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77 TOP SECRET / NODIS March 25, 1968 INTRODUCTORY MEMORANDUM This group will be asked to give its judgment in three broad areas of policy: a. Possible US force increases and related strategy. b. The US negotiating posture. C. Bombing policy, either in relation to negotiating posture or separately. The first of these issues will be presented orally by Secretary Clifford at the appropriate time. Certain of the options in the negotiating areas are included in these briefing papers as indicated below, but would be further refined by Secretary Rusk orally. Bombing policy will also be discussed orally. The schedule calls for oral briefings this evening on the military situation, the over-all security situation and enemy capabilities and intentions, the internal political situation in South Viet-Nam, and the negotiating situation. In preparation for these briefings, and for the ensuing discussion of policy issues, we have prepared this briefing book. It may well be too bulky for any member of the group in toto, but is designed to contain essential general material and also considerable detail on certain aspects of particular interest to individual members of the group-- notably in the military area. An index of the papers in this book will be found on the next page. Broadly, the papers are divided as follows: Section A contains excerpts from over-all reports recently received from Ambassador Bunker, with dates. Section B contains intelligence evaluations prepared in Washington dealing with the situation in key areas and with certain estimates of the reaction of the other side to postulated courses of action by us. DECLASSIFIED Authority State Letter 1-24-79 TOP SECRET NODIS By ip NARS, Date 4-4-79 ,