CABLE TO HENRY KISSINGER FROM ELLSWORTH BUNKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-8-7-2
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: October 5, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-7-2
T 0 P S E C R E T SENSITIVE 0512001. ''' VIA CAS CHANNELS (BUNKER)
FROM: AMBASSADOR BUNKER SAIGON 0 179 IMMEDIATE
TO: THE WHITE HOUSE, FOR DR. KISSINGER
1. FRENCH CONSUL GENERAL DE FOLIN CAME TO SEE WHITEHOUSE TODAY
TO CONFIDE THE SUBSTANCE OF A 3 OCTOBER TALK HELD BY FRENCH DELEGATE
SUSINI IN HANOI WITH PHAM VAN DONG. IN VIEW OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS
MESSAGE I AM SENDING IT TO YOU AND NOT HANDLING'IT IN THE MANNER
I N WHICH WE HAVE HANDLED DE FOL I N' S PREVIOUS CONFIDENCES.
2. PHAM VAN DONS OPENED THE' CONVERSATION BY STATING, THAT HE HAD
RECOVERED FROM'HIS RECENT ILLNESS AND WAS HOPING TO REMAIN AT THE
HELM OF HIS COUNTRY FOR A LONG TIME. -INDEED, HE' HOPED TO BE THE
PERSON WHO BROUGHT PEACE TO INDO-CHINA. IN THE TALK WHICH FOLLOWED
PRAM WA DONG WAS FOR THE FIRST TIME OPTIMISTIC REGARDING THE
LIKELIHOOD OF PEACE. HE WAS RESTRAINED IN HIS COMMENTS REGARDING
THE AMERICANS AND DID NOT CRITICIZE THEM. FURTHERMORE;, HE NOTED
THAT HE !!NDERSTOOD THE A
DIFFICULT PROBLEM BUT NOT TN1SOt.l1H1,F'..
RICANS' DIFFICULTIES IN IMPOSING THEIR
VIE'r0'S ON SAIGON.
3. PHAM VAN HONG COMMENTED THAT THE AMERICANS WERE MORE SUPPLE
THAN THEY FAD BEEN IN TH PAST AND SAID THAT THE AMERICANS UNDERSTAND
THAT A CEASE-FIRE MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT.
THE- !~ UITE HOUSE HAS NOT ACCEPTED THE IDEA OF A GOVERNMENT OF
F^TIONAL CONCORD AND TALKS INSTEAD OF FORMING AN ELECTORAL
CONi':ITTEE. PHAM VAN DON G WENT ON TO 'SAY THAT AMERICANS WOULD
ULTI!'ATELY ACCEPT THIS PROPOSAL AS IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO ESTABLISH
PF AC'E IN IP:OO-CHINA.
4. PHA1 VAN DONS SAID THAT HANOI WAS READY TO DISCUSS THE
NECESSARY GUARANTEES TO PREVENT THE GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CONCORD
FROr FALLING UNDER THE SS~iAY OF EITHER THE COMMUNISTS OR THE
REACTIONARIES AND WAS CURRENTLY DOING SO. HE SAID THAT THIS WAS A
State Dept. review completed
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-7-2
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-7-2
ON THE :SU13JECT OF"PRESIDENT THIEU, PHAM VAN DON- SAID THAT
HE WAS ABOUT "TO BE DROPPED ("LACHER") BY, THE AMERICANS. SUSINI
THEN ASKED PHAM VAN DONG WHETHER THE PRG AND HANOI WOULD ACCEPT
.PRESIDENT THIEU IN A ;GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL' CONCORD FOR A LIMITED
TIME. PHAM VAN DONG REPLIED "FOR US THIEU NO LONGER MATTERS. HE
REPRESENTS NOTHING DESPITE HIS TEMPESTUOUS ("FRACASSANTE")
DECLARATIONS. HIS FATE IS OF NO CONCERN TO US."
6. AT,THIS POINT IN HIS TELEGRAM, SUSINI VOLUNTEERED THE COMMENT
THAT ?"AI VAN DONG'S REMARKS REGARDING PRESIDENT THIEU DESERVED
TO BE HIGHLIGHTED. ALTHOUGH PHAM VAN DONG DID NOT DIRECTLY ANSWER
HIS QUESTION ,. REGARDING.THIEU'S REMAINING IN A COALITION GOVERNMENT,
HE CERTAINLY LEFT THE IMPRESSION THAT SUCH PARTICIPATION WAS NOT
EXCLUDED. IN ANY .CASE, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE ABSENCE OF AMERICAN
SUPPORT, WOULD .INEVITABLY RESULT IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF.THIEU FROM
THE POLITICAL` SCENE.
7. RETURNING' TO T'HF CONVERSATION, SUSINI REPORTED THAT PHAM VAN
DONG WENT ON TO STATE THAT THE NEUTRALISTS SHOULD HAVE THE BEST
POSITION IN THE GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CONCORD AND THAT THE
Af ERICA,NS 'MOULD FINALLY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ELEMENT
WHICH THEY CONTINt1E TO tJ DERESTIMATE. THE MERE PRESENCE OF THAT
ELEMENT IN THE GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CONCORD WOULD GUARANTEE ITS
P 0N1-CoA'M!rN,IST NATURE.
S. THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATION PHAM VAN DONG, WHILE APPEARING
QPTINI TIC, DID NOT PRETE "7 THAT PEACE WAS IMMINENT. "WE KNOW
NOW POW YIPRD IT TS FOR THE AMERICANS TO LEAVE," HE SAID, "AND WE
KNO~W,r THAT RELATIONS BETWEFN WASHINGTON AND SAIGON CANNOT BE EASY."
9. P}-A11; VAN DUNG ADMITTF,;% THAT HIS EXPERTS HAD ERRED IN PAYING
TOO N'UCH ATTENTION TO AMi~ICANS WHO EXPRESSED THEMSELVES FRANKLY
A aATr'5ST THE VIETNAM WAR. 'fir: ADDED THAT PRESIDENT NIXON WILL
PROBABLY HAVE A FREER HAND AFTER THE ELECTION.
10. Pw:A'" VAN DUNG REVEALED THAT THERE WILL BE ANOTHER MEETING WITH
DR. CID)XRY IXJRA
Ii lr',} T` ,'I i LTGJJJE]'NT3 IATGHY;':O^NDE 7T HOPE
WAS TO GO TO FRANCE AND SIGN THERE A
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-7-2