QUOTES SEYMOUR HERSH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00499R001000100011-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 2000
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: March 26, 1972
• Content Type: OPEN

RADIO TV REP( ;TS, INC. I
Approved For Refuse 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP84-004eR001000100011-3
4435 WISCONSIN AVE. N.W.. WASHINGTON. 0. C. 20016. 244-3540
PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF
PROGRAM Non-stop News
DATE March 26, 1972 11:18 P.M.
QUOTES SEYMOUR HERSH
WTOP Radio
Washington, D.C.
FRANK QUITUS: Author Seymour Hersh says an agent for the
Central Intelligence Agency misled the planners of the ill-starred 1968 attack on
Mylai by telling. them they would find a Viet Cong battalion there. The agent denies
it. The assault units met only old men, women and children in the South Vietnamese
village. Many were killed by the American troops.
Hersh, who won a Pulitzer Prize for breaking the Mylai story, identifies
the agent in a new book as Robert Ramsdell, now a private investigator in Orlando,
Florida.
Hersh writes in Cover Up, published today by Random House,
Ramsdell refused to speak specifically about the information he provided Task Force
Barker before the Mylai 4 operation, but acknowledged that his intelligence
undoubtedly was a factor in the planning for the mission.
Ina telephone interview with the Associated Press, Ramsdell denied
Hersh's allegations. He said that although he was working for the CIA in the Mylai
area at the time of the killings, he had nothing to do with intelligence reports to
the Americans.
Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP84-00499RO01000100011-3
 . 'AIR WAR
Approved For ReleSe 2001/03/( pR gA-RDP84-004 8001000100011-3
CIA and Mercenary Air Farces ?
CIA and local Asian air forces are playing a growing role in the air war as the Adrginistration
seeks to minimize overt American involvement. There is abundant documentation pointing to the
participation of these air forces in opium smuggling as well as in combat. (See Ramparts, 4/71 for
a fuller account.)
Local, Asian air forces--supplied, maintained and directed by American "advisors"-are doing
an increasing amount of the bombing. The size of the Vietnamese Air'Force (VNAF) has increased
dramatically, and the Royal Lao Air Force (RLAF), the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF), and the Cambo-
dian Air Force at slower rates. Although all the aircraft are piloted by Asians, Americans do
everything else, from directing bomb loading to spotting for strikes.
Air America'and Continental Airlines, privately owned, profit-making companies, operate
under. CIA direction and wage much of the supportive air war in Laos and Cambodia. The "charter"
companies' planes perform troop transport and supply functions, spot for bombers, and engage in
rescue operations for downed pilots. Air Force helicopters, helicopter gunships and giant
C-130 cargo planes are "rented" to Air America for $1 a year in Laos. . .
u u11111111111111111?1?11111111111111 III ru 11n 1e 111 an 1^n11111111111111E 111116111111111111111A111111111a 161111111111111111111111611
ASIAN AIR FORCES
American aid to VNAF, FY 1970-72:.$922 million
American aid to RLAF, FY 1970-72: $128 million
(Do.D, CR,. 8/3/71)
"The Nixon Doctrine . . . was premised
on the assumption . . . of increased U.S.
military assistance."
(Undersecy. pf State U. Alexis Johnson, FY
1972 DoD Authorization Hearings).
"An important-- factor in carrying out the
Nixon Doctrine will be-our military assistance
program. We are requesting 48 million for de-
velopment and 70.4 million for procurement of
the International Fighter. In addition, we
are requesting 10 million for initial spares.
This aircraft is needed to provide an air de-
fense capability for [our) Asian allies."
(Secy. of. Air Force Robert C. Seamans, FY
1972 Senate DoD Appropriations Hearings)
Sen. Symington: "Are we going to continue to
put these billions into Southeast Asia? Is
that the overall plan in the U.S. today?"
Secy. Seamans: "For the forseeable future we
are going to continue to spend sizeable dol-
lars in Southeast Asia."
(Ibid.)
VIETNAMESE AIR FORCE
"South Vietnamese military officers con-
tinue to dual in large quantities of heroin
and to transport it around South Vietnam in
military aircraft."
(Rep. Robert H. Steele, House Subcommittee on
Europe, 7/7/71)
. Fixed Wing Heli- Total, inc:
Year Attack Aircr. copters Cargo, recon.
