21 OCTOBER 1973 REQUEST FROM MR. EHRILICHMAN

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01482434
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: May 11, 1973

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11 May 1973
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. William E. Colby
Executive Secretary
CIA Management Committee
SUBJECT : 21 October 1971 Request from
Mr. Ehrlichman
1. On your behalf, recently called
my attention to a cryptic entry in Colonel White's
official minutes of the 11 November 1971 Executive
Committee meeting. This entry noted that I had
reported that work on the "Ehrlichman request"
was in train and would discuss the details of this
sensitive matter privately with Mr. Helms. In light
of recent events, it was obviously desirable to check
the record and ascertain precisely what request
was being referred to.
2. The matter in question deals with work
stimulated by a 21 October 1971 memorandum to
Mr. Helms (as DCI) signed by Mr. Ehrlichman. In
this memo Mr. Ehrlichman asked that the DCI furnish
copies of the actual documents cited in a 19 March
1970 memorandum from the DCI to Dr. Kissinger
forwarding (at the latter's request) a list of
intelligence reports bearing on the November 1968
Vietnam bombing halt which were affected by President
Johnson's "freeze" imposed in early October 1968.
3. There were two response's to, Mr. Ehrlichman's
21 October 1971 request These were made in our
memoranda of (respectively) 16 November and 19
November 1971. (Both of these memoranda were
drafted by me and signed by Mr. Helms.)
(b)(1)
(b)(3)
(b)(3)
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4. Copies of the Ehrlichman request and
our two responses are appended hereto. Our responses
forwarded the full texts of the actual documents
enumerated therein. I am not appending separate
copies of these full texts with this note but
complete lists of the documents that were forwarded
are attached to the copies of our replies to Mr.
Ehrlichman.
5. Even scrutinizing this matter with 20-20
hindsight in the climate of May 1973, I still regard
this particular request of Mr. Ehrlichman as having
been perfectly proper and consider our responses
to it both correct and legitimate.
Geo
(b)(3)
A. C;
ge arver, Jr.
Special Assistant for Vietnamese Affairs
Attachments
CC:
(b)(3)
Mr. Houston
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
October 21, 1971
SE T/SENSITIVE
MEMORANDUM FOR
HONORABLE RICHARD HELMS
DIRECTOR, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
SUBJECT: October-November 1968 Vietnam Intelligence Data
On 19 March 1970 you forwarded a memorandum to Henry
Kissinger containing lists of material bearing on the
November 1968 halt of the bombing of North Vietnam.
At that time, you indicated that much of this material
was not available for distribution because of a "freeze"
imposed on the circulation of intelligence reports and
preparation of analytic studies by President Johnson
during the month of October 1968.
It has been requested that these documents (lists
attached at Tabs A-D) be obtained despite prior re-
strictions on their distribution. Would you please
forward copies of the requested documents?
. elrlichman
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Z4N; TR A L
WASH:NGTON, CC:535
OFFICE OF THZ DI2ECTOR
1 6 NOV 1971
MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. John D. Ehrlichm.a.n.
Assistant to the President
for Domestic Affairs
SUBJECT : October - November 1968 Vietnam
Intelligence Data
1. Attached hereto are the documents requested in your
memorandum of 21 October, arranged in four attachments paralleling
the format of the attachments to your request.
2. Your Attachment 2 lists a document that is also listed in
your Attachment 3: "29 Oct 68 -- Presidential Views. Concerning the
Bombing Halt and the Paris Talks. " Since the document in question
deals with President Thieu's. views, it belongs (and is here included)
with Attachment 3.
Copy No.
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A. All of the documents forwarded in this m..ernorandumrs
foul- attachments are based on sensitive sources and methods. The
last document in Attachment Z (the 9 Nov 68 Ky report) and all of
the reports here forwarded under Attachment 3 are based on a source
of particular sensitivity which is still producing valua.ble intelligence
on matters of great interest. We \Vould appreciate your ensuring
that these doc=ents are properly protected and do not get involved
in any declassification exercise.
5. It may interest you to know that Senator Fulbright, as
Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, has written rue a letter
requesting a full set of documents, such as those appended hereto,
which the Agency has produced on Indochinese matters from 1947 to
the present. This request was levied in the context of the study
commissioned on July 4 of this year (1971) by Senate Resolution 140.
Obviously we cannot make such documents available to the Senator or
to the Foreign Relations Committee. We are searching for ways to
handle this request without giving direct affront but have not yet been.
able to devise a method for dealing satisfactorily with the overall
problem it poses.
