LETTER TO THE HONORABLE ROBERT S. MCNAMARA FROM W. F. RABORN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R000400060002-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 17, 2003
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 14, 1966
• Content Type: LETTER

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cb 196
The Honoratete Eot.rt S. McNamara
Secretary
&r .Bob:
rs*rith five copies of our study; Thq Role
in Alta riw t lig scti mat # ~ Vier.
Y~ sp ect l interaests, it
"... Proseats an analyst. of the Railing T der
air offensive against North Vietnam, estiarx at es
aical damage a> human casualties rasultiag
air campaign, mad analyses the US mad
nth V tnam.so air operations em.: ed to obtain
th'&#* a 'ect.. Finally, the report evaluates the
Potential Of air attacks as art weapons to achieve the
stated aectives of Rollift Thunar program, and
considers alternative courses of action which are be-
liov ed to be rr ree pros ising ways of achieving the
selling Thunder o ectives. Per purposes of compart-
04 some capsule evaluations of US +apertence gained
from the air ware against Jai**. Germany, and
North Korea also are pre sonted. "
W roin Foreword to the 9ludy)
You are., I know, fair iar with my concern about bow
bad weather ha,. ioUrrapted programs of our ied
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reconnaissance against transport routes and hicIes in
V and .cos. and about how the enemy has ca taUsed
on these ho days to repair damaged choke paints or roues
d them. Hone*. it seems to me. that
greater consideration should be gig to further development
and use of all-weather air interaction methods and techniques.
robable reactions of the V dad Communist China to
Will note that the study does not include an estimate
a stc+ a d new pattern of air attack, a. set forth on pages
4 and 20-27 of the "Findings and Conclusions. " The Ord
of National Estimates, with the assistance of other elements
i Agency is preparing such an estimate. It will be com-
a Z3 March.
Ad4tteeaai copies are handed herewith for such internal
you may wish to do. In this connection may
ton to the forthright cooperation of the
ce Admiral Muses) and Director, I (Lt. Central Carroll).
Sincerely,
. F. ?taborn
: dated March 66: The Role of Airstrikes in
attaining US objectives in North Vietnam.
arable Cyrus R. Vance
y Secretary of t)efens.
Retyped Q/DCI--W. F. Raborn:ef
Copy I - addressee
2 - addressee
3 - Mr. Vance
4-DCI
5 - DDCI
6 -ER'
7-D/?NE
T5-188804
Copy
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3.1 March 1966
Study on The Role of Airstrikes in Attaining
U'2 Objectives in North Yid
Attain?r US OWectives in North Vietnam and
Herewith five copies of the atu&y on The Role of
a draft letter of tsanittal to Secretary Mcra.
way in which
The second paragraph of the letter represents the
and I recond you handle the
points out, for example, that
the air people consider that they have an alt weather inter-
dicti?n capability right now. If this is to be contested, we
think it is much rare appropriate for you as an airman to do
it as a personnal observation than for us to do so in the text
of the document. If you wish to send the Secretary a follow-
on memorandum stating your position at greater length we will
course prepare such a document, Perhaps the study
Dr. Wheelon's people are working on is the best place to sake
this case.
3. As you a well aware: the study itself was prepared
rillicn Moreii's Office of Research and Reports.
STAT
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other members of the Board of National Estimates,
who really did the job and the ones to whom thta credit is
In accord with Secretary McN mara's and your desire
e maintained close contact with the project from first
who are most familiar with this aspect of the Vietnam problem
ably Mr. Abbot Smith
and their people are the ones
, have carefully reviewed the
conclusions" in successive drafts. Needless to
say, this part of the completed study has our full endorsement.
and the press of other duties has prevented a similar
unt of attention to the appendixes.
STERMAN KM
Director
National Estimates
STAT
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