WHO'S BOSS IN VIET-LODGE OR THE CIA?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100160062-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 23, 2000
• Sequence Number: 62
• Publication Date: October 6, 1963
• Content Type: NSPR

NEW YORK OCT 6 1963
JQU='; NTAL M.II3RICAN
Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000100160062-2
SHOWDOWN ON CLASH OF 'AUTHORITY
OS
ass in Viet
or
ByA1iIF+i1!
Hearst Headline Service White Blouse Correspondent
goo o
the confusion and contradiction within the U. S. mis-
sion prompted a fresh examination today of whether
u a. mission there. Officials in the various branches
tine central Intelligence Agency should not out of
1'f,{1G AATlonn n4'>,n.n4 ...F TA..4.. m..A _,__ .? - ~?~.a?
new post in South Viet Nam determined to be boss of
gram officials, the military mission, and the CIA
amients. President Kennedy insists that his amba,ssa-
dors control all government branch operation in the'
country involved.
But Mr. Lodge discovered that the CIA and the
military don't much like reporting to an ambassador,
and, sometimes embassy staffs tend to regard new.
ambassadors as transitory appointees not to ' be
bothered with.
Mr. Lodge', task of analyzing what was really
happening in the Diem government was dangerously
compltcateq. by the widely~q~iifferipg. accounts anad
have clashed. And a Pentagon spokesman hinted at
Possible trouble by sniffing at the suggestion that
uircct military commander, Adm. Harry D. Felt,
"A military man does not report In a pi.n: +" 7-. --
High administration sources denied vi
oro
sly
g
u
that Mr. Lodge was feuding with Gen Harkins
and Mr. Lodge were long-time friends and that this
ambassador,
sour
~
A
l
,
_
ce a
so said that Gen. Harkins has begat
G
Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000100160062-2
 AgLprove
Approve
OCT 6 1963
extremely careful to show Mr.
Lodge his reports to Adm. Felt
or the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, Gen, Maxwell
D. Taylor, recently cabled Gen.
Harkins for his opinion on the
military and political situation.
Gen. Harkins cabled back that
he was submitting his views
only after showing the report
to Mr. Lodge, this source said.
HARKINS' ORDERS
Gen. Harkins is under mili-
tary instructions to help the
Vietnamese win their war
against the Communist Viet
Cong, not just direct a military
assistance group. Therefore,
(acting as a field commander,
he has authority to prosecute
the war on his own-so long as
it does trot conflict with basic
U. S. policy. Only when policy
questions might be Involved is
Gen. Harkins under obligation
to clear his moves with the
ambassador.
It is now clear that Mr.
Lod e's b ggest,,pl;oblem In es -
a is ling control'46ir U. S;
operations in South Viet Nam
has been with the CII CIA
activities are alwaysw shrouded
In mystery and agents prefer
traditionally to operate inde-
pendently under instruriobs
froni-their chief Jbh'rl..McConp,
,without consulting'"yvii;h"out-
siders-and to their way of
thinking ambassadors are 'as
'outside as anybody.
RECALL REPORTED
This conflict resulted yester-
day In the reported recall by
{President Kennedy of John H.
Richardson as chief CIA agent
in Saigon. The recall is sup=
posedly for "consultation," but
It Is not likely he will return
to Viet Nam. Mr. Lodge, de-
spite official denials, is said to
have asked for a replacement.
Central to the clash between
Lodge and the CIA is the Ques-
tion of,theinteligence.a`gency's
proffer function. Mr. Richard-
son, 'former career diplomat
who enterd U.. S. spy work in
World War II, believes the CIA
should not only gather inform-
ation but take an active role
In financing and mastermind-
ing plots to advance U. S. in-
terests. Mi?,,,.Lodge-insists the
CIA, at least in Viet Nam, must
leave policy to the State De-
~partment and suspend its so-
calle,4.. ",department of dirty
tricks" in the area.
"` DEEPLY INVOLVED
The CIA has been deeply in-
volved In tricks in South Viet
::Nam at least since 1954, when
Fx1ie'defe of tliM ithe
Indochina war, According to
one version, the then-chief-CIAl
agent, .CAl~ l ate ,., ,.. Laps-1
dale, was primarily responsible)
for Setting up. N'go Dinh Diem
as president over other con-
tenders for power.
Col. Lansdale also. persuaded
CIA director Allen W. Dulles-
who in turn persuaded his
brother, -Secretary or . State
John Foster Dulles-to support
Diem as the best prospect for
a strong anti-Communist gov-
ernment, the version goes.
Now some CIA agents would
like to press hard to get Diem
out, being sadly disillusioned
with the man of their own
making. Mr. Lodge-backed up
by blunt words from Secretary
of Defense McNamarara and
Gen. Taylor on their in . to
South Viet Nam-has laid own
the firm U. S. policy lie of
support for the Diem regime so
as not disturb the war effort.
And CIA, according to sources
here, has been ordered to ,go
along and confine itself within
the bounds of U. S. policy as
supervised by Me- Lodge.
IA-RDP75-00001 R000100160062-
 Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000100160062-2
Approved For Release 2000/09/08 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000100160062-2