EXTRACTS FROM BRADSHER ARTICLES ON FALL OF SAIGON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-244-1-4-5
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: October 21, 1975
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/15: LOC-HAK-244-1-4-5
130000 CCQaOI
DRAFTED BY S,PRS$RANDERSONtAVW
APPROVERBY11PRS*RANDERSON
S/3/ APSHANK1E?
S .,, , JCOVEY.
P, 21,P343Z:,.? OCT 75 ZFP
PM SECSTA.TE WA HOC,
TO USDEL ECRt'TARY PRIORITY
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE STATE '0.605 TOSEC 160136
E,O.U552$ N/A
TAGSI SOON, PFOR, US,
VS, AEMR`
SUBJECT:. EXTRACTS FROM BRAD4HER.1 ARTICLES ON FALL OP SAIGON
FOR SECRETARY AND ASST SECRETARY''.HARIB FROM SPAS
NO, !7
ANDERSON
FOLLOWING ARE KEY EXCERPTS FROM: XTENSIVE TWOuPART STORY BY
HENRY BRADSHER CARRIED IN OCTOBE' 19. AND 20 ISSUES OF WA.S.H
STAR*
kit"T 0a,
"U.S. EMBASSY IN SAIGON CHOSE TO BELIEVE COMMUNIST 'A$SURANCUS
THAT :A TRUCE WORLD BC ARRANGED L T' APRIL, RATHER THAN ITS
OWN INTELLIGENCE REPORTS 'THAT Nib W VIETNAMESE INTENDED "TO
CAPTURE CITY, ACCORDING TO OFFICI> : L SOURCES,
"THIS.ACCEPTANCE OF WHAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A DELIBERATE
COMMUNIST bECEPTION WAS A MAJOR .E .E 1NT IN,EMBASSY'S , FAILURE
TO MAKE ADESUATE PREPARATIONS FORS: EVACUATION. THOUSANDS OF
VIETNAMESE WHO HAD SEEN PROMISED THAT THEY WOULD BE" TAKEN
0UT, .AS, WELL AS DOZENS 'OF AMERICANS, WERE LEFT BEHIND.
LIMITED'`' # P~:ICIAL USE
o Declassification in Full 2010/07/15: LOC-HAK-244-1-4-5
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/15: LOC-HAK-244-1-4-5
"ASSURANCEE'S, W IICH SEEMED . TO ORI IINA:TE IN HANQ.I,. SAID THAT
US, WOULD GE GIV=EN A CHANCE F OR a A N ORDERLY W x T$X 'R 4W,AN;,, PRO*
D'e rts#~et, of State
LIMITED OFICiAL USE
PAGE B"AE 3?TATE 21U65S$ TOSEC I8'086
VIETNAM 0' 004% A HA-LT IN FZGHTI1.4J#
MESS'kGE C N 'Y1 FQtAGH' HUNGARIAN 4$ POLIS44 1 ELEGAhTI.GINi
REPORTS, BUT' THEY ALSO GAVE SOME 'CREDENCE TO ASSURANCES,
IF NOT $Q MUCH AS AMBASSADOR GRA14 sM As MARTIN IN4 IA.II NN DID.
"SECSTAAT'E )4A SAID WHEN EVACUATI~ ENDED THAT UNTIL 24 P
[ EFO E' ITt STARTED 101, THOUGHT T RE WAS SOME CONSEDE*A .E
HOPE, THAT NORTH VIETNAMESE WOULD, NOT SEEK A SOLUTION;"!Y
PURELY MILITARY MEANS,,. WE TH40I GHT A NEGOTIATED S0I U'T .BN
IN NEXT FEW DAYS WAS HIGHLY PROBABLE. a
"BUT T14EN ?THE NORTH VIETNAMESE OBVIOUSLY CHANGED SIGN", S.11
HAK SAID.
"INTEL.LIGEN,CE REPORTS SHOWED, HO,W, VER, THAT THERE WAS tip
CHANGE OF SIGNALS, COMMUNISTS N~ IER INTENDED TO MAKE A w
KIND OF DEAL, THOSE REPORTS WER SUBSTANTIATED BY INQEO
PENDENT MEANS MORE THAN A WEEK 6; ORE FINAL ATTACK 4$
SAIGON AND HAVE SINCE BEEN VERIF D BY COMMUNIST STATEMENTS.
..., "ROLE OF HUNGARIANS AND POLE IS UNCLEAR. IT IS
XMPOSSIBLE TO LEARN WHETHER'THEY' ERE DECEIVED THEMSELVES
BY VIETNAMESE COMMUNISTS INTO TH:I KING A DEAL MIGHT BE
ARRANGED, OR WERE INFORMED PARTI TO A PLAN TO TMFROW U;,S.,
OFFICIALS OFF BALANCE BY PUTTIN4 OUT A FALSE STORY,
"SOME AMERICANS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN HIGH LEVEL EXCHANGES
DURING LAST FEW WEEKS OF APRIL BELIEVE THE TWO COMMUNIST
DELEGATIONS WERE :IN ON PLAN. THEY ALSO BELIEVE THAT SOVIET
UNION WAS A PARTY TO DECEIT, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL SENIOR
OFFICIALS' ,ASS CONFIRMATI'ONq,
"OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON MADE FINAL PREPARATION-S, F A
H LICOPTEF EVA,e.UAT'It N Of SAIGON `IAN A$I$ OF INI LLIGENC
ICCSr I I I I 'S CRvEAT'ED BY I.NEF'$ CTIVE 1913. VIETNAM A; ?.U'
FIRE ASREENENT. ATTE'Mi T"S TO CON I*M IT ? TWRQUGR4 SO*Z T'
UNION,:YZi. GED AMBIGUOUS ANSWERS *RAT WERE TAKEN, BY K *NY
OFFICIALS REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS,
LIMITED OFFICIAL U
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/15: LOC-HAK-244-1-4-5
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/15: LOC-HAK-244-1-4-5
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R4 CAUNTIO HOW FINA~VICTORYWAS. ACHI V O., T4'$tY MAOV IT
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