CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ELLSWORTH BUNKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-8-11-7
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: October 6, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-11-7
State Dept. review completed
12 L.'6 730
ft-//7
T n P J E C R E T TNSITIVF 2,6m oz nCT 72 VI A HANNEL5 (BIJ K'iR)
FROM': A,I A,S`'ADOR BUNKER SAIGON 011,32 NMEUTA
TO: THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONLY FOR HENRY A. KISSINGER
REF: )HS 2210
1. I DELIVERED THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT THIEU THIS
AFTER';O0N. THIEU ASKED ME 10 EXPRESS HIS APPRECIATION TO THE
PRESIDE i AND WAS OBVIOUSLY GREATLY PLEASED RY THE [+1ESSACE.
T' T V SAID THAT HE HAD WANTED TO 'V)RITF TO THE PRESIDENT TO
EXPLAIN THE PROBLEMS WHICH THE GVWI FACED CONCERNING POINT 4 OF
0'.'R PEACE PROPOSALS AND THE INTERNAL DOMESTIC DIFFICULTIES THESE
CO'_'LD POSrE. HE REFERRED TOHE UNREST t1HICH HAD BEEN CREATED
Ai!t1'`1r THE MILITARY IN 1963 (AS THE PRIME MINISTER HAD MENTIONED
TO ^- !,'SR.^L HAIG) BY RUMORS THAT DIEM, THROOGH MADAME NHU,
k'?S CONSIDERING ENTERING INTO A PACT WITH THE COMMUNISTS.
3. TFHI7U SAID THAT AT HIS MEETING YESTERDAY 111TH THE CORPS CON-
TOOK THE OCCASION TO REFER TO THE MANY RUMORS WHICH
WERE PREVALENT ABOUT AN IMMINENT SETTLEMENT OF THE WAR AND A
CEASE-FIRE, PROBABLY HEIGHTENED BY HIS MEETINGS WITH GENERAL
HAIG, ANND ADXJNISHED THEM NOT TO GIVE ANY CREDENCE TO THESE
RUMORS. YE ASSURED THEM THAT IF THERE WERE ANY DEVELOPMENTS OF
THIS NATURE THEY WOULD BE INFORMED. THE GVN, HE SAID, WILL
CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH U.S. PEACE INITIATIVES. HE WARNED
THEM THAT THE PERIOD BETWEEN NOW AND THE U.S. ELECTION WAS A
SENSITIVE ONE WHICH THE COMMUNISTS WOULD LIXE TO TAKE
ADV^:.~`T GE OF BY SPREADING RUMORS AND PROPAGANDA. THEIR (THE
CORPS C'IM HANDERS) DUTY WAS TO CONSOLIDATE 1+"ILITARY GAINS, TO
KEEP PUSHING BACK THE ENEMY, AND TO RESTORE PACIFICATION. THIEU
SAID THAT HF HAD ADMONISHED THEM THAT "WE MUST NOT BE AFRAID OF
A PEACE= SETTLEMENT".
4. THI~BU SAID THAT HIS LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT WOULD NOT BE READY
BEFORE, c`'DAY INDICATING, I THI..NK., THAT HE NOTED THE PRESIDENT'S
SUGGESTI{"!' THAT HE CONSIDER THE SUBSTANCE OF THE PRESIDENT'S MES-
SAGE 73EE0RE COMPLETING HIS LETTER. I THINK THE PRESIDENT'S LETTER
CN`E ~T A MOST OPPORTUNE MOMENT; IT CLEARLY HAD A REASSURING
A',D aTFADYI NG EFFECT ON THTEt1.
5. Cd)ARM REGARDS.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-11-7