Before entering a war, would you send advisors to tell you what you need to do, how much aid is needed and how bad the situation would get if the worst came, would you try and go the middle route and please as many people as you can? Before entering the war, President Kennedy sent a team of advisors to assess the situation and tell him what aid is needed. The report now is known as the "White Papers", which stated that there needed to be an increase in military forces to counteract the successful actions/victories that were taking by the NLF. After receiving the White Paper's, Kennedy talk with other advisors on what should be done. Some agreed to intervene, while other's advised that the war would be meaningless.
After talking about the situation and what should be done, Kennedy ended up making a compromise and limited the warfare that would be done in Vietnam. Kennedy ended up sending more guns, ammo and aid, along with more advisors to help the war. After some time sending just aid and advisor's to Vietnam, more papers came into Washington stating that the victories by the NLF are taking the countryside. With Kennedy taking the "please everyone road", the victories by the NLF led to attacks on rural areas. With the rural attacks continuing, the advisors are completely separating themselves from the people being divided.
( http://www.pbs.org/battlefieldvietnam/history/index.html - December 1961 White Paper)
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