6. I mention the above matter because, as you are well aware,
. the declassification of the bulk of the 47-volume Pentagon study
entitled, "United States-Vietnam Relations 1945-1967" has clearly
set the stage for this additional request from Senator Fulbright and
given him a precedent to cite in making it. I believe Secretary Laird
has also been asked for certain intelligence documents produced by
the Defense Department on Indochina during the same 1947-1971 period..
What we have, thus, is a continuing problem that in my opinion needs
to be addressed as such. I would not want to see responses made to
individual queries that could lead to any further general declassification
of broad categories of sensitive intelligence documents. -
Richard Helms
Director
Attachments
- 2 -
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fat
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"October - November 1968 Vietnam Intelligence Data"
0/DCl/SAVA:GACarver/mee
Copy No. 1 - Addressee w/atts
Copy No. 2 - DDCl/ERvz/o atts
Copy No. 3 - DDP w/o atts
Copy No. 4 - C/FE wh,,p,Itts
Copy No. 5 - SAVAVai td-six2f-r-94,1
Copy No. 6 - SAVA &31-0,,e_Eii.�9.71.4
Copy No. 7 - SAVA pi
Copy No. 8 - Mr. Colby
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I
Attachment 1
"TUESDAY LUNCH" STUDIES
Date Title
1 October 1968 Recent Activities in North Vietnam
(23-29 September 1968)
8 October 1968 Recent Activities in North Vietnam.
South. of the 20th Parallel
(30 September-6. October .1968)
October 1968 Recent Activities in North Vietnam
(7-13 October 1968)
22 October 1968
Recent Activities in North Vietnam
South of the 20th Parallel
(14-20 October 1968)
October 1968 Recent Activities in. North Vietnam
(21-27 October 1968)
November 1968
Recent Activities in North Vietnam
South of the 20th Parallel
(28 October-3 November 1968)
November 1968 Recent Activities in North -Vietnam
(4-10 November 1968)
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Attachment 2
KY REPORTS
Date Title
18 Oct 68
19 Oct- 68
21 Oct 68
23 Oct 68
24 Oct 68
28 Oct 68
28 Oct 68
29 Oct 6844
9 Nov 68
Reactions of the GVN and Vice President Ky
Concerning the Proposed Bombing Halt
Special South Vietnamese Cabinet Meeting of
16 Oct 1968 and Vice President Ky's Reaction
to the Bombing Halt Proposal
Views of Vice President Ky on the Proposed
Bombing Halt
Further Views of Vice President Ky on the
Present Bombing Halt Negotiations
Views of Vice President Ky on the Proposed
Bombing Halt as of 23 October 1968
Views of President Thieu and Vice President
Ky on the Proposed Bombing Halt
Views of Vice President Ky as of 27 Oct 1968
on the Proposed Bombing Halt
Presidential Views Concerning the Bombing
Halt and the Paris Talks
Vice President Ky's Views Concerning the
Stalemated Paris Talks and the GVN Position
Belongs in Attachment 3, not Attachment 2.
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Attachment 3
THIEU REPORTS
Date Title
19 October 1968
President Thieuls Concern Over Certain
Points Under Discussion Preparatory to
a Bombing Hart
25 October 1968* Results of Nguyen Phong Thiep's 21 October
1968 Visit to Saigon
26 October 1968
President Thieu's Views Regarding the
Issues Involved in Agreeing to a Bombing
Halt
29 October 1968 Presidential Views Concerning the Bombing
Halt and the Paris Talks
7 November 1968
16 November 1968
*See cover memorandum.
Presidential and Vice Presidential Views
Concerning the Bombing Halt and the
Paris Talks
Views of the Vietnamese President and
Vice President Concerning the Paris
Talks
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Attachment 4
THIEL" AND KY REPORTS - POST 1 NOVEMBER
Date Title
2 Nov 68
4 Nov 68
5 Nov 68
6 Nov 68
8 Nov 68
9 Nov 63
11 Nov 68
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Vice President Ky's Reaction to
President Johnson's Bombing
Halt. Speech
Vietnam Press Director's Claim
that President Thieurs Initial
Refusal to Join the Paris Talks Has
Indirectly Increased His Freedom of
Action and That the Government is
N.-Ow Preparing a New Peace Proposal
Vice President Ky-ts Surprise-at:
President Thieu's Proposi-ng the
"Our Side, Your Side" Formula
at His 8 November Press Conference
Remarks of Vice President Ky on the
Paris Talks Impasse and Suggestions
on Resolving It
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TO ET
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ST.
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The Tionorablc Dean. Rusk
Secctay of State
R�esu2.ts of Nguyen .?hong Thiep's
21 Octobe. 1968 Vlet to Saigon
Nguyen Phong Thiep, n-ler.-aber of t1-...e South
Vietnamese observc7.... deleg,,tio,, to f.H.e. Pn.7-4s tn17 .r.1
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