Page:Pentagon-Papers-Part IV. C. 1.djvu/22

Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3
NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011

 

TOP SECRET – Sensitive

 

DATE	EVENT OR DOCUMENT	DESCRIPTION
7 July 1964	Taylor Forms Mission Council	In an effort to streamline the Embassy and increase his policy control, Taylor forms the Mission Council at the Country Team level.
8 Jul 1964	Taylor Calls on Khanh	Taylor calls on Khanh who expresses satisfaction with the new personnel, approves the Mission Council idea and offers to create a counter part organization.
10 Jul 1964	Department of State Msg 108	The President asks Taylor to submit regular month-end progress reports on all aspects of the program.
15 Jul 1964	Taylor reports increased VC strength, Embassy Saigon Msgs 107 and 108	Taylor raises the estimate of Viet Cong strength from the previous total of 28,000 to 34,000. This does not represent a sudden increase, but rather intelligence confirmation of long suspected units.
17 Jul 1964	USOM Meets With GVN NSC	As he had promised, Khanh creates a coordinating group within the GVN, to deal with the new Mission Council and calls it the NSC.
19 Jul 1964	Khanh Makes Public Reference to "Going North"	In a public speech, Khanh refers to the "March to the North." In a separate statement to the press, General Ky also refers to the "march North."
23 Jul 1964	Taylor Meets with Khanh and NSC	In a meeting with Khanh and the NSCm, Taylor is told by Khanh that the move against the North is indispensible to the success of the counterinsurgency campaign in the South.
24 Jul 1964	Taylor and Khanh discuss Coups	In a discussion of coup rumors, Khanh complains that it is US support of Minh that is behind all the trouble, Taylor reiterates US support for Khanh.
2 Aug 1964	USS Maddox Attacked in Tonkin Gulf	The destroyer USS Maddox is attacked in the Tonkin Gulf by DRV patrol craft while on a DE SOTO patrol off the DRV coast. Several patrol boats sunk.