A WAR OF NERVES FLURRY OF CONFERENCES INDICATES DECISION IMMINENT ON PEACE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000300360002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 17, 2000
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 16, 1972
• Content Type: NSPR

STATINTL 1i1ASHII+GTON POST
Approved For Release 2001/03~~ / : CIA-RDP80-01601 R00030
D1p "372
War of Nerves-"
Flurry of Conferences Indicates
Decision Inliiiineni on Peace
By Murrey Marder
Washlnaton Post Staff Writer
President Nixon appeared to be on the verge of a the release of [American}
d0cisioli yesterday in what one diplomatic source described POWs, in exchange for end.
Ill.- the bombill:; and minim
as "a war of nerves" between N1ashington and Saigon over of tile. north, for U.S. troop
a cease-fire settlement of the Vietnamese var, withdrawal anti for an end
A series of high-level conferences oil Vietnam is under to U.S. -military and cco-
nom}e aid to the south."
41vay inside the Nixon administration, White house press This possibility of a total
secretary Ronald L. Ziegler reported yesterday. This pat- cutoff of U.S. aid, Thicu,
tern is often the prelude to a major presidential decision, conceded, is the major
~r r datlhei' that, Sl?L'11111? a gep?
although Ziegler forecast no.announcement. He said there crate U.S.-North Victnaiiicse
is "no plan . at this time" for President Nixon to speak Peace settlement ho]cds for
on Vietnam before Christmas. South Vietnam.
Kissinger conferred with the President for the fourth If we, we, the Republic of
time yesterday since Kissinger's return Wednesday from Vietnam, did not accept an
h.is Paris negotiations with LO, Dtic ''ho, who also left Paris unreasonable formula allow-
ing North Vietnamese troops
yesterday saying that he and Kissinger agreed not to make 'to stay in the south; iii ad
and Concord to supervigr'
elections for a new govern
meat in Sout.h? Vietnam, -
By withholding agreement
to the cease-fire, Thicu could
impair the whole package.'
On Thursday in Paris; North-
Vietnam's spokesman said,
the Saigon regime must sibs
that accord.
The United States anti
South Vietnam, therefore;
each appears to have the
capacity to block the other's
intentions, unless one or t:ae
other, breaks the stalnlate`
by a new move, This is the
decision that is awaited from;
the White House. afi; w
That Kissinger-Tho agreement would indicate that any .U>.ited States must carry
Public confluent about the state of the pirolonged negotia out, 1,110 Communists would
tions between Washington and Ilanoi on taking the United U S10ast demand that t s
'Stales out of the war will be limited. of 0 end its
military and d economic ni.a
The critical issue at this stage is Soutli Vietnam's strong to the republic of Vietnam."
objection tothe nine-poinl package negotiated between the ~otith Vietnam "must ?2on"
United States and North Vietnam, or alternatively, the tinue to fight for its inc:e
.possibility of a'separate peace settlement between WVash pencience, freedom, survila
ington and lIalioi, over the head of South Vietnamese and peace," said. Thieu. "Titer
President Nguyen Van Thieu. RVN does not hestitate ft
in addition to Rissilrcr's hat 4v