MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL LIAISON COMMITTEE OF THE STOCKHOLM CONFERENCE ON PEACE IN VIETNAM, 11-12 OCTOBER 1969 (W/ATTACHMENT)

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00902554
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: February 6, 2020
• Case Number: F-2019-01316
• Publication Date: October 20, 1969

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
20 October 1969
MEMORANDUM FOR: The Honorable Henry A, Kissinger
Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs
SUBJECT
CIA-6 a2
: Meeting of the International Liaison
Committee of the Stockholm Conference
on Peace in Vietnam, 11-12 October 1969
I. Attached is a report which, I believe, will be o
interest to you.
1
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5 65
, Vit
2. The report contains a resume of proceedings at a
conference held in Stockholm, Sweden, on 11 and 12 October
1969 which was sponsored by the International Liaison Committee
of the Stockholm Conference on Vietnam. Attached to the
report is a translation of Newsletter No. 5 of the International
Liaison Committee. This newsletter outlines plans for antiwar
activities culminating, on 15 November 1969, in a day of Inter-
national Mobilization to End the War in Vietnam.
Richard Helms
Director
Attachment: a/s
cc: The Secretary of 'State
The Attorney General
Director,
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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Meeting of the International Liaison Committee of
the Stockholm Conference on Peace in Vietnam
11-12� October-1969
The conference, which
appeared to be hastily organized, was attended by 40 delegates
and observers from 11 international organizations and 15
countries. Its primary purpose appeared to be to expand the
United States anti-Vietnam War "fall offensive" into an inter-
national movement. Another conference on the same issue has
been scheduled for as early as possible in 1970, and the pre-
paratory committee for this conference is to meet in December
1969. Participants at the conference included national repre-
sentatives from Argentina, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy,
Japan, the Netherlands, North Vietnam, Norway, Panama,
Sudan, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the USSR, Yugoslavia, and
the "People's Revolutionary Government" of South Vietnam;
international organizations represented at the conference included
the Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organization, Amnesty Inter-
national, the Christian Peace Conference, the International Union
of Students, the Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom, the World Council of Peace, the World Federation of
Democratic Youth, and the World Federation of Trade Unions.
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United States delegates to the conference were Roland
YOUNG, the East Coast organizer of the New Mobilization Com-
mittee to End the War in Vietnam (NMC), and Irving SARNOFF,
the West Coast organizer of the same committee. (Comment:
Information from our files indicates that both YOUNG and SARNOFF
have been involved in draft resistance and antiwar activities since
1965. SARNOFF has a history of membership in the Communist Party
of the United States dating back to 1947 when he is known to have been
a member of the Los Angeles County Communist Party. YOUNG,
who is 12 years younger than SARNOFF, has been a speaker before
various meetings of the Students for a Democratic Society.) Three
of the six co-chairmen of the NMC, David Tyre DELLINGER,
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Stewart MEACHAM, and Cora WEISS, were invited to the conference
but did not attend.
At the conference Roland YOUNG delivered a speech which
had as its main theme "the United States should get out now. " He
stated that the crucial task of the peace movement in the United
States in the next six to eight months is to create a variety of
pressures which will be highly visible at all levels. YOUNG stated
that the "New Mobilization" is the broadest based coalition of anti-
war forces in the history of the United States, and includes the
Amalgamated Clothing Workers, the American Friends Service
Committee, the Communist Party, the Fellowship for Reconciliation,
the International Labor Union Organization of the West Coast, the
National Council of Churches, the National Welfare Rights .Organi-
zation, the New Democratic Coalition, the Packing House Workers,
"Resist, " the Socialist Workers' Party, the United Methodist �
Church, the Women's Strike for Peace, the World International
League for Peace and Freedom, and the Vietnam Moratorium
Committee. YOUNG described the composition of the Vietnam
Moratorium Committee as "students for Kennedy and McCarthy"
whose principal leaders are Sam BROWN, David HAWK, and David
MIXNER. YOUNG's speech also reiterated the basic program of the
Stockholm Liaison Committee which was forwarded in its Newsletter
No. 5 of early October, a copy of which is attached to this report.
This letter was apparently given world-wide distribution, and copies
of it are known to have been sent to Ecuador, New Zealand, France,
and Belgium.
