Interview with William Egan Colby, 1981

Ellison, Richard · July 16, 1981

William Colby was a high-ranking CIA officer during the Vietnam War. He would later direct the Agency. Here he recalls the CIA’s assessment of the Vietnam War in 1965 and the failure of the US to anticipate the Tet Offensive. He discusses the Phoenix Program, which he directed, describing its impact on the War. Finally, he recounts events surrounding the Fall of Saigon and the end of the War, and reflects on the success or failure of US strategy in Vietnam.