The numbers in the index refer to document numbers rather than to page numbers. Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation The Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation, established under the Foreign Relations statute, reviews records, advises, and makes recommendations concerning the Foreign Relations series. The Advisory Committee monitors the overall compilation and editorial process of the series and advises on all aspects of the preparation and declassification of the series. The Advisory Committee does not attempt to review the contents of individual volumes in the series, but it makes recommendations on problems that come to its attention. The Advisory Committee has not reviewed this volume. Declassification Review The Information Response Branch of the Office of IRM Programs and Services, Bureau of Administration, Department of State, conducted the declassification review of the documents published in this volume. The review was conducted in accordance with the standards set forth in Executive Order 12958 on Classified National Security Information and applicable laws. The principle guiding declassification review is to release all information, subject only to the current requirements of national security as embodied in law and regulation. Declassification decisions entailed concurrence of the appropriate geographic and functional bureaus in the Department of State, other concerned agencies of the U.S. Government, and the appropriate foreign governments regarding specific documents of those governments. The final declassification review of this volume, which began in 1999 and was completed in 2002, resulted in the decision to withhold about one-tenth of 1 percent of the documentation proposed for publication; no documents were withheld in full. The information was excised to protect intelligence sources and methods, in keeping with requirements of Executive Order 12958. The issue of covert funding for a grass-roots political party to support South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu was appealed successfully to a High-Level Panel consisting of senior representatives from the Department of State, the National Security Council, and the Central Intelligence Agency. The panel, established in 1998, determines whether or not the Foreign Relations series can acknowledge a covert activity or other intelligence activity and provides general guidelines for declassification review. The Panel arrived at a determination that resulted in the release of the relevant documentation, with some excisions. The editor is confident, on the basis of the research conducted in preparing this volume and as a result of the declassification review process described above, that the documentation and editorial notes presented here provide an accurate account of U.S. policy toward Vietnam from January through August 1968. Acknowledgments The editor wishes to acknowledge the assistance of officials at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library of the National Archives and Records Administration, especially Regina Greenwell, and Charlaine Burgess, who provided key research assistance. The editor also wishes to acknowledge the assistance of historians at the Central Intelligence Agency, the staff of the Center for Military History, Sandra Meagher at the Department of Defense, and David Phelps at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the staff of the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, for their valuable assistance in expediting research of this volume. Kent Sieg collected documentation for this volume and selected and edited it, under the supervision of Edward C. Keefer, Chief of the Asia and Americas Division, and David S. Patterson, General Editor of the Foreign Relations series. Rita M. Baker and Vicki E. Futscher did the copy and technical editing, and Susan C. Weetman coordinated the declassification review. Max Franke prepared the index. Marc J. Susser The Historian Bureau of Public Affairs September 2002 Volumes I II III IV Following is a list of the volumes in the Foreign Relations series for the administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The titles of individual volumes may change. The year of publication is in parentheses after the title. Vietnam, 1964 (1992) Vietnam, January-June 1965 (1996) V Vietnam, 1967 (2002) VI Vietnam, January-August 1968 (2002) VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV Vietnam, September 1968–January 1969 International Monetary and Trade Policy (1998) International Development and Economic Defense Policy; National Security Policy (2002) Arms Control and Disarmament (1997) Western Europe (2001) Western Europe Region (1995) Soviet Union (2001) XXVI XXVII XXVIII XXIX XXX XXXI XXXII XXXIII XXXIV South Asia (2000) Indonesia; Malaysia-Singapore; Philippines (2001) Part 1, Korea (2000); Part 2, Japan Central and South America; Mexico Dominican Crisis; Cuba; Caribbean Organization of Foreign Policy; United Nations |