Although the American delegates, YOUNG and SARNOFF, were
described as the "stars" of the conference, Peggy DUFF of Great
Britain and Romesh CHANDRA of India were the "workhorses, "
while the Soviet delegate, Aleksandr Aleksanclrovich BERKOV, was
"prominently" in the background.
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YOUNG and SARNOFF both suggested post 15 November -activities
which include a petition campaign calling for total, unconditional, and
immediate withdrawal of United States troops from Vietnam and a
moratorium on 1969 Christmas spending, with the savings involved
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to be used for "Vietnamese rehabilitation. " The international
community was specifically requested to assist in building the
"visibility" of the United States antiwar movement; in encouraging
the recognition of the North Vietnamese Government and the
People's Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam by all
nations; and in providing general assistance to Vietnam.
The World Council for Peace (WCP) was scheduled to
hold a meeting, possibly of its executive council, in Helsinki
on 13 October 1969, immediately after the conclusion of the
Stockholm meeting. SARNOFF said informally that he had
been asked by the WCP to take over the -"American Desk"
which is vacant, but had decided not to do so since "the action
is in the United States. "
Attachment: Newsletter No. 5
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Attachment
SUBJECT: Text of Newsletter No. 5 from the Inter-
national Liaison Committee of the Stock-
holm Conference on Vietnam
Following is the text, translated from the French
language, of subject newsletter which has apparently been
given world-wide distribution.
"15 November - Day of International Mobilization to
End the War in Vietnam.
"The American movement against the Vietnam war
has launched a large "Autumn Offensive" beginning
10 October at Chicago and ending with a demonstration
on 15 November at the White House in Washington.
This "Autumn Offensive" is the most encouraging enter-
prise undertaken in the United States for a long
time. It is organized by the "New Mobilization
Committee to End the Vietnam War" which groups
the most active and powerful peace organizations which
oppose the policy of war being undertaken by Mr. Nixon.
"We call on all the organizations to support this
campaign, which is the largest organized up to
now against the Vietnam war, and the immediate retreat
of all the American forces from Vietnam. It ought to
find an echo in all the countries by means of demon-
strations and all sorts of actions on 15 November
and on the days close to this date in order to show
Mr. Nixon that all the peoples demand that he end
American aggression in Vietnam.
Calendar of the Autumn Offensive:
8711 October: Actions organized in Chicago by the SDS
on the theme "Make Known the Realities of the War in
Vietnam."
15 October: "Moratorium for Vietnam." This actiOn
was launched by the students who worked in the electoral
campaigns of Kennedy and McCarthy. During this day,
normal daily activities will be abandoned and be
replaced by education activity on the war in Vietnam.
This moratorium will be repeated in November.
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25 October: Actions at Chicago organized by the
"New Mobilization" to support the eight leaders of
peace movements who are accused of "conspiracy".
8-15 November: A week of local activities against the
war and American imperialism.
"The aim of these will be to form local organiza-
tions of a permanent character and to prepare the demon-
strations at Washington and San Francisco on the 15th.
These activities will be designed to appeal to broad
local and political interests. They will be launched
by the "Joe Hill Caucus (SDS)".
13-14 November: Preliminary dates for the Vietnam
Moratorium of November.
14 November: Student strike launched by the "Committee
for Student Mobilization".
14-15 November: "Commemorative march for the Dead" at
Washington. A number of Americans corresponding to
that of the numbers of Americans who died in Vietnam
will march from the National Cemetery at Arlington,
pass the front of the White House and go to the Capitol.
15 November: Mass march and meetings at Washington
and San Francisco.
"The program of activities of 14/15 November is
divided into two parts: A silent march of 36 hours
which will start 13 November. That will be the culmina-
tion of all the local, regional and national autumn
activities. Since it is not practical to expect a
large number of people to go from the Pacific coast
to Washington, a march and a meeting will take place
at San Francisco the same day.
"At the head of the "New Mobilization" are six co-
presidents (Sid Lens, Doug Dowd, Steward Meacham, -Cora
Weiss, Sid Peck and Dave Dellinger) who will assume
the direction of the large demonstrations at Washington,
Chicago and San Francisco. To elaborate its general
political line, the "New Mobilization" formed a large
national committee composed of nearly 100 persons who
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represent different regions and tendencies. The "New
Mobilization" constitutes the decisive project to
mobilize the American people against the war of aggression
and counter-revolution in Vietnam. Its importance
resides in its broad coalition character that reflects
a majority movement and brings together to the greatest
possible extent the new forces which oppose the Vietnam
war. The task of the "New Mobilization" is to mobilize
the political will of the American people to demand the
immediate and unconditional retreat of all American
forces and arms from Vietnam and, afterwards, to insist
in the interior or the exterior of the United States,
against the oppressed and exploited who claim their
rights of self-determination and human liberation.
