PROJECT 404 – BACKGROUND TO EXPANDED US PRESENCE AND OPERATIONS IN LAOS
The CIA was largely responsible for conducting military operations in Laos from 1966-1973, but the U.S. Ambassador was really the man in charge. The secret war in Laos was his war and he insisted on an efficient, closely controlled operation. There wasn't a rice bag or a bomb dropped in Laos that he didn't know about.
The US Ambassador also imposed two conditions upon the personnel operating in Laos. First, the thin fiction of the Geneva accords had to be maintained to avoid possible embarrassment to the Lao and Soviet Governments (no regular forces in neutral Laos). Military operations, therefore, had to be carried out in relative covert secrecy.
The practice of sending regular forces to Laos was called "sheep Dipping": False names, identification relating to the State Department and Laotian forestry service, etc. In essence, regular military forces were not found in Laos.
So, any correlation to Project 404 and the internet code 404 that we all dread?
goes beyond the straight line.