MEETING WITH PRESIDENT FOR HENRY A. KISSINGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-22-4-12-9
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 7, 2009
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: April 6, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/12/07: LOC-HAK-22-4-12-9
SECRET /SENSITIVE/ EYES ONLY
SEND VIA OAS BACKCHANNEL
April 6r 1972
AMBASSADOR BUNKER
HENRY A. KISSINGER
Your Saigon 0056 greatly appreciated. It is most helpful
to have periodic personal appraisals of this kind. Agree completely
that a repeat of this message in abbreviated form through regular
channels would be constructive.
Please do not fail to bring to my attention anything you feel
we can do from this end to make your tasks easier.
Warm personal regards.
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
SECRET/ SENSITIVE/ EYES ONLY
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/12/07: LOC-HAK-22-4-12-9
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/12/07: LOC-HAK-22-4-12-9
,ABRAMS WILL REPORT THROUGH HIS CHAR ELS.
R~.~:clvEfl
WHCA
1972 APR 6 '13 ', 42
S E C R E T 061135Z APR 72 VIA CAS CHANNELS (BUNKER)
FROM: AMBASSADOR BUNKER SAIGON 0056 IMMEDIATE
TO: THE WHITE HOUSE, EYES ONLY FOR HENRY A. KISSINGER
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH PRESIDENT THIEU, APRIL 6, .1972.
to, IN LONG MEETING WITH PRESIDENT THIEU TODAY, GENERAL ABRAMS
ANDS I DISCUSSED THE COUNTRY SITUATION; ENEMY. DISPOSITIONS AND
INTENTIONS; U. S. AIR REIKFORCEFN]ENTS AND CAPABILITIES; TARGET
AUTHORIZATIONS AND PRESENT EMPLOYMENT OF AIR ASSETS. GENERAL
2. WE WERE AGREED ON ORDER ' OF 'ENEMY PRIORITIES AS:
A) CAPTURE OF QUA~NG TRY/HUE.
B) CAPTURE-OF KONTUM.
3. PRESIDENT THIEU EXPLAINED PROPOSED DISPOSITION OF RVNAF
FORCES, INCLUDING REINFORCEMENTS TO MOUNT COUNTER-ATTACK IN
MR I AND TO MEET ENEMY THREATS IN B-3 FRONT IN MR 2 AND TO
BINH LONG AND TA NINH PROVINCES IN MR 3.
4. GENERAL ABRAMS ENUMERATED THE ADDITIONAL AIR FORCE
SQUADRONS WHICH HAD BEEN SUPPLIED AND WERE TO ARRIVE; THE
ADDITIONAL B-52S WITH ACCOMPANYING F"-1"05S; THE FOUR AIRCRAFT
CARRIERS, ONE OF WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE-USED TO SUPPORT MR 3;
THE ADDITIONAL DESTROYERS AND THE CRUISER OKLAHOMA.
5. GENERAL ABRAMS LISTED AIR PRIORITIES AS, FIRST, MR 1 (250
TACAIR SORTIES PER DAY, WEATHER PERMITTING); SECOND, MR 2
(100 TACAIR SORTIES PER DAY; MR 3 (100 TACAIR SORTIES PER DAY).
MR I HAS BEEN ASSIGNED 42 B-52 SORTIES PER DAY WITH 9 TO MR 2.
(AS THE WEATHER HAS BECOME FAVORABLE TODAY, SAM" TARGETS HAVE.
BEEN ATTACKED UP TO THE 18TH PARALLEL.) I ?
C) OCCUPATION OF TAY NTNH AND BINH LONG PROVINCES.
D) INTRODUCTION OF SAPPERS INTO SAIGON, FOLLOWED BY
E) CALL FOR CEASE-FIRE AND COALITION GOVERNMENT.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/12/07: LOC-HAK-22-4-12-9
 4
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/12/07: LOC-HAK-22-4-12-9
~6. THIEU SAID THAT GENERAL VIEN HAD PROPOSED MOVING THE 9TH
DIVISION FROM MR 4 TO MR I AS A BACK-UP DIVISION, RELEASING
THE 2ND DIVISION FOR THE COUNTER-ATTACK AGAINST THE ENEMY.
GENERAL ABRAMS SUGGESTED IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO MOVE THE''
21ST DIVISION FROM MR 4 AS A MORE AGGRESSIVE UNIT WHICH COULD
BE EMPLOYED DIRECTLY IN THE COUNTER-ATTACK WITHOUT GOING THROUGH
THE PROCESS OF SUBSTITUTION. T'HIEU AGREED AND WILL 'TAKE UP THE
MATTER WITH GENERAL VI.EN TOMORROW. HE FEELS THAT WITH TI 21ST,
THE 9 RANGER BATTALIONS WHICH ARE TO BE CONSTITUTED INTO it DIVISION,
AND THE THREE MARINE BRIGADES TOGETHER WITH THE THREE REGULAR
DIVISIONS IN MR_ 1, HE WILL HAVE ADEQUATE FORCES. HE THINKS THAT
MR 2 WITH THE PRESENT REINFORCEMENT OF THE TWO AIRBORNE BRIGADES
WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE SITUATION THERE. ONE AIRBORNE BRIGADE
IS TO BE RETAINED IN MR 3. HIEU ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD INSTRUCTED
GENERAL VIE N THAT THE REGIONAL FORCES MUST :BE REARRANGED WHERE
NECESSARY, USED TO FILL ANY GAPS AND TO REPLACE MANPOWER.
7.' I MENTIONED THE ?f"_ED TO IMPROVE GVN INFORMATION FACILITIES,
ESPECIALLY IN MR-is WIDESPREAD APPREHENSION AND ANXIETY WAS
REPORHED 'AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO WERE LIVING, ON RUMORS AND ? COUNTER-
PRODUCTIVE MISINFORMATION. THE GVN RADIO SIGNAL IS REPORTED.'
WEAK IN PARTS OF 'QUANG TRI. WE FELT THERE WAS AN URGENT NEED
FOR IMPROVED GVN INFORMATION AND PSYOPS PROGRAMS.. IT WAS ALSO
IMPORTANT THAT SAIGON AND MR .1 COORDINATE ON THE SAME WAVE
LENGTH. - . ?r . .
8. I THINK THE MEETING WAS USEFUL. WE SEEM TO BE AGREED ON ALL
ESSENTIAL POINTS. THIEU APPEARS TO BE CALM AND CONFIDENT AND
ABRAMS FEELS THAT WITH ANY KIND OF BREAK IN THE WEATHER. (WHICH'
WE SHOULD BE GETTING NOW), THE SITUATION CAN BE HANDLED.
9. DO YOU WISH ME TO` REPEAT THIS IN ABBREVIATED FORM THROUGH
10. WARM REGARDS*
ilU. ~1' 41
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2009/12/07: LOC-HAK-22-4-12-9