CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ELLSWORTH BUNKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-5-39-0
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 39
• Publication Date: May 15, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

. 04-**65 61-73
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-5-39-0
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TO PS E CRET SENSITIVE 151202Z 0,Y 79. VIA CAS CHANNELS (BUNKER)
FROM: AMBASSADOR .-gAIGON 0092 IMMEDIATE
TO: THE WHITE HO SE, EYES ONLY FOR HENRY A. KISSINGER
REF: WHS 2069
1. I DISCUSSED SUBJECT OF REFTEL WITH THIEU INDICATING OUR VIEW
THAT WE SHOULD NOT GO TO THE PLENARY SESSIONS WITHOUT KNOWING THROUGH
PRIOR PRIVATE MEETING PRECISELY WHAT THE NORTH VIETNAMESE
ATTITUDE MAY BE. ?
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2. THIEU EXPRESSED THE OPINION THAT WHEN THE PRESIDENT
MEETS WITH SOVIET LEADERS, HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF
HANOI'S THINKING AND THAT WE SHOULD NOT RETURN TO THE PLENARY
SESSIONS IF INDICATIONS ARE THAT HANOI IS GOING TO STICK TO ITS -
PRESENT INTRANSIGENT POSITION. HE, THEREFORE, BELIEVES OPTION 2 TO
BE PREFERABLE SINCE THE PRESIDENT WILL THEN GO TO THE SUMMIT WITH AT
LEAST SOME INDICATION OF. HANOI'S ATTITUDE. THIEU ALSO FEELS THAT
IF WE GO To. THE PLENARY SESSION WITHOUT SOME ASSURANCE OR AT LEAST
INDICATION OF A CHANGE IN HANOI'S POSITION IT WILL PUT US IN A DIS-
ADVANTAGEOUS POSITION SINCE IT WILL APPEAR THAT WE HAVE BEEN FORCED
TO RETURN TO THE MEETINGS. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE CAN SAY TO THE
SOVIET LEADERS THAT WE ARE READY TO PURSUE THE MEETINGS IF THERE
IS SOME INDICATION THAT CONCRETE PRACTICAL RESULTS WILL ENSURE.
(
3, I AGREE WITH YOUR VIEW THAT DELAYING THE PRIVATE MEETING UNTIL
-AFTER THE SUMMIT WILL MAKE IT LOOK AS THOUGH ACTION WAS TAKEN IN
AGREEMENT OR COLLUSION WITH THE SOVIETS AND THERE WILL BE SUSPI-
CION THAT SOME DEAL WAS STRUCK. AS YOU KNOW,; RUMORS
tikR444;SUSPICIONS
Z ARISEN HERE FROM TIME TO TIME THAT A DEAL HAS
BEEN MADE BY THE SOVIETS AND OURSELVES SUCH AS CESSION OF THE
TWO NORTHERN PROVINCES OR A CEASE-FIRE IN PLACE. SUCH SUSPICIONS
ARE LIKELY TO ARISE AGAIN AND IF THEY BECOME PREVALENT I THINK IT
WILL TEND TO WEAKEN THE RESOLVE OF THE VIETNAMESE TO PROSECUTE
THE WAR WHICH THEY MAY WELL HAVE TO DO.
EVES ald
4, WARM REGARDS.
IP SECRET Sala
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-5-39-0
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