CABLE TO ALEXANDER HAIG FROM HENRY A. KISSINGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-505-3-21-4
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: September 30, 2011
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: October 22, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

.: No to Declassification in Full 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-505-3-21-4
~. - Objection
77171n, C AIC/ DCI CACC IAICTDI I TI(ThIC ADDI V
1912uw 22 pM 9 OI
TI 0 P S E C R,-K-1,1`1 2216OOZ OCT. 72 VIA CAS CHANNELS (BUNKER)
FAO ; KERRY;.A.. KISSINGER SAIGON 0222 FLASH,
TIC: GENERAL HAIL
1. ;r:THIS MESSAGE WILL GIVE 'YOU A LITTLE MORE FLAVOR OF THE
SITUATION. HERE AI1D SACKCROUND TO. THE' COURSE OF ACTION I HAVE A KED
Y t! TO IMPLEMENT I N THE PREVIOUS MESSAGE. . .
?I. AS E PLOT. OUT OUR COURSE OF ACTION NOW9 THE PRESIDENT AND YOU
SHOULD XNOW HDW I ST.ARTED MY MEETIP!G t,'ITH THIEU THIS AFTERNOON.
119~-,T AND'TOLD HIM THE FOLLOWING. I :INFORs D HIM OF THE
TREi~iELY E YTHUSIASTIC REACTION OF LON NOL AND SOUVANNA PHOUMA.
DOSE T'C) THE DRV THAT THEY REMOVE SOME OF THEIR DIVISIONS FROM
I ALSO TOLD HIM ?'THAT IF I WENT AHEAD WITH THE FINAL LEG I WOULD
T`HtE.AGREEMENT "CONCERNING THREE EQUAL SEGMENTS FOR THE .-COUNCII.
OOPS. TOLD ":RIM. AS 'WELL 'THAT WE WOULD TRY: TO GET THE PARAG'RAPH,
WLTH0 1T AONOUNCI NG . THIS AND . THAT.THE . REINFORCEMENT, PROVISIONS
THE AGREIEiENT- WOULD' MAKE IMPOSSIBLE THE REINTRODUCTION ' OF THESE
KT??GBU.3NKER TO_SE.ND AS CLOSE TO A VERSATim -ACCOUNT AS POSSIBLE,
F ELECTION; P_ZAI;OD.._ THIEU REFUSED ALL OF TH!:S WITH{ THE ARGUMENT::
nT }' " OULD ACCEPT NO POLITICAL PRESCRIPTIONS IN ANY FORM. ' IAM
THOUT' AKITNG?.AN' AGREEMENT. I DID THIS IN ORDER T? -GAIT TIME THROUGH
NCESSIONS .FRO +,THE. ,OTHER SIDE I WOULD RETURN FROM THE FINA,L.: LEQ
AH ED'*,:', 'FINALLY 1 SAID THAT IF I FAILED TO GET. EITHER OF. THESE, .
tAT Wt 'NOT SHOW ANY NERVOUSNESS. EVERYONE SHOULD EXUDE4FTIMISM
t I HALL RCOME H?IS OBJECTIONS, EVERYTHING THAI QE HAVE DONE
FOR HIS SAKE 81JT.7OR"OUR OWN. IF THIEU F-MERG S A5 THE VI.LIAr, Lu W
MruST AVfiD LE:TTINC.' THI.E_U' BECOME THE OBJECT :OF PUXLIC S.COR.N, NOT
W. IF 9E: .ARE REALLY:' PRESSED TO THE WALL WE SHOULD.. C - HCEH4TRATE ON
.
I' CH T'C L ETAILS`ALWAYS ARISE IN THE LAST .STAGE OF .NEGOTIATIONS.
ID CIt THE: TMPR'ESSION THAT WE MAY BE. VERY CLOSE TO AN AGREE NT.
'H? D-~I"# ESSED BY QUESTIONS WE SHOULD: SIMPLY SAY THAI
I WE AVE
T[~'t
`# iR, THE ? I~";,`rI.GHT YEARS WILL BE THROWN INTO QUEST
T' IS TC A x S A$LE Cr FUSION. I HAVE, ASKEI BUN TO GET T,O
..~..I?
RK Ol`l ,THIEU. ,*44 11T] : NCE I NDICATE.S w~ ~T ,F1E,
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-505-3-21-4
 T0. GIVE A PUBLIC EXCUSE FOR MY STAYING OVER UNTIL TOMORROW. WE
ANNOT. REPEAT NOT EXPECT ANY CHANGE IN HIS POSITION.
, IF :ALL OF US CA.N: NOW KEEP OUR 'SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE AND NOTN
PANXR IN THE FACE OF,THIS TEMPORARY BAD TURN, WE WILL, STILL BE,,
BLE: T-O ~,ET'.NEARLY, EVERYTTING WE HAVESOUGHT -FURTHERMORE, I N , THE
ONG -TERM IT MAY 'BE BETTER FOR ' AMERICA IF WE "FINISH. THIS PROCESS.