1 69 approx. 100 approx. 125 approx. 575
1/72 (total FW $ heli. 750+) 1,0004-
1/73* 300-400 500-600 ,. 1,200
*projected
(1969 and 1973 figures, Cornell study.
1972 figures, DoD)
VNAF PERSONNEL
1968: 20,000 .(slightly under)
1972 (Jan.): 45,000
1973*: 50,000
*projected
(Ibid.)
Year Indochina
19 88 2,250/mo.
1970 3,150/mo.
1971* 3,490/mo.
*as of July, 1971
(Cornell study)
Laos Cambodia
none none
none 820
40 1,100
"Mr. Seamans. acknowledged that the Viet-
namese 'will never be able to build the capa-
bility to do all that the United States Air
Force has. been doing-in Laos. The Vietnamese
Air Force . . . does not possess either B-52s
or .F-4s, the jet planes that do most of the
trail bombing, and there are no plans,' Mr.
Seamans said, 'to give it any."'
"The South Vietnamese Air Force is the (Craig Whitney, NYT, 12/6/71)
sixth r es ai~o?rc i the w r "
(Michax" F6* 20 1/03/06: CIA-RDP84-00499RO01000100011-3.,.;,
 Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP84-00496RO01000100011-3
"VNAF is being geared to fight a war
where it will continue to have complete air
superiority." [This superiority will-
appar-ently be provided by U.S. aircraft operating
from Thailand and carriers in the South China
Sea.]
(Brig. Gen. Kendall S. Young, chief Air Force
officer for Vietnamization)
Gen. Ryan: "They will not be able to supplant
the complete U.S. Air Force in South Vietnam."
Sen. Case: "At any time?"
Gen. Ryan: "That is correct."
(Gen. John D. Ryan, Air Force Chief of Staff,
Senate FY 1972 DoD Appropriations Hearings)
ASIAN BLOOD, AMERICAN MONEY
"Lao T-28 bombers have attacked towns,
Saravane being a well-known.case in point. . .
Laos Air Force pilots are . . . paid a bonus
for each sortie so that there is an incentive
not to adhere strictly to the rules of en-
gagement [forbidding random bombing]."
(Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff
Report on Laos,' 4/71)
"There is a growing concern of the ten-
dency of Laotian air force pilots from Luang
.Prabang and Long Chang to dump their bomb
loads on unauthorized targets, which is con-
firmed by U.S. military personnel. Only
minutes after taking off the pilots reported-
ly hurry home to reload--and. collect a dollar
bonus for every sortie they-fly. The indis-
criminate bombing is causing loss of life on
the ground and forcing villagers to flee
their homes."
(D.E. Ronk, Far Eastern Economic Review,
9/4/71)
"The VNAF bomb villages indiscriminately.
They don't care where they bomb. A lot of
times they'll wipe out a village because they
or their commander has a grudge against it,
maybe it wouldn't make the proper payoffs."
(Ronald Ridenhour, former G.I. whose insistent
prodding broke the My Lai story, in a PAW
interview)
CIA AIR FORCES
"There is a large U.S. civilian (para-
military) fleet operating in Laos run by Air
America, Continental Air and Lao Air Trans-
port . . . under contract with AID, although
funds are provided'by AID, the DoD, CIA, and
the State Department. The funding arrange-
ments are worked out in Washington."
(Foreign Relations Committee Staff Report on
Laos, 4/71)
"Air America-is under the management.of
George Dole, a CIA employee. . . . He is
looking to the future, carefully developing
the airlift capabilities of other companies
Transport. . '. The sole purpose for the
existence,of SAT is that the agency be ready
for the contingency that some day it will
have. to ferry men and material to some Latin
American country . . . without of course
having to contend with the Congress or any-
body else."
(Victor Marchetti, highest ranking CIA
official to "go public," a former participant
in CIA daily staff meetings chaired by
director Richard Helms.)
CIA-DIRECTED AIR FORCES IN LAOS
Inventory
20 helicopters
12 C- 123s*
7 C-7As*
10 Porters
7 C-46s-
1 Volpar
Estimated Cost
FY 1970: 23 million
FY 1971: $26.2 million
'Personnel ?
