CODEL SOLOMON IN HANOI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01390R000700910019-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: February 17, 1986
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24 :CIA-RDP90B01390R000700910019-3
OCA
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PAGE 001 NC 9940269
TOR: 1719042 FEB 86 BANGKO 08516
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ZNY CCCCC ZZH
0 1705252 FEB 86
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1101
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUHQHQA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
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INFO RUEHCR/AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 0726
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1627
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2964
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 9527
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0545
RUEHLU/AMEMBASSY LONDON 5021
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 7929
RUFHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1574
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 6182
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2421
RUMJFS/AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 0507
BT
ANGKOK 08516
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: OVIP, MOPS, VM, US
SUBJECT: CODEL SOLOMON IN HANOI
2. SUMMARY. CODEL SOLOMON VISITED HANOI FEBRUARY 14-15
AND MET WITH DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HOANG RICH SON. A
SCHEDULECi COURTESY CALL WITH MINISTER OF STATE VO DONG
GIANG WAS CANCELLED EY THE DELEGATION WHEN THEY~LEARNED
THAT FORr_LGN MINISTER THACH WOULD NOT BE AVAILAE;LE. THE
CODEL EMPHASIZED THE LIVE SIGHTING ISSUE; SON REPEATED
THE CLAIM THAT VIETNAM HAS NO AMERICANS UNDER I15
CONTROL, BUT SUGGESTED THERE MIGHT BE SOME LIVE
AMERICANS IT DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT. WHEN ASKED IF
AMERICANS COULD JOIN SRV TEAMS INVESTIGATING LIVE
SIGHTINGS, SON SAID THIS COULD BE DISCUSSED AT THE
TECHNICAL MEETINGS. SON ANNOUNCED TO THE CODEL THAT
VIETNAM WOULD SOON TURN OVER ABOUT 14 REMAINS, ALTHOUGH
HE WOULD NOT SAY THIS WOULD BE DURING THE UPCOMING FEB.
26-27 TECHNICAL MEETING. THE CODEL RAISED THE ORDERLY
DEPARTURE PROGRAM AND URGED THAT TECHNICAL TALKS TAKE
PLACE SOON; THE VIETNAMESE SAID THAT THE TALKS WOULD BE
HELD IN BANGKOK BY EARLY MARCH. WHEN THE CODEL RAISED
POLITICAL PRISONERS, SON SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT BE
RELEASED NOW BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE USED TO SUBVERT
VIETNAM. THE CODEL INVITED SON AND THACH TO MEET WITH
THEM WHEN THE VIETNAMESE ARE NEXT IN NEW YORK; SON
ACCEPTED AND SAID HE WOULD INFORM THACH. END SUMMMARY.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24 :CIA-RDP90B01390R000700910019-3
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24 :CIA-RDP90B01390R000700910019-3
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3. CODEL SOLOMON (A LIST OF MEMBERS IS CONTAINED AT THE
END OF THIS MESSAGE) ARRIVED IPJ HANOI AT 1400 ON
FEBRUARY 14. THE DELEGATION FIRST MET WITH MFA ACTING
DIRECTOR FOR NORTH AMERICAN AFFAIRS NGUYEN CAN TO GO
OVER THE SCHEDULE. AT THIS MEETING, THE CODEL LEARNED
THAT IT WOULD NOT MEET WITH FOREIGN MINISTER NGUYEN CO
THACH, BUT THAT THE HIGHEST LEVEL MEETING WOULD BE WITH
MINISTER OF STATE VO DONG GIANG. THE ONLY EXPLANATION
OFFERED WAS THAT THACH WAS "OUT OF TOWN" OR "NOT
AVAILABLE". (WESTERN JOURNALISTS TOLD THE DELEGATION
THAT THEY WERE BRIEFED BEFORE THE CODEL'S ARRIVAL THAT
THACH WAS PREVIOUSLY ON THE SCHEDULE.) REP. SOLOMON
EXPRESSED GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT THAT THE FOREIGN MINISTER
WOULD NOT MEET WITH THE DELEGATION, AND SUGGESTED THAT
THE GROUP MIGHT HAVE TO CANCEL THE REST OF THE VISIT.
REP. SOLOMON LATER ARRANGED WITH THE SRV DELEGATION
LEADER, DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER HOANG BICH SON THAT, IN
LIGHT OF THACH'S UNAVAILABILITY, THE CODEL WOULD FOREGO
THE SCHEDULED COURTESY CALL WITH GIANG AND LEAVE
EARLIER THAN ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED 2000 DEPARTURE ON
FEBRUARY 15.
4. ON FEBRUARY 15 THE CODEL LEARNED FROM THE BRITISFI AND
AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADORS THAT FOR SEVERAL DAYS RUMORS
HAD BEEN CIRCULATING IN HANOI THAT PARTY GENERAL SECRETAVY
LE DUAN HAD DIED IN MOSCOW (INCLUDING ONE STORY THAT THE
SOVIET EMBASSY HAD FIRST ANNOUNCED, THEN RETRACTED, THIS
NEWS). BOTH SPECULATED THAT THACH WAS TIED UP DURING
THE CODEL'S VISIT WITH THE ACTUAL OR IMMINENT DEATH OF
DUAN.
5. AFTER THE ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING WITH CAN, THE CODEL
VISITED THE WELL-KNOWN SITE OF A B-52 CRASH OUTSIDE
HANOI AND A HANDICRAFTS FAIR. THEY MET WITH SRV
DELEGATION LEADER SON FOR ONE HOUR BEFORE A DINNER
HOSTED BY SON. ON FEBRUARY 15 THE CODEL MET FOR
BREAKFAST WITH UK AMBASSADOR RICHARD TOLBOYS (HOST) AND
THE AUSTRALIAN, ITALIAN AND BELGIAN AMBASSADORS.
FOLLOWING BREAKFAST THE CODEL HELD A FORMAL TWO HOUR
SESSION WITH SON, CAN AND FOUR OTHER MFA OFFICIALS (NGO
HOANG AND DO VAN MINH OF THE NORTH AMERICAN DEPARTMENT,
INTERPRETER HA HUY THONH, AND MFA "SPECIALIST" TRAN KIM
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24 :CIA-RDP90B01390R000700910019-3