Page:Pentagon-Papers-Part IV. C. 1.djvu/26

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
8 Dec 1964	Taylor Sees Huong	Taylor presents the President's requirements to Premier Huong who promises to get new action on programs.
14 Dec 1964	BARREL ROLL Begins	BARREL ROLL armed reconnaissance in Laos begins as called for in Phase I of the program approved 1 December.
20 Dec 1964	Military Stage Purge	The struggle within the MRC takes the form of a purge by the younger officers Ky and Thi. They are seeking to curb the power of the Huong Government.
21 Dec 1964	Khanh Declares Support for Purge	Khanh declares his support of the purge and opposes the US, Taylor in particular. He states he will not "carry out the policy of any foreign country." Rumors that Taylor will be declared personna non grata circulate.
24 Dec 1964	US Billet in Saigon Bombed	The VC bomb a US billet in Saigon on Christmas Eve, killing several Americans. The President disapproves military recommendations for a reprisal against the North.
31 Dec 1964	Embassy Saigon Msg 2010	Taylor recommends going ahead with the Phase II air campaign against the North in spite of the political instability and confusion in the South. He now argues that the strikes may help stabilize the situation.
6 Jan 1965	Bundy Memo to SecState	In a memo to the Secretary of State, Wm Bundy urges that we consider some additional actions short of Phase II of the December plan in spite of the chaos in Saigon. It is the only possible course to save the situation.
8 Jan 1965	ROK Troops go to SVN	South Korea sends 2,000 military advisors to South Vietnam.
27 Jan 1965	McNaughton Memo to SecDef	In a memo to SecDef, McNaughton underscores the importance of SEA for the US and then suggests that we may have to adopt Phase II as the only way to save the current situation.