Air America: 276-415
.(Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Staff Report on Laos, 4/71)
"The CIA has changed its rules in an
attempt to stop the use of-its private air-
line, Air America, for transport of drugs
[opium and heroin] in Laos. Although only
two months ago CIA director Richard Helms
adamantly denied there had been any agency
involvement in this traffic, he is now said
to have told a secret Congressional hearing
that there was involvement but it has stopped."
(Flora Lewis, Post, 7/23/71)
"The CIA has involved us in this covert
operation, an opium war. The clandestine yet
official operations of the U.S. government
could be aiding and abetting heroin traffic
here at home."
(Sen. John Tunney in a campaign speech before
the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce)
"John E. Ingersoll, director of the
Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, in
-testimony before the House Select Committee
on Crime, said that middle-level government
officials and military men throughout South-
east Asia were deeply involved in the traffic
in opium, the product from which morphine and
heroin is refined."
(Felix Belair, NYT, 6/6/71)
he runs ppmvedForcRekeaseeh2DO b03/06 : CIA-RDP84-00499R001000100011-3
 Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP84-004&9R001000100011-3
T E T hhd 0Ndod- k WAR
A HANDBOOK PREPARED BY
PROJECT AIR WAR AND THE INDOCHINA RESOURCE CENTER
MRCH 1972
COPYRIGHT 1972 BY THE
INDOCHINA RESOURCE CENTER
1322 18TH STREET, N, W.
WASH I(TON, D. C. 20036
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL IS GRANTED
TO NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. PLEASE CREDIT AND
FORWARD TV,0 COPIES FOR OUR FILES. k
PRICE: $1.50; 10 or more, $1.00; Add 20% for shipping.
Approved For Release 2001/03/06 CIA-RDP84-00499RO01000100011-3
c:nt,f rued
 Approved For Rele'e 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP84-0041001000100011-3
Project Air War and the Indochina Resource Center are projects of the Indochina
Education Council which was established by agencies of the United Church of Christ,
the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., and the United Methodist Church to
help meet the crucial need for informing the American'people about the ongoing
war in Indochina.
PROJECT AIR WAR is one of the major
information centers in the country
studying and analyzing the ongoing
war, a conflict which has escalated
in the air even as U.S. foot-soldiers
have been withdrawn. The Project
provides both authoritative statis-
tical data about today's automated
war and a tragic picture of what life
is like for hundreds of thousands of
Indochinese peasants living under
constant bombing.
Project material has already appeared
in The New York Times., Washington
Post, Time, ':oston Globe, St. Louis
lost-Dispatch, San Francisco Chroni.-
cle, Congressional Record, CBS and
NBC national news, the Mutual Radio
ne.tworc, transcripts of Congressional
hearings, and a wide variety of other
publications.
Project staff members speak at com-
munity meetings, college campuses,,
and academic gatherings; are called
upon frequently by congressional of-
fices and media representatives for
background information; and work
closely with several national peace
groups.
The INDOCHINA RESOURCE CENTER serves
as an independent clearinghouse for
information on contemporary Indochina.
The Center incorporates nine general
sponsors from the academic community
and sixteen academic associates who
provide a wide range of inputs.
The Center provides reliable, up-to-
date information from specialists on
the social, economic, cultural, polit-
ical, and historical realities of
Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. This in-.
formation, which is often otherwise
unavailable, is made accessible to
Congress, journalists, peace groups,
and others concerned with Indochina
through the twice-monthly newsletter,
Indochina Chronicle, in books and
articles, as well as..by direct con-
tact. The Center also provides dir-
ect answers to specific requests,
sets up briefings and seminars,
and is currently developing a series
of audio-visual exhibits on Indochina
for loan.
Cover and following essay by a 29 year old Lao refugee.
"There was a pagoda on the hill right next to my village. The airplanes shot
it and started a fire. Two monks were killed there together. On account of
the war. The planes thought that there were soldiers in the pagoda so they
shot it. But there weren't any. Only the monks died.
--from Voices from the Plain of Jars, ed. by F. Branfman, Harper and Row,
1972. Original collection of essays and drawings by Laotian peasants.
701 A.... H..M.Y.IQ71
Approved For Release 2001/03/06 : CIA-RDP84-00499RO01000100011-3