ORIGIN AND GENESIS OF MCNAMARA PROJECT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01720R000500040088-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 8, 2004
• Sequence Number: 88
• Publication Date: September 6, 1966
• Content Type: MF

Approved ForRelease 2004/07/08 : CIA-RDP80R0172UR000500040088-3
SECRET
6 September 1966
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. R. Jack Smith
SUBJECT
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Origin and Genesis of McNamara Project
1. Par *quest. I have prepared this memorandum
outlining how the McNamara project came to be. This memorandum
is designed to refresh your memory and is intended for your eyes only.
As you will recognise, it contains certain elements of background and
certain observations which should not under any circumstances be passed
I I
2. The Project had its origin in a 4 May 1966 luncheon meeting
between Mr. Helms (then Deputy Director) and the Secretary of Defense.
Mr. McNamara requested a paper on "the general state of Viet Cong
ability and will to continue the war". He made it quite clear that he
wanted an extremely thorough study similar in scope to the Allen report
on the effectiveness of the bombing.
3. That afternoon (4 May) Mr. Helms convened a meeting attended
by Mr. Kent, yourself and myself. He discussed McNamara's request
and what lay behind it. The general concensus was that McNamara was
concerned about the rising pressure of anti-war sentiment in the United
States and over the possibility that at some point within the next year the
U. S. Government might find itself politically compelled to disengage.
What he wanted, in short, was a thorough study which, among other things,
would ensure that if we should decide to throw in the towel, our towel
would not hit the canvas a few seconds ahead of the Communists'.
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4. After the 4 May meeting we had a larger session which you
chaired and which was attended by the heads of the various DDI offices,
some working level types, Sherman Kent and myself. We discussed
the scope of the paper and exchanged views an its terms of reference.
I prepared a set of draft terms which were reviewed, modified, agreed
upon and issued on 11 May under cover of a memorandum to Mr. Helms
which you signed.
5. During our meetings which led to the terms of reference it
was decided that to review the question of Viet Co" morale in proper
dew, I would arrange for a team to be
sent to Vietnam. After further discussion, it was decided that Sam Adams
would accompany the team. As you know,l ,for reasons
best known to themselves) decided that what we were interested in was a
detailed study of what the Station thought Viet Cong morale to be. They
interviewed case officers, not defectors, and their statistical tabulations
were based on Station rather than. Communist opinion. As a result
their report in itself was relatively useless to us though its conclusions
were incorporated in Sam Adams' work which was very useful.
6. After the terms were prepared responsibility for answering
the questions they raised was apportioned among appropriate DI)I offices,
with the understanding that draft inputs would be made available to me
by I August. I was tasked, on your behalf, with overseeing the whole
project, editing it. and writing the summary paper which would include
Its principle finding s .
7. A massive amount of work was done by the contributing offices.
They did not-meet the I August deadline but I did have all of the essential
material by 10 August. I then not to work going through it, forming my
own opinions and determining various ways in which the separate contributions
could be converted into complementary parts of a single whole. Once my
own homework was done, I instituted a set of editorial sessions attended,
principally. by .Messrs. and Layton, as well as
from vp~y staff.
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g. The details of the way the final report Was Prat together and
the magnificent job done by the OCI Production Staff are well known to
you and need not be repeated here. Our deadline for submitting the
Project to McNamara was more or lase self-imposed and I think we
got it to him as soon as we could under the circumstances. I also feel
that it turned out reasonably well and that at least he believes it met
the requirements he had levied an us.
George A. Carver, Jr.
Special Assistant for Vietnamese Affairs
Distribution
OR
Orig - DDI
(G/ DDI)
I - McNamara Project file
1 - VAS Chrono
1 GAC Chrono
Approved For ReleasS EQ :CIA-RDP80R01720R000500040088-3