combatants, or refugees, and to establish
funding details and air support specifics, including cargo and cost splits
among the participating USG organizations.
5. The GAO followed the 11', ashington portion of their audit by send-
ing a five-man team to Laos to obtain additional information. The team
arrived in Vientiane, Laos on 13 July. They remained until 7 August.
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The team worked exclusively with AID and State persormeL
was not contacted nor requested to provide any information in connection
with the survey. Upon leaving, the team discussed their conclusions
with Mission personnel. They stated that the report of the survey would
-not be a "regular" GAO report but rather one which would be submitted
directly to the Sub-committee without AID comments. Copies would not
be passed ID either AID or State. It was the opinion of AID Vientiane
personnel that the team did not conduct a very thorough audit, rather
they- spent most of the time seeking general impressions and statistics
to support a previously drawn conclusion that AID was illegally supporting
the paramilitary effort. To date DO CIA or AID representative has seen
a copy- of the finished report.
6. There is no information available as to when the final report will
be submitted to the Sub-committee or when Senator Kennedy will re-
convene the hearings. The amount of interest and attention that Senator
Kennedy's Committee will give Agency activities in Laos in the recon-
vened hearings is not known. It can be surmised, however, that the
original problem areas still exist and the question of AID public health
lrogram support to paramilitary forces which the GAO audit team
focused on while in Laos will be the subject of additional questioning.
These problem areas include:
b. The amount of refugee rice support which goes to military
or paramilitary forces and their dependents. Note: Of the 204, 000
refugees being supported, 30,000 are irregular forces and 71, 000
dependents.
c. U.S. promises or commitments which exist between Meo
leaders and their people. Note: This item was raised by State prior
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refugee rice support to their people to move to non-communist areas.
State was told that no instances of this type of activity were known but
the question may be raised again.
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d. The amount of AID public health program funds which are
being used for direct or indirect support of paramilitary forces.
Note: In a meeting with Ambassador Godley prior to their departure
from Laos, the audit team said that 46 percent of village public health
expenditures were in direct or indirect support of military and para-
military activities. We are not aware of any non-military/paramilitary
refugees having been denied AID medical help due to AID medical
assistance to members of military or paramilitary forces.
cc: DDCI
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Chief, Far East Division
sgAl 4
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ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
FROM:
EXTENSION
NO.
Chief, FE/
STATINTL
DATE
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
COMMENTS (Number each comment to show from whom
RECEIVED
FORWARDED
INITIALS
to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
1
.
Mr. John Maury 7D43
Mr. Maury:
2.
_
This was not sent to the Director
J ere)
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at this time as it was felt the
3.
GAO investigation, in Laos for
Senator Kennedy has not yet
become a significant Agency
4.
problem. It is being sent your
to keep you informed of recent
developments.
5.
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6.
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