CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ELLSWORTH BUNKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-7-6-4
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: September 9, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-7-6-4
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
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State Dept. review completed
MORI/CDF
C03322154
TOPSECRETSENSITIVE 091220Z SEP
72.
.(BUNKER) 25X1
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AMBASSADOR BUNKER SAIGON 0153
D
A E
TO:
THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES
ONLY FOR
HENRY
A.
KISSINGER
REF:
A) WHS 2154; B) SAIGON 0150; C)
WHS 2157
1. AT NOON TODAY DUC AND NHA PERSONALLY DELIVERED FOLLOWING THREE
DOOUNENTS:
A) COMMENTS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIET-NAN ON REVISED
U.S. PEACE PROPOSALS AND PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCT OF
NEGOTIATIONS AND COUNTER PROPOSALS BY THE REPUBLIC OF
VIET-NAM.
B) PEACE PROPOSAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIET-NAM.
C) PROCEDURES FOR CONDUCT OF NEGOTIATIONS PROPOSED
BY THE REPUBLIC OF VIET-NAM.
TEXTS FORWARDED TN IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING MESSAGE,
2. CONCERNING OUR PEACE PROPOSAL, YOU WILL NOTE THAT CHARGES ARE
SUGGESTED ONLY IN POINT 4, ALL OTHER POINTS BEING ACCEPTABLE.
3, CHM:3ES ARE SUGGESTED IN POINTS 1 THROUGH 4 OF THE PROCEDURES
FOR CONDUCT OF NEGOTIATIONS* POINTS 5, G, AND 7 OF OUR DRAFT ARE
ACCEPTABLE.
4. CONCERNING THE GVN'S PROPOSED CHANGES IN POINT 4 OF OUR
PROPOSAL:
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE ADDITION OF THE WORDS "FREE
FROM ANY OUTSIDE INTERFERENCE" IN THE FIRST SENTENCE
OF POINT 4 COULD BE LIVED WITH.
IM SECTION (A), FIRST PARAGRAPH, THEY HAVE DELETED "REVIEW
0
r OF THE CONSTITUTION". THIS DUC EXPLAINED AS BEING IN
ACCORD WITH THEIR ELIMINATION OF PARAGRAPH (F). YOU WILL
NOTE THEIR EXPLANATION OF THE ELIMINATION OF THAT PARAGRAPH
IS THAT AFTER THE ELECTION, THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT IN
POWER AND THAT I'VE CR WOULD IM EFFECT BE A PARALLEL GOVERN-
mEri, THEIR POINT IS THAT IF THE CONSTITUTION IS TO BE
REVIEWED OR REVISED, IT SHOULD BE BY THE GOVERNMENT IN
POWER. HOWEVER, I SEE NO REASON WHY THE GOVERNMENT
THEN IN POWER SHOULD NOT REVIEW THE CONSTITUTION. I DIS-
CUSSED THIS LATER WITH THIEU WHO HAS AGREED TO THE FOLLOW-
ING WORDING FOR PARAGRAPH (F):
"AFTER THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION THE. CONSTITUTION
WILL BE REVIEWED FOR ITS CONSISTENCY WITH THE CON-
DITIONS OF PEACE WITH A VIEW TOWARD RESTORING A
SPIRIT OF.NATIONAL RECONCILIATION THROUGHOUT THE
COUNTRY."
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-7-6-4
41
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-7-6-4
W
\
CT 1oN (A ) , FIFTH PARAGRAPH, YOU WILL NOTE THEY HAVE NEW
tonRDING FOR THE COMPOSITION AND CHOOSING OF THE COMMITTEE.
IN DISCUSSION WITH THIEU, I POINTED OUT TO HIM THAT IT SEEMED
TO E HE HAD GIVEN UP HIS VETO POWER BY THIS FORMULA?
' TICm AND HE SAID HE WOULD WANT TO THINK THIS GER.
THE CHANGE IN THE WORDING OF THE SECOND SENTENCE OF
SECTION (B) SEEMS TO ME A FORMULATION THAT CAN BE LIVED
THE CHANGE IN SECTION (D) HAS BEEN MADE WITH THE VIEW
TNARD ITS DOMESTIC POLITICAL IMPACT. THERE SEEMS
TO BE A FEELING THAT IN SPECIFYING THAT, AS OUR SECTION D)
DOES, "ALL POLITICAL FORCES WILL BE ELIGIBLE ... TO POSITIONS
IN THE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE, AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF
GoVERNMENT" THE IMPRESSION WILL BE GIVEN THAT THE WHOLE
GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO BE TURNED OUT. THE WORDING
"VARIOUS" IS VAGUER, BUT DOES NOT EXCLUDE ELIGIBILITY TO
ANY BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT.
I HAVE REFERRED TO GVN VIEWS ON PARAGRAPH (F) AND A
NEW SUGGESTED WORDING ABOVE.
5.? I REGRET DELAY IN FORWARDING THIS, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THIEU
UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON DESPITE MY REQUEST FOR AN EARLY APPOINTMENT.
G. BEST WISHES FOR A SUCCESSFUL TRIP. WARMEST REGARDS.
BT
#05 12
N
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-7-6-4