SSC, DCI AND PHOENIX

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01434866
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: May 30, 1975

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SECRET
Review Staff: 75/826
MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: SSC, DCI and Phoenix
30 May 1975
1. Attached is a letter from Senator Church and an
attachment covering an outline and requests for documents
relating to your Phoenix testimony, now scheduled for
4 June.
2. Curt Smothers, Minority Counsel, will lead the
questioning. He is in process of doing homework. Smothers
and four or five of his colleagues spent 3-1/2 hours yesterday
with Ev Parker and there is a more formal briefing to be given
today to Smothers and Co. by DOD.
3. Ev says they are pretty clearly most interested in
Counter-Terror and PRU and he expects most of the questioning
to focus on this. Of special interest is exactly how the chain
of command worked.
4. Parker says that meeting the various document
requests will be a tall order. DOD no longer has many docu-
ments. Our own are scattered. Some of ours will be subject
to all kinds of misinterpretation. Correspondence between
Korner and us, for example, appears quite explicit in use of
terms like "elimination" and "neutralization. "
5. DDO will set about to round up what documents we
have that are responsive and we will know then what we can and
cannot do. Will keep you posted.
cc: �1G
DDO
H. Knoche
SECRET
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(Delivered to By Parker by Curtis Smothers, 5/29/75)
FRANK CHURCH, IDAHO, CHAIRMAN
JOHN 0. TOWER, TEXAS, VICE CHAIRMAN
PH/LI? A. HART, MICH,
WALTER F. MONDALE, MINN.
WALTER D. HUDDLESTON, KY.
ROBERT MORGAN, N.C.
GARY HART, COLD.
WILLIAM G. MILLER, STAFF DIRECTOR
HOWARD H. BAKER, JR., TENN,
BARRY GOLDWATER, ARIZ,
CHARLES MCC. MATHIAS. JR., MD.
RICHARD S. SCHWEIKER, PA.
H Review Staff: 75-628
1,M� 2 Taiez Zenale
SELECT COMMITTEE TO
STUDY GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS WITH
RESPECT TO INTELLIGENCE ACTIVIT/ ES
(PURSUANT TO S. RES. 21, 9471-1 CONGRESS)
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20510
May 29, 1975
Mr. William B. Colby
Director of Central Intelligence
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington., D. C. 20505
Dear Mr. Colby:
At the last Committee session, Mr. Curtis Smothers,
Counsel to the Minority, briefly advised you regarding
the thrust of anticipated areas of inquiry regarding
Operation Phoenix. It is now anticipated that we will
take up the subject on Wednesday, June 4.
The purpose of this correspondence is (1) to provide
some additional information regarding the nature and scope
of the Committee concerns and (2) to solicit from the Agency
documentary materials which may further assist in our in-
quiry.
At Tab I is an outline of subject areas which will
form the basis of our examination during your testimony
on Phoenix. While the outline is an indication of our
principal areas of concern, you should anticipate additional
or more detailed queries arising from the requested documents,
concern of the individual Members, and new matters raised
by your testimony or other evidence.
Tab II, with appendices, is the basic document request,
approved by myself and the Vice Chairman, which is being
forwarded to both the Agency and the Department of Defense.
It will also be provided to the Department of State as
guidance for compliance with a separate request for informa-
tion regarding Statels policy role in Phoenix. Copies of the
basic correspondence to both State and Defense are attached
for your inforMation at Tab III. Materials solicited in the
basic document request, to the extent that they are in the
Agency's possession, should be provided not later than Tues-,
day, June 3.
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Mr. William E. Colby
Page two
May 29, 1975
It is my hope that the outline together with the afore-
mentioned enclosures will be of assistance fo you in delin-
eating the Committee's areas of concern. If-we may further
assist you regarding matters to be examined on Wednesday, -
please do not hesitate to contact the Committee at your con-
venience.
erely y
enn4 urch
Chairman
Enclosures
This letter can be declassified to unclassified
once attachment is removed.
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Operation 'Phoenix: Outline of Primary Areas of Interest for
Testimony ofi\illiam Colby
I. THE ORIGIN, FOR1ATION, AND PLANNING OF OPERATION PHOENIX.
A. Perceived purpose and need for the establishment of the
program.
B. Shortcomings of CORDS and/or other predecessors to Operation
Phoenix and anticipated program improvements to be achieved
by Phoenix.
THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF COMMAND AND CONTROL OF OPERATION PHOENIX
BY THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR INCLUDING:
A. CIA input into the policy and procedures established for
Operation Phoenix and the role of the Program Administrator
in establishing those policies and procedures.
B. Nature and extent of CIA coordination with MACV and the
State Department in the operations of Phoenix and the role
of the Program Administrator in that coordination.
C. Nature and extent of CIA input into the decision making
process including, but not limited to, the establishment
of the "goals" or "quotas" for "neutralization" efforts
and the role of the Program Administrator in that decision
making process.
III. THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF PHOENIX/PHUNG HOANG INCLUDING:
A. Extent to which CIA and State DepalWent personnel advised
and assisted in the operations of Phoenix at the Village,
District, Province and National levels.
B. Nature and extent of U. S. assistance in the operation of
the South Vietnamese Phunalluang efforts.
C. Nature of "neutralization" and specifically the nature
and circumstances of "kills", "rallies" and "captures."
D. Role of the Provincial Reconnaisance Units (PRUis).
E. Role of the Province Interrogation Centers.
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F. Relationship between Chieu Hal and Phoenix/Phung Tioang.
IV. THE OVERSIGHT AND CONTROL FUNCTIONS OF THE PROJECT
ADMINISTRATOR INCLUDING:
1.
A. Description of the flow of reporting from the
DIOCC's, PIOCC's, Province Security Committees
(PSC's) and the Province Interrogation Centers (PIC's).
B. Protedures for monitoring of the above mentioned
organizational units.
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REQUEST FOR TDCUMENTS RELATING TO OPERATION PHOENIX
1. All documents (as defined in Appendix A hereto) which
relate to the initiation, origin, planning and formation of Operation
Phoenix and any predecessor or successor program, including but not
limited to "Counter-Terror", "ICEX", and "F-6".
2. All organizational charts or other documents, formal or
informal, which establish, describe, or explain the organization and
lines of authority and reporting in Operation Phoenix, including but
not limited to documents which relate to the organizational relation-
ships set forth in Appendix B hereto. Please include any documents
which indicate changes over time in the organizational structure .1/
3. All policy and procedural directives, instructions, regulations
or guidelines relating to Operation Phoenix promulgated by the Program
Administrator, other Phoenix advisors or administrators, or MACV
personnel and directed to operational units (e.g., PIOCC's, DIOCC's,
Province Interrogation Centers, PRU's), or to any other CIA personnel
or U.S. military personnel advising, overseeing, or otherwise connected
with any operation of the Phoenix program. Please include all such
documents relating to MACV coordination with the CIA in relation to
Phocnix/Phung bang.
4. All policy or procedural directives, instructions, regulations
or guidelines and all requests for information and any responses thereto
received by the Program Administrator from individuals or offices of
equal rank to himself or above in the command and control structure (as
defined in Appendix A hereto) including but not limited to the following
offices and groups: the President, the Special Assistant to the President
for National Security Affairs, NSC, USIB, Secretary of State, the military
commander of MACV, DCI, and the DDO (formerly DDP) of the CIA.
5. All documents which provide financial information with respect
to Operation Phoenix, especially documents which describe all finding
arrangements -- including the source, duration and amounts of such
funding -- and documents providing budgetary information broken down
by categories of income and expenditure.
1/ Please furnish all documents, responsive to the requests in this and all
subsequent items, which relate to or derive from any predecessor or successor
programs (as explained in Item One) in addition to Operation Phoenix. Also
in response to all subsequent items please furnish all documents which indicate
significant changes over time.
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6. All documents which include reporting to the Program
Administrator by any operational unit or individual that submitted
reports on the status of activitisS,programs, units, procedures, or
management of Operation Phoenix or components thereof. These documents
should include but are not limited to reporting upon cost effectiveness,
general status of field operations, statistics and analysis relating to
"neutralizations", "neutralization"goals or quotas, and the implementation
and effectiveness of procedures designed to ensure the accuracy of the
intelligence which served as the basis for targeting individual VCI or
for mission planning.
7. All reports from the Program Administrator to individuals and
entities in the coguitand, and control structure (as defined in Appendix A
hereto) including but not limited to the White House, NSC, DCI, Secretary
of Defense, Secretary of State, the Ambassador to the Republic of Vietnam,
the military carwanders of MACV and CORDS, and the MACV program officer
for Operation Phoenix.
