SUBJECTS IN WHICH SOUVANNA WILL SHOW PARTICULAR INTEREST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-248-6-29-9
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: January 16, 1973
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Pah 2013/10/25: LOC-HAK-248-6-29-9
-OP IMMED
0188 0160700
0 160517Z JAN 71 ZYH
FM VIENTIANE
TO WHITE HOUSE
C R E T 160517i JAN 1973
FM AMBASSADOR GODLEY VIENTIANE 647
TO GENERAL HAIG (EYES ONLY) SAIGON
INFO THE WHITE HOUSE FOR DR. KISSINGER (EYES ONLY)
SUBJECT: SUBJFCTS IN WHICH SOUVANNA WILL SHOW PARTICULAR
REF; A.
B. WH30095
1. BELIEVE YOU CAN EXPECT SOUVANNA TO FOCUS ON THOSE
PORTIONS OF THE USG ?COWS AGREEMENTS WHICH HAVE BEARING
ON THE SETTLEMENT 114 LAOS. SPECIFICALLY, FORESEE THE
PRIME MINISTER SEEKING YOUR VIEWS ALONG FOLLOWING LINES
A. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE TIMING OF THE CEASE.-
FIRE IN LAOS IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE TIMING FOR A CEASEFIR
IN VIETNAM? THE LAST SOUVANNA HEARD WAS THAT LAOS CEASEF
WOULD FOLLOW WITHIN TWO WEEKS. IS THIS STILL THE LATEST
AGREEMENT?
d. SOUVANNA WILL WANT REASSURANCES ABOUT US AIR
SUPPORT IN THE PERIOD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A CEASEFIRE IN
VIETNAM UNTIL CEASEFIRE SIGNED IN LAOS. WHILE HE HAS RECElv
THESE ASSURANCES FROM YOU BEFORE, THE MILITARY SITUATION
IN MR4$ V, IV, AND I ARE PRECARIOUS AND HE UNDOUBTEDLY
FEARS THAT NORTH VIETNAMESE WILL TRY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THE TIME SPAN BETWEEN THE TWO CEASEFIRES TO STRENGTHEN LPF
BARGAINING POS/TION IN NEGOTIATIONS BY IMPROVING LPF/NVA
MILITARY POSTURE.
C. YOU WILL RECALL FROM YOUR MEETING HERE LAST
MONTH SOUVANNAIS CONCERN ABOUT possisie WITHDRAWAL OF
NVA FORCES PRESENTLY IN SOUTH VIETNAM THROUGH LAOS.
SOUVANNA PLED THAT NVA MUST NOT BE WITHDRAWN
THROUGH LAOS PANHANDLE SINCE HE FEARED SOME NVA CADRES
WOULD REMAIN BEHIND WITH LPF. HE MAY WANT TO KNOW WHAT
HAS BEEN AGREED TO ON THIS SUBJECT. ALSO, TO EXTENT THAT
NVA Is ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN SOUTH VIETNAM, HE WILL BE
INTERESTED TO HEAR HOW THESE ENEMY FORCES WILL BE RESUPPLIE0
WITHOUT VIOLATING LAO TERRITORIAL SOVEREIGNTY.
D. HE WILL ALSO WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT HAS
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N ,AGREED ON BETWEEN USC AND DRv ON WITHDRAWAL OF
A FROM LAOS. EXPERIENCE IN 1962 HAS SHOWN THAT NO
AGREE TO ICC SUPERVISION OF NvA WITHDRAWAL FROM LAOS.
UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES HE WILL WANT TO Be APPRISED AGAIN
OF PROVISIONS FOR NVA WITHDRAWAL AND How RLG WILL
KNOW THAT WITHDRAWAL IS ACTUALLY TAKING PLACE, IN THIS
CONNECTION, 1 NOTE THAT BOTH RIG AND LPF DRAFT AGREEMENTS
ON A CEASEFIRE CALL FOR WITHDRAWAL OF ALL FOREIGN FORCES
FROM LAOS WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF SIGNING OFA CEASEFIRE
AGREEMENT IN VIENTIANE,
E. SOUVANNA MAY ALSO WANT To KNOW OUR THINKING ON
TIMING AND EXTENT OF WITHDRAWAL OF THAI SGUIS AND US PARA-
MILITARY PERSoNNAL, SOUVANNA PLANS TO FLY TO NEW 0E041
JANUARY 27 TO DISCUSS wITH MADAME GANDHI ROLE OF A
STRENGTHENED ICC IN POST CEASEFIRE PERIOD AND HE MAY
SEEK YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE BROADER TOPIC OF w/TH
DRAwAL OF ALL FOREIGN FORCES FROM LAOS BEFORE DISCUSSING
THE SUPERVISION OF THE WITHDRAWAL WITH INDIA PRESIDENT,
F. SOUVANNA IS ALSO WORRIED THAT NVA WILL NOT
RESPECT LAO TERRITORIAL SOVEREIGNTY AS LONG AS FIGHTING
CONTINUES IN CAMBODIA, HE WILL PROBABLY ASK WHAT
HAS BEEN AGREED ON BETWEEN USC AND DRY REGARDING
CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES IN CAMBODIA.
G. FINALLY, HE WILL WANT To KNOW WHATEVER YOU CAN
TELL HIM REGARDING PROSPECTS FOR TIMING OF CONCLUDING
NEGOTIATIONS IN PARIS SINCE THIS MAY AFFECT HIS TRAVEL
LANS, HE PLANS TO LEAVE vIENTIANE FOR INDIA JANUARY
27 AND RETURN FEBRUARY 2 OR 3. IF IT LOOKS LIKELY THAT
A SETTLEMENT WILL BE REACHED ON VIETNAM DURING THAT PERIO
HE MAY NOT WISH TO ABSENT HImSELF FROM VIENTIANE.
H. IN ADDITION TO FOREGOING, THERE IS SOME
SKEPTICISM AMONG KEY LAO LEADERS THAT DRY WILL CARRY
00 PROVISIONS ..OF ANY BILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH
? USG OR oF ACCORDS SIGNED BY NORTH VIETNAMESE SURROGATES
SUCH AS LPf IN LAOS. SOUVANNA MAY ONCE AGAIN INQUIRE HOW
THE :USG PLANS TO COPE WITH THIS PROBLEM.
XC OS
700
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