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>>> Explanation of this document, by Douglas Valentine:

Brickham's second three-page document, "A Concept for Organization for Attack on VC Infrastructure," was written at the behest of CIA station chief John Hart as a plan for a "general staff for pacification." The idea was to present this concept paper to Robert Komer, Lyndon Johnson's personal representative in Vietnam and the CIA officer in overall charge of pacification.

Brickham wrote "Concept" with CIA officer John Hansen, an expert in counter-espionage and computers. Brickham was the organizational man, and used Rensis Likert's three-part "Management By Objective" theory:

1) The "strategy" or "objective" of the organization was better intelligence.

2) The organization was to be structured so that it would have adequate funding without trespassing on any other agency's mandate. Much like the Department of Homeland Security, member agencies provided their own money and personnel, etc.

3) Management of CIA officers in the field was achieved through monthly reporting formats that were plugged into Hansen's computer. To oversee policy-making and operations, Brickham proposed a board of directors with Komer as the Chairman, on the Ford Motor Company "command post" model.

Station Chief John Hart called this concept "ICEX -- Intelligence Coordination and Exploitation." It was much like the current Office of Homeland Security in the White House. The ICEX Saigon staff consisted of three operations officers, a reports management group, and an intelligence group. In the "Concept" paper we first hear of ROICs and POICs -- Regional Operations and Intelligence Coordinators, and Province Operations and Intelligence Coordinators. These ROICs and POICs would play a central role in the Phoenix Program

Brickham identified three problem areas: 1) collection, coordination, and reaction; 2) screening, detention, and judicial processing; and 3) interrogation exploitation. These are all integral elements of the current "war on terror." Notably, the Homeland Security lexicon was emerging in these early plans for the Phoenix Program.

Brickham's "Concept" was approved by the CIA but not adopted by Komer. Komer did not want a general staff, but an "executive action organization that focused on getting the job done."

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