TELEGRAM FROM THE PRESIDENT'S SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS (ROSTOW) TO PRESIDENT JOHNSON IN TEXAS - 1967/12/26

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Tet Declassified
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01316793
• Document Creation Date: July 27, 2018

Approved for Release: 2018/07/11 CO1316793
LA-o 323/A
Telegram From the President's Special Assistant for National
Security Affairs (Rostow) to President Johnson in Texas
Washington, December 26, 1967, 6:02 p.m.
CAP 671165.
Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country
File,S110010 Laos, vol. XVII, 2/67-12/67. Secret. A note on
the source text indicates it was received at the LBJ Ranch at 6:35
p.m.
This report was drafted by the Central Intelligence Agency and
sent to the White House as report No. 1688. (Ibid., Vietnam, 5 EE
(1) Laos 10/67-12/68.
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FROM WALT ROSTOV
TO THE PRESIDENT
CITE CAP671165
SECRET
L40 32.7h
Received: Washington CommCen
6:02 PM Tuesday 26 Dec 1967
Received: LBJ Ranch CommCen
6:35 PM Tuesday 26 Dec 1967
LAOTIAN SITUATION REPORTX--------------V/r/
(AS OF 6 P.M. EST, 26 DECEMBER 1967)
1. COMMUNIST FORCES ARE KEEPING UP THEIR PRESSURE AGAINST
GOVERNMENT POSITIONS IN LAOS.
2. AN ENEMY UNIT, ESTIMATED AT ABOUT BATTALION STRENGTH,
RAIDED THE GOVERNMENT BASE AND AIRSTRIP AT MUONG PHALANE ON
25 DECEMBER, AND DESTROYED MOST OF THE CAMP'S FACILITIES, -
INCLUDING THE USAID AND AIR AMERICA BUILDINGS. ALTHOUGH GOVERNMENT
REINFORCEMENTS APPARENTLY HAVE MOVED INTO THE AREA, THEY HAVE NOT
YET REOCCUPIED MUONG PHALANE.
3. PRELIMINARY REPORTS SUGGEST THAT THE ATTACK WAS SPECIFICALLY
AIMED AGAINST THE U.S. PRESENCE AT MUONG PHALANE. TWO AMERICAN
TECHNICIANS WHO MANNED A NAVIGATIONAL STAT/ON WHICH ASSISTS
U.S. AIR OPERATIONS /N SOUTHERN LAOS ARE MISSING. THE STATION
ITSELF APPARENTLY WAS NOT DAMAGED.
4; THE ATTACK ON MUONG PHALANE IS THE FIRST SIGNIFICANT
ENEMY ACT/ON /N THIS PART OF THE PANHANDLE IN OVER A YEAR.
IT MAY BE RELATED TO RECENT ATTACKS FARTHER SOUTH IN THE
BOLOVENS PLATEAU AREA. THESE OPERATIONS APPEAR TO BE PART OF
A NEW COMMUNIST CAMPAIGN TO FORESTALL STEPPED-UP ALLIED EFFORTS
TO INTERDICT THE INFILTRATION CORRIDOR.
5. /N NORTHERN LAOS, THE COMMUNISTS LAUNCHED A MORTAR ATTACK
ON THE GOVERNMENT AIRSTRIP AT NAM BAC ON 24 DECEMBER. CONTINUING
REPORTS OF A COMMUNIST BUILD-UP /N THE VICINITY SUGGEST THAT MORE
GROUND ASSAULTS AGAINST NAM BAC'S OUTLYING DEFENSES MAY BE IN THE
OFFING. GOVERNMENT TROOPS ARE BEING REPOSITIONED IN AN EFFORT
TO REDUCE THEIR VULNERABILITY.
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6. ALTHOUGH THE COMMUNISTS APPEAR TO BE PUTTING A LITTLE
MORE BITE INTO THEIR DRY SEASON OFFENSIVE THIS YEAR, THERE
IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY INTEND TO MOUNT A CONCERTED DRIVE
INTO GOVERNMENT-HELD TERRITORY. WE AGREE WITH THE U.S. EMBASSY'S
APPRECIATION THAT THE LAO REPORTS OUT OF VIETNAM ON THE STATUS OF
THE NORTH VIETNAMESE THREAT ARE HIGHLY EXAGGERATED. IN FACT, THE
RECENT COMMUNIST EFFORT AGAINST NAM BAC IN THE NORTH AND THE
BOLOVENS POSITIONS IN THE SOUTH, APPEARS DESIGNED TO RESTORE
THE STATUS QUO. UNTIL LAST YEAR, BOTH AREAS LONG HAD BEEN UNDER
PATHET LAO CONTROL.
7. NEVERTHELESS, WE BEL/EVE THAT THE COMMUNISTS WILL MAKE
THINGS EVEN HOTTER IN THE COM/NG MONTHS AS THEY ATTEMPT
TO REGAIN SOME OF THE MILITARY INITIATIVE IN LAOS. THIS PROBABLY
WILL BE PARTICULARLY TRUE IN THE PANHANDLE, WHERE STEPPED-UP
ALLIED OPERATIONS INTO THE INFILTRATION CORRIDOR WILL HIT A
HIGHLY SENSITIVE NERVE.
DIG: 270002Z DEC 67
COPY LBJ LIBRARY
Approved for Release: 2018/07/11 CO1316793