Page:Pentagon-Papers-Part-V-B-3b.djvu/211

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

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c. From the military viewpoint, insofar as relief of Dien Bien Phu is concerned, the project is of little value.
d. Psychological aspects might well be satisfied by confining projects to the field at Seno only.
e. Maintaining Seno field operational would require a continuing supply effort of considerable proportions.
f. Local defense of field and any ground line of communications would have t o be increased to counter Viet Minh guerrilla operations which would increase with the added importance of the airfield.

4. The Joint Chiefs of Staff consider[1] that:

a. From a military viewpoint, the proposal of the French, except for supply of naval aircraft, should be rejected.
b. If, for other than military reasons, the proposal is approved, the U.S . commitment should be limited to rehabilitation and extension of the Seno airfield.


For the Joint Chiefs of Staff:



forARTHUR RADFORD,

Chairman,
Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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  1. The Chief of Staff, U.S. Army invites attention to his additional view's expressed at the 6 April 1954 meeting of the Armed Forces Policy Council and submitted through the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense for his information by a covering memorandum, dated 22 April 1954, subject: "Indochina."
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