DR. KISSINGER'S MEETING WITH THE POW FAMILIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-13-2-49-1
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 29, 2010
• Sequence Number: 49
• Publication Date: April 9, 1971
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/01/29: LOC-HAK-13-2-49-1
MEMORANDUM FOR:'
FROM:
SUBJECT:
here for the National League of Families and whose husband is missing
in action over North Vietnam.
Mr. Smyser has received a call from Mrs. Cathy Plowman, who works
Mrs. Plowman was told by Mrs. Fuller, who attended Dr. Kissinger's
two recent meetings with the POW/MIA families, that a recent article
by a Florida columnist attacked Dr. Kissinger for his alleged "ignorance"
of the POW issue.
The article, written by a reported right-wing columnist named Paul
Scott, said that Dr. Kissinger had shown at the meeting that he did not
know anything about the POW problem and that he and the President
therefore were not concerned.
it head-on at the newt session.
as to avoid this kind of problem if possible. However, you may want to
talk to Dr. Kissinger about this incident to see whether we should meet
Mrs. Plowman said that the League of Families was very concerned
about this article. The ladies do not know who might have talked to
Mr. Scott, but they have respected Dr. Kissinger's desire that the
meetings be off the record. They have valued the meetings and would
like them to continue.
Apparently some of the wives were concerned because Dr. Kissinger
turned to Mr. Smyser at one point to ask whether the North Vietnamese
had signed the Geneva Convention. Mr. Smyser told Mrs. Plowman
that he knew Dr. Kissinger did know that the North Vietnamese had
signed the Geneva Convention; Dr. Kissinger, who has a lot of facts
on his mind, was just checking this fact.
Before Dr. Kissinger's next meeting with the families, we shall send
him a long paper giving more detailed background on the POW issue so
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/01/29: LOC-HAK-13-2-49-1