CODEL SOLOMON IN HANOI

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01390R000700910020-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: February 17, 1986
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/10/24: CIA-RDP90BO139OR000700910020-1
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INFO RUEHCR/AMEMBASSY BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN 0726
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1627
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2964
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 9527
RUEHOL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0545
RUEHLD/AMEMBASSY LONDON 5021
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 7929
RUFHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1574
RUEHGP/AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE 6182
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2421
RUMJFS/AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE 0507
BT
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 WITHD (#)
BRICOP HOANG BICH SONM A
SCHEDULED COURTESY CALL WITH MINISTER OF STATE VO DONG
GIANG WAS CANCELLED BY THE DELEGATION WHEN THEY LEARNED
THAT FOREIGN MINISTER THACH WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE. THE
CODEL EMPHASIZED THE LIVE SIGHTING ISSUE; SON REPEATED
THE CLAIM THAT VIETNAM HAS NO AMERICANS UNDER ITS
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.
GnixigirIMINITI
^ IN . ^
OCA
INCOMING
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3. CODEL SOLOMON (A LIST OF MEMBERS IS CONTAINED AT THE
END OF THIS MESSAGE) ARRIVED IN 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.
RE. 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 HANOI
EARLIER THAN ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED 2000 DEPARTURE ON
FEBRUARY 15.
4. ON FEBRUARY 15 THE CODEL LEARNED FROM THE BRITISH AND
AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADORS THAT FOR SEVERAL DAYS RUMORS HAD
BEEN CIRCULATING IN HANOI THAT PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY
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
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: OVIP, MOPS, VM, US
SUBJECT: CODEL SOLOMON IN HANOI
NGA). THE CODEL HOSTED A RETURN LUNCH FOR THE SRV
DELEGATION, VISITED THE FORMER POW CAMP AT 17 LY NAM DE
STREET,'AND DEPARTED HANOI AT 1600. THE FOLLOWING
SUBSTANTIVE ACCOUNT IS DRAWN LARGELY FROM THE FORMAL
MEETING WITH HOANG BICH SON, WHICH COVERED MOST OF THE
MATERIAL DISCUSSED DURING THE OTHER MEETINGS WITH THE
VIETNAMESE.
6. THROUGHOUT THE VISIT, HOANG BICH SON EMPHASIZED THE
POINT THAT VIETNAM CONSIDERS THE MIA ISSUE A
HUMANITARIAN ONE NOT LINKED TO THE POLITICAL DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN VIETNAM AND THE U.S., PARTICULARLY THE CONTINUED
HOSTILITY OF THE U.S. FOR VIETNAM (INCLUDING,
INTERESTINGLY, A NEGATIVE REFERENCE TO THE JUST-RELEASED
"STATE DEPARTMENT HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT".) HE REAFFIRMED
VIETNAM'S INTENTION TO WORK WITH THE U.S. TO RESOLVE THE
MIA ISSUE WITHIN TWO YEARS.
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7. THE CODEL AFFIRMED AT EACH MEETING THAT ITS FIRST
PRIORITY AND THE FIRST PRIORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
IS TO RESOLVE THE QUESTION OF LIVING AMERICANS WHO MIGHT
STILL BE IN VIETNAM. REP. DORMAN STATED THAT THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WOULD REJOICE AT THE RETURN OF LIVE
AMERICANS AND WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR VIETNAM'S HUMANE
POLICY IN FINDING AND RETURNING THEM. HE ALSO ASKED FOR
VIETNAM'S HELP IN LOCATING AND TURNING OVER THE NAMES OF
AMERICANS WHO MIGHT HAVE DESERTED FROM THE U.S. FORCES,
IN ORDER TO EASE THE MINDS OF THEIR FAMILIES.