March Against Death
"The demonstrations at Washington will be organized
by a large alliance of groups which oppose the Vietnam
war. The demonstrations will begin by a "March Against
Death" to commemorate those who died in Vietnam. This
will begin at midnight 13 November and will continue
36 hours until the morning of 15 November. This march
will have the form of a silent, solemn parade with the
participation of 43,000-45,000 persons (the number of
persons coning from each state ought to correspond
to the number of Americans from this state who died
in Vietnam which will march past the rhite House.)
"Each participant in this march will carry a placard
with the name of a dead American and, in passing in
front of the White House, this name will be called out.
In addition, they will carry and call out the names of
the cities and villages of Vietnam destroyed by the
United States and its allies - razed, bombed or burned
down. The march will leave from the National Cemetery
at Arlington for the Capitol where the placards with
the names of the dead will be placed in baskets and then
carried to the White House together with the list of
demands of the "New Mobilization".
15 November: March and meeting to demand the immediate
withdrawal of troops.
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"Sunday morning at 0900 hours the persons coming
from all over the country will congregate on the mall
to march to the White House. Before the departure
there will be a brief commemorative service. At
the White House a delegation will present the demands
of the "New Mobilization" as well as the baskets con-
taining the placards with the names of the dead Ameri-
can soldiers and the cities and villages destroyed.
The march will end in a mass meeting.
"At the center of the "New Mobilization" there
is a special committee for the Vietnam Moratorium.
This was formed by the forces which participated in
the electoral campaigns of McCarthy and Robert
Kennedy. It has called for a "Moratorium on Daily
Activities" for 15 October. The students, the faculty
members and the citizens politically engaged arc invited
to consecrate the entire day to carrying the discussion
of peace in Vietnam to broad sectors of society. In
its appeal signed by almost 200 presidents and editors
of student organizations, the committee for the moratorium
has called upon the university students, faculty to
rally others so that an even larger and longer moratorium
can be held in November. They are preparing to have a
moratorium of two days in November, three days in December,
etc., for as long as the war continues. The Vietnam
Moratorium committee set itself the objective to con-
tact businesses, homes, factories, high schools and
other social centers and to call upon the citizens
to participate in the moratoriums in the months which
will follow.
The "New Mobilization" defends the "conspirators":
"At the origin of the Chicago demonstrations is
the legal action against Rennie Davis, Dave Dellinger,
Tom Hayden, John Freines, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin,
Bobby Seale, and Lee Warner who are accused of "criminal
conspiracy". These eight men took an active part in the
demonstrations at the Democratic Convention in Chicago.
They are the first to be prosecuted in connection with
provision 18 of the 1968 civil rights law which
stipulates that it is illegal "to travel between states
...with the intention to incite, promote, encourage,
join or continue violent protests". The eight refuse
to let themselves to be intimidated by the GovermIcnt's
label of "conspiracy". On the contrary, they have
adopted the name of "conspirators" in order to con-
front one of the most serious attacks against
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political liberty since the epoch of Senator
Joe McCarthy.
"In support of this decisive act to defend the
right of political opposition, the "New Mobilization"
will organize an action day in Chicago on 25 October
centered on the questions of conspiracy and� the war.
"Among the activities will be a guerilla style
march, a tribunal where prominent persons will conduct
a trial, and rock concert.
"Begin now the preparations for 35 November."
"This is only a brief summary of the activities
prepared by the "New Mobilization" for October and
November.
"We all, in our respective organizations and countries,
ought to act in support of this grand campaign.
"Start now to prepare actions which will make 15
November the International Day of Mobilization Against
the Vietnam War. The International Liaison Committee
of the Stockholm Conference on Vietnam will meet on
11-12 October in Stockholm to launch an appeal for action
on 15 November in support of the American Autumn
Offensive. We must strongly emphasize the decisive
importance of these American activities and our
support for them."
(signed) Berth l SVAHNSTROEM.
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