56. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Rostow) to President Kennedy0

SUBJECT

  • Laos Task Force Meeting, Monday, April 17, 19611

As of this afternoon the situation, as seen by the Task Force, was as follows:

1.
The Pathet Lao approach to Takhek continues. It is not ruled out that Takhek will be taken and the Communist penetration to the Mekong completed in a very few days.
2.
The FAL Lao troops in Takhek are trainees; and their commander is of well proven incapacity.
3.
General Boyle’s efforts to persuade Phoumi to put better troops and a better commander in Takhek are proceeding, but without any clear result.
4.
The SEATO permanent organization (local ambassadors) will meet shortly in an atmosphere of alarm that the Pathet Lao will soon be on the Thai border.
5.
The British are either ignorant of the movement towards the Mekong or regard it with complacency. We are attempting to clarify with them why we are so uneasy.
6.
The B–26s, while capable of shooting up the supplies in the Plaine des Jarres, are unlikely to be able to stop the investiture of Takhek if the Pathet Lao proceed to that point.
7.
I have talked with Chip2 about this; and he will put a more precise reference to the Mekong and the split of Laos into the draft message to Khrushchev.
8.
In the light of all this, we may be up against a rather fine-grained decision. If we do not wish to enter the conference with Laos split, some outside force may have to move into the river towns in the very near future. Given the British attitude, it may be hard to get SEATO as a whole to undertake this action. The Thais seem unwilling to move across the river unless we are there [less than 1 line of source text not declassified]. It may come down to a decision as to whether we move bilaterally with the Thais.
9.
The situation may be different tomorrow morning; but I thought you might want this interim picture of the situation.

  1. Source: Kennedy Library, President’s Office Files, Countries, Laos Security, 4/2/61–4/20/61. Secret.
  2. The summary report of the Task Force meeting was submitted to the White House on April 18. (Memorandum from Battle to Dungan, April 18; ibid, National Security Files, Countries Series, Laos: General, 4/17/61–4/21/61)
  3. “Chip” Bohlen.