8. SON REPEATED THE POSITION THAT THERE ARE NO AMERICANS
UNDER SRV CONTROL IN VIETNAM, NOTING THAT VIETNAM HAD
RETURNED PILOTS AND HIGH-RANKING OFFICERS AND HAD NO
REASON TO KEEP "LESS IMPORTANT" LOW RANKING OFFICERS AND
ENLISTED MEN. HOWEVER, HE SUGGESTED THERE MIGHT BE
AMERICANS WHO ARE UNKNOWN TO THE SRV AUTHORITIES,
SAYING, IF THERE ARE ANY AMERICANS LIVING HERE, THEY
ARE BEYOND OUR CONTROL." SPECIFICALLY, HE SAID THERE
ARE TWO CATEGORIES OF AMERICANS WHO MIGHT BE IN VIETNAM:
A) PERSONS LEFT BEHIND BY THE USG TO TAKE PART IN
POST-WAR SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES AGAINST VIETNAM; AND B)
PERSONS INFILTRATED INTO VIETNAM BY THE USG FOR THIS
PURPOSE AFTER THE END OF THE WAR. SON SAID THAT VIETNAM
HAD NEVER FOUND ANYONE IN THE FIRST CATEGORY AND THAT IT
HAD FOUND THREE PERSONS IN THE SECOND, ALL OF WHOM HAD
BEEN TURNED OVER TO THE USG, THE LATEST IN 1985
(PRESUMABLY REFERRING TO THE GRAHAM AND MATHERS CASES).
9. SON STATED FURTHER THAT THE SRV WILL INVESTIGATE ANY
INFORMATION IT RECEIVES ON POSSIBLE LIVE AMERICANS,
NOTING THAT IT HS ESTABLISHED THREE TEAMS FOR THIS
PURPOSE. HE CITED THREE EXAMPLES OF SUCH
INVESTIGATIONS: A) AN INVESTIGATION IN MINH HAI
PROVINCE, WHICH PRODUCED NO AMERICANS; B) AN
ENGLISH-SPEAKING INDIAN IN TAY NHAYEN HIGHLANDS; AND C)
A DARK CAMBODIAN WHO WAS MISTAKEN FOR A BLACK AMERICAN
IN THE MEKONG DELTA. SON SAID THAT VIETNAM WOULD GIVE
THE U.S. ANY INFORMATION IT RECEIVED FROM SUCH
INVESTIGATIONS AND WOULD TURN OVER ANY AMERICANS IT
FOUND. AFTER MEETING CONCLUDED, CCDEL WAS INFORMED BY
FOREIGN PRESS THAT SON HAD SAID AMERICANS, IF INDEED IN
VIETNAM, MIGHT BE IN THE HILLS OR IN CAVES.
10. IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS SON STATED THAT VIETNAM HAD
NEVER ASKED LAOS OR CAMBODIA ABOUT LIVE AMERICANS, NOR
HAD IT RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION FROM THEM; BOTH ARE
SOVEREIGN STATES. WHEN ASKED IF AMERICANS COULD JOIN
THE THREE TEAMS INVESTIGATING LIVE SIGHTINGS, SON SAID
THIS COULD BE DISCUSSED BY THE U.S. AND SRV TECHNICAL
TEAMS. WHEN ASKED BY REP. ROBERT SMITH HOW VIETNAM
COULD BE TRUSTED ON THE LIVE PRISONER QUESTION SINCE IT
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: OVIP, MOPS, VM, US
SUBJECT: CODEL SOLOMON IN HANOI
HELD ROBERT GARWOOD FOR SO MANY YEARS, SON SAID THAT
GARW00D HAD JOINED THE VIETNAMESE SIDE" AND WAS NOT A
PRISONER; HE WAS THE ONLY SUCH PERSON FROM THE U.S.
(UNLIKE THE MANY FRENCHMEN WHO JOINED THE VIETNAMESE).
WHILE HE WAS HELD, VIETNAM STATED IT HELD NO PRISONERS
OF WAR. IT RESPECTED GARWOOD'S WISHES, BOTH WHEN HE
WANTED TO STAY AND WHEN HE WANTED TO LEAVE.
11. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FEBRUARY 15 MEETING, SON
TOLD THE CODEL THAT VIETNAM HAD GATHERED A TOTAL OF 70
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"REPORTS" ON MIA's IN RECENT MONTHS (UP FROM THE 50
"INFORMATIONS" ANNOUNCED AT THE ARMITAGE-WOLFOWITZ
MEETING), THAT IT HAD "INVESTIGATED" 20 "CASES" (AMCNG
THE 70 "REPORTS"), AND THAT ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THOSE 20
CASES WOULD RESULT IN THE TURNOVER OF REMAINS. SON
NOTED THAT INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUED AND MIGHT RESULT IN
A FEW ADDITIONAL REMAINS, SO IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO BE
SPECIFIC ABOUT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF REMAINS. THE
VIETNAMESE SAID THAT THE NEXT TECHNICAL MEETING WOULD
TAKE PLACE ON FEBRUARY 26-27 IN HANOI. IN RESPONSE TO
SPECIFIC QUESTIONING, THE VIETNAMESE WOULD NOT SAY THAT
THE REMAINS WOULD BE TURNED OVER AT THIS MEETING.
12. REP. CHRIS SMITH BEGAN DISCUSSING ODP BY NOTING ITS
ORIGIN AS A HUMANE ALTERNATIVE TO THE SUFFERING OF THE
BOAT PEOPLE. HE NOTED THAT THE MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING ESTABLISHING ODP IN 1979 WAS A POSITIVE
STEP AND HAS LED TO OVER 100,000 CDP DEPARTURES, ALMOST
HALF TO THE U.S. SMITH EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE SRV
HAS ABRUPTLY STOPPED U.S. INTERVIEWS AND ORDERED THE
U.S. INTERVIEWERS TO LEAVE HO CHI MINH CITY. HE NOTED
THE SRV CONCERN ABOUT A BACKLOG OF INTERVIEWED PERSONS
WHO HAVEN'T YET LEFT, BUT SAID THAT MANY OF THESE ARE
INADEQUATELY DOCUMENTED. HE SAID THAT THE U.S. HAS
PROVIDED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF NAMES OF PERSONS WHO ARE
ALREADY QUALIFIED TO ENTER THE U.S. UNDER THE PROGRAM.
HE URGED THAT VIETNAM AGREE TO TECHNICAL TALKS SOON IN
HO CHI MINH CITY OR BANGKOK TO HELP RESOLVE THIS
IMPASSE. SMITH ALSO NOTED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE
EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THEIR ODP PROBLEMS. FINALLY,
SMITH REITERATED THE USG OFFER TO TAKE ALL THE AMERASIAN
CHILDREN AND URGED THAT MORE BE PRESENTED FOR INTERVIEWS.
13. SON DEFENDED THE SRV DECISION TO SUSPEND INTERVIEWS
IN LIGHT OF THE LARGE BACKLOG AND THE FACT THAT PERSONS
INTERVIEWED QUIT THEIR JOBS AND SELL THEIR HOUSES. HE
SAID THE BACKLOG MUST BE CLEARED UP BEFORE INTERVIEWERS
CAN RESUME. SON FIRST RESISTED COMMITTING THE SRV TO A
SPECIFIC DATE FOR ODP TECHNICAL TALKS, BUT AFTER
REPEATED QUESTIONING FINALLY SAID THAT THE TALKS WOULD
TAKE PLACE IN BANGKOK EITHER THE LAST WEEK IN FEBRUARY
OR THE FIRST WEEK IN MARCH.
