283. Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group1

SUBJECT

  • Laos

PARTICIPATION

  • Chairman—Henry A. Kissinger
  • State
    • Mr. U. Alexis Johnson
    • Mr. William Sullivan
  • DOD
    • Mr. G. Warren Nutter
    • Mr. Dennis Doolin
    • Mr. Armistead Selden
    • Major Curtis Cook
  • JCS
    • Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
    • Lt. Gen. John Vogt
  • CIA
    • Mr. Thomas Karamessines
    • Mr. William Nelson
  • NSC Staff
    • Col. Richard T. Kennedy
    • Mr. John H. Holdridge
    • Mr. John Negroponte
    • R/Adm. Robert Welander
    • Mr. Mark Wandler

SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS

It was agreed that:

  • —A memorandum will be prepared for the President, giving him three options on the level and nature of our responses to the North Vietnamese attacks in Laos. The three options are: (1) Reinforcing the line defending Long Tieng as well as placing significant infantry and artillery forces in a position to defend against encroachments on the junction of routes 7 and 13; (2) Maintaining a strong defense of the Long Tieng line; (3) Diverting forces to routes 7 and 13 from the Long Tieng line.
  • —Maximum U.S. air support—both tactical and B–52s—should be provided.
  • —Dr. Kissinger will obtain the President’s guidance on what steps, if any, to take to overcome the problem caused by the Congressional ceiling of $350 million for expenditures in Laos in FY 72.2
  • —The State Department will draft a response from the President to Prime Minister Thanom of Thailand, concerning the use of additional Thai regulars in Laos.3
  • —Consideration should be given to the idea of making a public explanation of why we are increasing our air activity in Laos.

[Omitted here are the minutes of the meeting.]

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the Stuation Room of the White House.
  2. On October 4, the Senate adopted an amendment sponsored by Senator Symington to the Defense Procurement bill (HR 8687) that limited U.S. expenditures in Laos to $350 million. (Congress and the Nation, 1969–1972, Vol. III, pp. 916–920)
  3. Sent as telegram 230898 to Bangkok, December 24; see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XX, Southeast Asia, 1969–1972, Document 148.