8. All copies of reports from the U. S. Ambassador to the Republic
of Vietnam to the Secretary of State relating to Operation Phoenix.
9. All advisory opinions, memoranda, guidelines, instructions,
directives� or other documents from MACV/Phoenix advisers, administrators,
or field operatives to offices of the South Vietnamse government, Phung
Hoang, or other Vietnamese components of the Phoenix program, including
but not limited to suggestions for the drafting of legislation and the
issuance of policy or procedural directives by Phung Hoang or the
Ministry of Interior.
10. All documents relating to Operation Phoenix or any predecessor
or successor program which formally or informally promulgated "neutralization"
goals or quotas, to be accompanied by a list of the individuals or offices
that received distribution of such documents. Also please furnish
all documents which include tabulation of "neutralization" statistics,
including any breakdown of such statistics intb any or all of the follow-
ing categories: "kill", "capture", or "rally"; period of time (e.g.,
week, month, year); goorgranhic unit (e.g., province, district); type
of circumstances in which the "neutralization" occurred (e.g.., combat,
"ambush", identification check, PRU raid); organizational unit or
individual responsible for the "neutralization" (including but not limited
to DIOCC, PIOCC, PRU, Provincial Interrogation Center and the CHieu Hoi
prograM).
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11. Any record, log, diary, notation, memoranda or other docu-
mentation of the date, time and place of any meetings, including lists
of those in attendance, at which Operation Phoenix was discussed among
those in the cannand and control structure at or above the level of
the Program Administrator, including, but not limited to the President,
other White House or NSC staff, DCI, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of
State, and the Ambassador to the Republic of Vietnam, the military
camaanders of IslACV and CORDS, and the MACV program officer for Operation
Phoenix. Also please furnish any minutes, transcripts, memoranda,
recordings or other documentation of the substance of such meetings.
12. All documents and materials used in the training of personnel
for participation in any aspect of Operation Phoenix.
13. All documents and materials assembled for or used in the
preparation of the oral and written testimony of William E. Colby on
Operation Phoenix.bcfore the Senate Foreign Relations Conaittee in
February 1970, the Senate Judiciary Subcamnittee to Investigate
Problems Connected with Refugees and Escapees in April 1971, the House
Government Operations in July 1971, and the Senate Committee on Armed
Services in July 1973.
APPENDICES
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Glossary of Terms
Organizational Relationships
Relating to Operation Phoenix
Examples. of -Documents Requested
by the Select Committee
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APPENDIX A
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
1) Documents:
Memoranda, letters, notes, files, photographs, tape recordings or
other electronic recordings, computer memories capable of being rendered
readable, and papers containing printed language and any other documents.
Any document containing any writing which causes it to differ in any respect
from any otherwise similar document shall be deemed a separate document to
be provided in response to the request attached hereto.
2) Program Administrator:
This position may have been called Deputy U.S. Commander in Vietnam
for Civil Operations and Rural Development, Office of the Special Assistant
to the Ambassador, or by other names, but irrespective of official title
we are requesting information with respect to the person (e.g. Robert Komer
and William Colby) serving as the chief administrator of the operational
structure of the Phoenix program.
3) Command & Control Structure:
The governmental system of responsibility, authority, accountability,
and input to decision making for Operation Phoenix. This .includes any indi-
vidual or office in the White House, NSC, DOD, MACV, State Department,
(including U.S.A.I.D. and the office of the Ambassador to the Republic of
Vietnam), CIA, or other governmental or military agency, organization or
department which had some responsibility for or received reports on Opera-
tion Phoenix.
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APPEODIX B
Organizational Relationships Relating to Operation Phoenix
(a) The relationships. among the Program Administrator, military
and CIA advisory personnel, PIOCC's, DIOCC's, PRU's, Provincial
Security Committees, and Provincial Interrogation Centers.
(b) The relationship between Operation Phoenix and the CIA,
the military command structure, and the State Department (including
such agencies or offices as USAID and the U. S. Ambassador to the
Republic. of Vietnam).
(c) The relationship between the U. S. command structure for
Operation Phoenix and the associated South Vietnamese programs and
offices, e.g., Phoenix/Phung Hoang, Chieu Hoi, Ministry of the Interior,
National Police and other such agencies, depaitments or programs.