14. REP. DCRNAN URGED THE VIETNAMESE TO KEEN ITS PLEDGE
AND RELEASE THE THOUSANDS OF "OUR ALLIES" WHO ARE STILL
IN REEDUCATION CAMPS. SON NOTED VIETNAM'S HUMANITARIAN
POLICY IN NOT EXECUTING FORMER GVN SOLDIERS AND
OFFICIALS, AS WAS DONE IN EUROPE AFTER WORLD WAR II. HE
SAID THAT VIETNAM PLANS TO RELEASE THE 7,000 STILL HELD
IN REEDUCATION CAMPS, BUT CANNOT DO THAT NOW IN LIGHT OF
THE THREAT POSED BY CHINA'S CONTINUED HOSTILITY AND THE
POSSIBILITY THAT THOSE FREED WOULD JOIN SUBVERSIVE
GROUPS IN VIETNAM. SON SAID THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO
VIETNAM INTENDED TO FREE TO THE U.S. THE 10,000
PRISONERS THEN HELD. THIS, HOWEVER, LED MANY VIETNAMESE
IN THE U.S. TO PLAN ORGANIZING THOSE ABOUT TO BE
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: OVIP, MOPS, VM, US
SUBJECT: CODEL SOLOMON IN HANOI
RELEASED TO WORK AGAINST VIETNAM. HE SAID VIETNAMESE
PUBLIC OPINION AND WORLD PUBLIC OPINION WOULD NOT
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TOLERATE FREEING THESE PEOPLE TO BE USED AGAINST VIETNAM
OR OTHER COUNTRIES, E.G., IN LATIN AMERICA. WHEN
CHALLENGED ON THE LATIN AMERICAN ALLEGATIONS, SON SAID
HE DID NOT BELIEVE THE REPORT HE HAD HEARD OF VIETNAMESE
BEING USED THERE, BUT SINCE SUCH A REPORT WAS PUBLISHED
IN U.S. MEDIA, MANY PEOPLE DID BELIEVE IT. REP. DORNAN
SUGGESTED TO THE VIETNAMESE THAT THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT
SUBVERSION BY RELEASED INMATES MIGHT BE MET BY ASKING
THE VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY IN THE U.S. TO REFRAIN FROM
CRITICISM OF HANOI FOR SEVERAL YEARS AS A CONDITION FOR
THE RELEASE OF THE INMATES. THE VIETNAMESE SAID THEY
WOULD THINK ABOUT THIS IDEA AND DORNAN SAID HE WOULD TRY
IT OUT ON HIS VIETNAMESE CONSTITUENTS.
15. REP. DORNAN CONCLUDED THE FORMAL MEETING WITH SON BY
INVITING SON AND F.M. THACH TO MEET WITH THE POW/MIA
TASK FORCE IN NEW YORK WHEN THEY ARE NEXT IN THAT CITY.
SON ACCEPTED THE INVITATION AND SAID HE WOULD INFORM THE
FOREIGN MINISTER.
16. CODEL SOLOMON CONSISTED OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE
POW/MIA TASK FORCE. BESIDES CHAIRMAN GERALD B. SOLOMAN
(R-NY), IT INCLUDED CO-CHAIRMAN BENJAMIN GILMAN (R-NY),
ROBERT DORNAN (R-CA), CHRISTOPHER SMITH (R-NJ), WILLIAM
HENDEN (R-NC), ROBERT SMITH (R-NH), DAVID DREIER (R-CA),
FRANK MCCLOSKEY (D-IN) AND JOHN ROWLAND (R-CT).
ACCOMPANYING THE DELEGATION WERE FAC STAFF MEMBERS
TERESA CUNAN AND HILLEL WEINBERG, SOLOMAN STAFF MEMBER
COLEEN HELM, EAP/VLC DEPUTY DIRECTOR JOSEPH SNYDER,
OSD/ISA OFFICER LTC HANK LAND, USAF ESCORTS COL J.O.
MCFALLS AND MAJ. NICK PUGH, AND DR. LEE MANDEL.
17. THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN COORDINTED WITH OSD AND
APPROVED BY CODEL SOLOMON. BROWN
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
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