0 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
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5. The American Solutiors: A Proliferation of Approaches
'Throughout the period, several agencies and individuals put forth
their own concepts and ideas on how to resolv_ the pacificatio,, problem.,
For example, General Westmoreland, shortly after assuming commano of MACV,
proposed to Ambassador Lodge that he be designated as the sole executive in
charge of all pacification efforts ,n Vietnam.lO7/ Lodge agreed in
concept but delayed giving approval on implementation. When Ambassador
Taylor took the reins in Saigon, Westmoreland's coacept was again deferred.,
Taylor, armed with instructions from LBJ giving bim full authority
over all US activities in RVN, military anc civil, rail the Country Team/
Mission Council like a mini--NSC.108/ Ambassador Taylor retained final
approval
authority for all Mission actions, to inzlude all cacifir-tion
projects and programs.
in the aftermath of the 1956 Conference at Honolulu, task forces
and study groups were suddenly assembl'ng, producing papers on priorities.
on organization of the Mission, and on tr.e roles and missions of the warious
agencies in pacitication.. They were al the manifestations of the rew
mood that had come over the Country Team and the Washington bureaucracy on
pacification., The advocates of pacification, with their widely differing
v4ews, all saw a chaice again to put forth their uwn concepts to a newly
interested bureaucracy,109/
The most impurtant of the numerous stjdi(s were:
. The P-ogram for the Pacification and Long-Term Development of
South Vietnam (Short Title: PROVN) -- commissioned by Army "hief
on; Staff, General johnon in July 1965, completed and subiritted
in Marc 1966. ll/
.'he Priorities S• Task Force --
formed in Saigon in April 1966 by
Derut,. Ambassador Porter and complet-d in July 1965.
0 The Inter-Agency "Roles and Missiuns" Study Groip-- also formed
by Deputy Ambassador Porter in July 1956 and completed in August
of that year. "11/
Although the recommenlations of these studies were not accepted
I fLI ;y by US learc'rship, they played a Key role in the development of
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