(d) The relationship between the Program Administrator and U.S.
military personnel directly or indirectly associated with Operation
Phoenix at any level of operation.
(e) The relationship between the Program Administrator and all
CIA personnel in Vietnam including but not limited .to personnel at
the Province and District level, including personnel advising or over-
seeing Provincial Reconnaissance Units.
(f) The relationship between the DCI and the Program Administrator
in South Vietnam.
(g) The relationship between the CIA and all CIA personnel on
assignment to MACV for the purpose of Operation Phoenix.
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APPENDIX C
Examples of Documents Requested By
The Select Cohnnittee
The following documents are examples of material called for
by various sections of the Select Comwittee Request. It is not an
exclusive list of material requested. In some cases, the information
on particular documents may be imprecise or inaccurate; if so, please
furnish any similar document which is responsive to the intent of the
request.
Some of this material has already been produced before Congressional
committees. The Select Committee would appreciate separate copies of
such documents. Please indicate on each document any alterations or
differences, which may have resulted from concern for the classification
or sensitivity of the original version, between the original version
which should be provided to this Committee and the version provided
to other committees.
Item One
*(1) Presidential decree of 7/1/68, establishing the Phung
lioang program.
*(2) Prime Minister's Directive of 12/20/67, on the Neutralization
of VCI.
Item Three
*(l) MACV Directive 525-36, issued under Major General W. G. Dolvin,
U. S. Chief of Staff, 5/18/70.
*(2) Instructions to U. S. personnel concerning Phung Hoag activities
as issued through CORDS channels in 1969 and incorporated as
MACV Directive 525-36 on 5/18/70.
*(3) Memorandum from William Colby to AC cf. S Cords, 2/3/70.
*Document referred to by William Colby in response to prepared
questions in Hearing on Nomination of William E. Colby to be Director
of Central Intelligence before the Senate CamAittee on Amed Services
in July 1973 (pp. 154-155, 173).
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*(4) Phung Hoang Standard Operating Procedures
a. 7/23/1968
b. 11/1/68
c. 2/1/70
*(5)
Official cable frum Central Phoenix Committee to Provincial
Committees on 9/15/69, calling for village qind hamlet officials
to be informed on Phoenix operations in their neighborhoods.
Item Six
(1) Report to DepCORDS, MR3 on Binh Duong Province by Ltc. Gerald
G. Chikalla, 5/28/71.
(2) Report to DepCORDS, MR3 on Binh Tuy Province by Ltc. Jack R.
Cantrell (Province Senior Advisor, Binh Tuy), 5/26/71.
(3) Report to DepCORDS, MR3 on Gia Dinh Province by Mr. David
McKillop, (Province Senior Advisor, Gia Dihn), 5/25/71.
(4) MACV Directive No. 381-46, 12/27/67, "Military Intelligence
Combined Screening of Detainees", as referred to by Hon. Paul
N. McCloskey, Jr., in House Government Operation Committee
hearings on U. S. Assistance Programs in Vietnam, July and August
1971, pp. 217-221.
Item Eight
(1) Report of 8/30/71 from Ambassador Bunker to Secretary of State
Rogers entitled "July Internal Security Assessment"
Item Nine
*(1) MACV Directive 10-20, 5/23/69.
*(2) Letter of 11/13/70 to the Prime Minister recommending a
revision of the An Tri or. Emergency Detention Law to incorporate
the protections contained in article 7 of the Constitution.
Item Eleven
(1) Meeting in February or March 1969, held at CORDS Regional
headquarters (Da Nang) as referred by David M. Harrington in
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in Senate Armed Services Committee hearings on the
Nomination of William E. Colby, July 1973, p. 96
Item Twelve
(1) Defense Intelligence Collection Manual (DICOM), as used
for the training of Phoenix. Program personnel at Fort
Holibird in courses identified by MOS numbers 9668 (officers'
classes) and 9640 (enlisted men's classes), as referred to
by K. Barton Osborn in House Government Operations Committee
hearings on U. S. Assistance Programs in Vietnam, July and
August 1971, jD. 327.
(2) "An Analysis of Province Security Committees", briefing
paper for U. S. Military Advisors to the Phoenix program
as referred to by Hon. Jerome R. Waldie in House Government
Operations Committee hearings on U. S. Assistance Programs
in Vietnam, July and August, 1971, p. 331.
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