0 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
President Nixon's ovrall strategy in the first few months of his
administration was to try to weaken the enemy to the maximum possible
extent, to speed up the modernization of GVN forces and then to begin
withdrawals, The withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam was dependent
noon:
* The ability of the South Vietnamese to defend themselves without
American troops
0 The progress of negotiations at the Paris Peace Talks
0 The level of enemy activity.5/
As discussed in Volume V, Chapter 5, the Vietnamization program
consisted of generally three phases:
o Turning over the ground combat responsibility to the RVNAF -- US
to continue to provide ai-, naval and "logistics support,
0 Helping the RVNAF to develop its own combat support capabilities
in order to achieve self-reliance on the battlefield.
o Reducing the US presence to a military advisory role.
In developing negotiation strategies ard requirements, President Nixon
abandoned the Manila Formula of President 2ohnso,, which required North
Vietnamese forces to be withdrawn six ,ionths before the withdrawal c-f US
forces would begin,
A new and more concrete negotiating proposal cf sinultaneous
withdrawal was adopted. The US was subsequently to move from the
position of mutual to unilateral withdr3wal and from a position of residual
US forces in country to complete departure within two months of successful
negotiation,
We were cliarly on the way out of Vietnam by negotiation if
possible, by unilateral withdrawal if necassary.6/
It was thought that a policy of Vietnamization and negotiation would
reduce casualties and mollify public opinion.
The Nixon Administration
attempted to provide a scenario in which most advocates of' alternative
policies could see some aspects of their recommendations
in the administration's
policies.7/
In the process President Nixon gained some time as
a result of reduced domestic pressures and could focus attention on further
developing the strategy for withdrawal.
6-2
I