AFT THE EL.E. CTION'. AND IT MAY EVEN HELP DURING THE NEXT TWO
W EF,S TO EHOW THAT WE WILL NOT BE STAMPEDED BY ELECTORAL
O-NHS III ER:T'IO;S'.. .
WARM REfAR S.
o Declassification in Full 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-505-3-21-4
,PRE. ' ;R'A,T TO,CS`'Fl!tl -. A . BEASEF TRE. IT IS THEREFORE LI' EGY .THAT 'HE WILL.
IF AE DOES NOT YBMZD THERE IS STILL C ' OD CHA E' NAT
. xA "COI N E tx?E `'COUL`D SIGN ' A N AGREE fE PNT WHICH WE WOULb RECOMMEND TO THE
}THER PARTIES THAT T tEY ACCEPT. THIS 'AOULf "GIVE T'HIEU AN OPPORTUNITY
TO CLAI; THAT HE WAS RAPED PUT IN! TH!E FED HE WOULD YIELD. ` WE
SF:^'?".D DOA PURELY BILATERAL DEAL O"'LY AS A LAST RESORT.
5. I Ki! ?',i. T 1N PRESIDENT IS VERY RELU.NCTANT ;TO END THE BOMBING
' f"4T AC: '+.GR, EMENT., HOWEVER I'N THE PPFSE=PNT CONTEXT WE NOT ONLY
M!Wh LITTLE, CHOICE BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT IS, AN UNALLOYED PLUS.
; IRST tF ALL EVERYON'E WILL `RELATE IT TO NEr LY COMPLETED NEGOTIATIONS;.
SrC ~'DLX} '~IHT"t E ICE `HAVE. `A MORAP CASE FOR BOMBINGMORTH VIET 1AM WHEN'
r? Pr t m ! O .'' iOMB'3 NORTH. VIETNAM ,1HEf IT HAS ACCEPTED - OUR PROPOSALS
1 !?,:P O? REFt.NSES ;TO I JAKE A ,BILATERAL DEAL IN1'THE ABOVE SENSE, THEN WE 1. .
CAN RE'S- lf.E THE BOMBIN'7" WITH ALL THE GREATER EFFECT. ALSO OUR,
STON-PINM THE =BOMBINS NOW WILL ALSO SHOW TO THIEU `HAT WE MEAN
B'' SIfSSS,. .THUS, DESPITE WHAH T. KNOW ARE PROBABLY YOUR OWN RESE tVA
TTON ON TN-US ISSUE, I KNOW YOU WILL MAKE TI4E STRONGEST CASE POSSSI'BLE'.
+'TO" T'HE' -N;ESIDENT. YOU SHOULD DO EVECYTHING POSSIBLE TO GAIN TIS
CONCTN i " C I V END THE BOM'1BI NG FOR AT LEAST `THE PERIOD HHAT I 'rWOULD' -
HAV BEEN INO I SEE
E HANI.E NOTHING BUT DISASTR IN MOCK TOUGH,NESE
n~0W. t'1u 1J3%0 HAVE NO BASIS TO GET MOSCOW OR PEKING TO HELL US WIT t,
CUT A BOi (SING HALT. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE' WILL NOT THINK WE A.RE. GETTING,
rFT SCHEROG
S,INE TEARE ENUH
TORIES R.OW,,.SUGGESTING THAT WE ARE
AGREEI fT. WE 'CAN MAKE ' CPEAR THAT THERE ARE ONLY `A FEW
m,ATIVELY MINORFETAILS STANDING IN THE WAY, OF AN, AGREEMENT..
EAVE TO . YOU THE BEST WAY TO PRESENT THE ARGUMENTS- FOR STOPPING THE
NT T,NC TO T"HE" PRESIDENT AND AM COUNTING ON YOU TO GET HIS' CON-
URRENCE -INd AT' LEAST THE INTERIM 'HALT FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
.: YOU WILL BE IN+?TERESTED TO .KNOW THAT YOUR? MISSIONS WITH- "HIED
AVE BEEN NO, MMRE: POPULAR THEN MINE. HE TOLD ME THAT WE ERREVOCAf
ROSE Ot.tR BLENDS WITH -HIM'W.HEN YOU REQUESTED HIM LAST YEAR TO AGREE
O STEP DOWN: . HET'S UNFORTUNATELY PARANOIC.'
#JNLESS I Wl.AR TO THE CONTRARY, I NOW PLAN'TO LEAVE SAIGON
AROUND t,40 TOMORCOW, MONDAY. BUNKER AND I HAVE A' MEET'I'NG " WITH
;'HTEU AT- Ss0O TN THE MORNING, BUT THIS IS STRICTLY FORMAL",, IN, ORDER
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-505-3-21-4 W