SYMINGTON TRANSCRIPT: REFERENCES TO PHOU PHA THI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP72-00337R000200020048-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2001
• Sequence Number: 48
• Publication Date: March 17, 1970
• Content Type: TELEGRAM

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ORIGIN SS-45
INFO OCT-01 /046 R
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DRAFTED BYtEA/LCiTJCORCORAN
APPROVED BYiEA.JONATHAN MOORE'
PM JOSEPH J WOLF.
S/S MR HORNBLOW
R 170008Z MAR 70
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE
C
Cable Secretariat routing
EXDIS-Baclcground Use Only
FILE-1, CS/RF-2, DCI (orig)-
D/DCI-3, DDP-4, SDO-5, D/OCI-6
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T 0 P 'S''E 'C R E 'T STATE 038704
EXDIS
SUBJ S1.MINGTON:TRANSCRIPTS REFERENCES TO PHOU PHA TH',I
to WE HAVE MAINTAINED' CLASSIFICATION ALL; REFERENCES PHOU PHA THI?
THERE IS NOW MORE-PRESSURE TO DECLASSIFY EXCEPT FOR TECHNICAL
DETAILS. ADVANTAGE OF! DECLASSIFICATION WOULD' BE AVOIDING LONG
DRAWNOUT DISCUSSION OF MATTER WHTCH'HAS ALREADY BEEN SURFACED
I N THE PRESS. 2 BEFORE MAKING THIS'DECISION,# WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR
VIEWS ON SOUVANNAOS PROBABLE REACTION AT'THIS POINT IN TIME.
3. SOUVANNA:AGREED,TO:INSTALLATION OF THIS SITE IN 1966.
SENSITIVITY OF;SUBJECT ATTACHED-TO ITS USE'. BY AIRCRAFT BOMBING
NORTH `VIETNAMo
IN AUTHORIZING INSTALLATION, SOUVAN.NA SAID,THAT'IFINVN ALLEGED
EXISTENCE OF SITE HE WOULD TAKE POSITION THAT HE WAS: UNAWARE
OF ANY SUCH INSTALLATION. IF SITE WERE::COMPRO,M.ISED FURTHER AND
AMERICANS CAPTURED HE' WOULD TAKE POSITIQN,'THAT THESEI PEOPLE
WERE THERE WITHOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE.'U'.S4 ACCEPTED"THESE`CONDITIONS
AND IT WAS ON THE,SASIS OF THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT'.S'ITE
WAS ESTABLISHED. I,T,WAS OVER-RUN IN MARCH 1968.
4? MUCH:HAS'HAPPENED SINCE 1966 WITH Ui*S? AIR ACTIVITIES BEING
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;41. 5 T( Appro edLF r~Re ease 2002/09/03: P72-T~0337 'E SECRETARY
 -~ 'A oar d For Release 2002/09/03 : CIA-RDP72-00 37 0002 0020048-3
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DISCLOSED IN GREATER AND GREATER DETAIL. EVEN THOUGH.SITUATION HAS
CHANGED TO DEGREE THAT MAY NULLIFY SnUVANNA?S 1966 CONCERNS FC ALL
PRATICAL PURPOSES,* WE BELIEVE: WE SHOULD HAVE A READING OE HIS
PROBABLE REACTION SHOULD WE NOW DECIDETO DISCLOSE IN THE TRANSCRIPT
THAT SITE WAS IN FACT'ESTABLISH AND USED. THIS SHOULD INCLUDE
YOUR BEST'ESTIMATE OF PUBLIC POSITION HE WILL TAKE,
ROGERS
10 B l~L:I'F C)DU i:l~ VJi { L)1 ~~Clf6 AUTIi(DS~17ATli,~N OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Approved For Release 2002/09/03 : CIA-RDP72-00337R000200020048-3