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


1961 AUG 29 1903
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON

OFF SECY OF DEFENSE

NATIONAL SECURITY ACTION MEMORANDUM NO. 80
August 29, 1961


SECRET


Decisions approved by the President at the meeting on Southeast Asia, August 29, 1961


Participants:
The Secretary of Defense Mr. Alexis Johnson
The Secretary of State Mr. John Steeves
The Attorney General Mr. Robert Johnson
Ambassador Harriman General Taylor
Mr. Allen Dulles Mr. Bundy
Genera Lemnitzer
Mr. Edward Murrow


The President approved the following actions:


1. An intensification of the diplomatic effort to achieve agreement to the Paris proposals on the part of Souvanna, espacially by direct conversations between Ambassador Harriman and Souvanna, with an emphasis not only upon the interlocking importance of the Paris proposals, but also upon U. S. support of Souvanna in the event that he accepts the Paris plan.

2. Authorization to undertake conversations with SEATO allies both bilaterally and with the SEATO Council, exploring the possibility of an enlargement of the concept of SEATO Plan 5. It must be understood that this exploration was in the nature of contingency planning and did not represent a flat commitment of the United States to participate in such an enlarged enterprise.

3. An immediate increase in mobile training teams in Laos to include advisers down to the level of the company, to a total U. S. strength in this area of 500, together with an attempt to get Thai agreement to supply an equal amount of Thais for the same purpose.

SECRET

(SECDEF HAS SEEN)
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