CABLE TO ELLSWORTH BUNKER FROM HENRY A. KISSINGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-2-41-0
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 17, 2011
• Sequence Number: 41
• Publication Date: April 27, 1970
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/10/17 : LOC-HAK-490-2-41-0
VIA BACK CHANNEL -? CAS
FLASH -DELVER IMMEDIATELY
for you and General Abrams. However, President has instructed that
I obtain, on a most urgent' basis, your combined views on the proposed
operation in base area 352/353. (I recognize that it will be necessary
for you to contact General Abrams immediately at this inconvenient
hour in order to have a respox~se here a;n Washington by the close of
business today Washington time. )
Please furnish your combined answers to the following questions.
General Abrams will, of course, be best able to respond to those of a
purely military nature.
1. With respect to overall desirability, do you and General
~ April 27, 1970
WHS 0033
FOR AMBASSADOR BUNKER
FROM: HENRY A. KISSINGER
Greatly regret necessity for inconvenience this message must entail
Abrams recommend implementation of the combined LTS/ARVN attack in
base area 352/353 on its merits in relation to:
? b: Other comparable military efforts which could be
xr~ade elsewhere in South Vietnam?
In other words, the President is anxious to learn whether
or not you bath favor an attack an COSVN headquarters as a first choice
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/10/17 : LOC-HAK-490-2-41-0
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/10/17 : LOC-HAK-490-2-41-0
~ ~
TOP SECRET /SENSITIVE /EYES ONLY
among the base areas available or, whether you favor any attack by
U. S. forces on Cambodian sanctuaries in light of the effect such an
attack would have on your overall security posture in South Vietnam..
2. With respect to timing, would you prefer tv withhold
implementation of the operation until the ARVN operation in the
Parrots Beak has been completed or to launch it now given all of cir-
. c.
cumstances, including difficulties imposed by simultaneous operations,
impending rainy season, the overall military and psychological impact
achieved by near simultaneous operations?
3. What are your respective views on what this operation.
' can be expected to accomplish militarily and palitically"~
~4. In light of General Abrams' message of March 30th and ~
in light of the aperation against the Parrots Beak, would General Abrams
prefer, if he had the chaise, to conduct the operation against base area
7D4 rather than base area 352/353? `
5. What is your best estimate of friendly casualties to be
expected from operation in base area 352/353 based on current in-
telligence?
You should lcnov~f question has been raised here whether General
a
Abrams really wants to conduct this operation on its merits ar whether
he favors it only because he assumes it represents the President's
TOP SEC7~,ET/SENSITIVE/EYES ONLY
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/10/17 : LOC-HAK-490-2-41-0
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/10/17 : LOC-HAK-490-2-41-0
TOP SECRET/SENSITIVE/E'YES ONLY
wishes. The President, therefore, wants yours and General Abrams'
unvarnished views on the foregoing questions and wi11 be heavily guided
by them. Please show this message to General Abrams.
Best regards.
TQP SECRET/SENSITIVE/EYES QNLY
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/10/17 : LOC-HAK-490-2-41-0