CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ELLSWORTH BUNKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-8-27-0
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: October 24, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-27-0 ,.-~?--~ -
DOS Review Completed.
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
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1972 W`01
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T 0 P S E C R E T. SENSITIVE 24110OZ OcT .12 YIA CAS CHANNELS (BUNKER) r""
FROM: AMBASSADOR BUNKER SAIGON 3 - IMMEDIATE
TO: THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONLY FOR HENRY A. KISSINGER
1. WE ARE SENDING IN VIA NODIS CHANNELS THE TEXT OF A MEMORANDUM
WHICH FOREIGN MINISTER LAM WAS PLANNING TO SEND TO VIETNAMESE
EMBASSIES AND TO USE AS A BRIEFING PAPER. HE HAD ALREADY GIVEN
IT TO BRITISH, NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADORS., AS SOON
AS WE SAW IT I SENT CHARLIE WHITEHOUSE OVER TO SEE LAM AND HE
SUCCEEDED IN GETTING THE MEMO RADICALLY CHANGED. A BRIEF DESCRIP-
TION OF THIS EPISODE AND A TEXT. OF THE REVISED VERSION ARE ALSO BEING
SENT NODIS.
2. ONE WORRYING ASPECT WHICH CAME TO LIGHT IS THAT NOTWITHSTANDING
THE NUMEROUS CLEAR AND ELOQUENT EXPLANATIONS OF THE POLITICAL PRO-
VISIONS YO.U GAVE THE GVN IT WAS CLEAR TO CHARLIE THAT LAM HAD A
TOTALLY FALSE VIEW OF THE CNRC. CHARLIE REPEATED AGAIN TO'LAM ALL
THE ARGUMENTS YOU HAD MADE, BUT LAM SEEMED CONVINCED THAT IF THE
CNRC WERE. CREATED THE GVN WOULD BE A QUOTE DYING GOVERNMENT
UNQUOTE. A PART, BUT ONLY A VERY SMALL PART, OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT
THE VIETNAMESE ARE EMBROIDERING ON THE WORD "ADMINISTRATIVE"
WHICH TO THEM IMPLIES GOVERNMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES.. IT WOULD BE
A HELP IF YOU COULD SEND US A VIETNAMESE VERSION OF WHAT WE HAVE
GIVEN THEM.
3. ALTHOUGH THE KEY. MAN IN THIS SITUATION IS THIEU, I PLAN TO
USE THE OPENING PROVIDED. BY THE MEMORANDUM EPISODE .T0 TRY
AND GET LAM. TO UNDERSTAND OUR POSITION. ..
4. SINCE DRAFTING THE FOREGOING, I HAVE LEARNED-FROM BRITISH
AMBASSADOR THAT ORIGINAL VERSION HAS BEEN RECALLED AND NEW
"MILD" REVISION ISSUED BY FOREIGN MINISTRY. HE ALSO-INFORMS
ME THAT IN EXPLAINING POLITICAL PROVISIONS LAM EXPLAINED ORALLY
THAT NVN HAD PROPOSED A TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE AT ALL LEVELS
FROM NATIONAL TO VILLAGE, I.E., A GARBLED VERSION OF THE POSITION
AT THE TIME OF AL HAIG'S VISIT.
1 5. IT NOW SEEMS TO HE THAT THE GVN IS DEVELOPING A TRIPARTITE
STRAW MAN WHICH IT INTENDS TO BEAT TO DEATH AS PUBLICLY AS
POSSIBLE. WHILE THIS VERSION OF THE POSSIBLE AGREEMENT WHICH
THEY ARE CASTIGATING IS PATENTLY FALSE IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT THIS
MIGHT LATER BE HELPFUL AS IT WILL PERMIT THEM TO PORTRAY THE
CNRC AS A GREAT CONCESSION AT A LATER DATE.
5. ALTHOUGH LAM TOLD WHITEHOUSE HE WOULD ONLY SPEAK IN
GENERALITIES, HE GAVE BRITISH THE NAMES OF THE COUNTRIES WHICH
WOULD SERVE IN THE REVISED ICC AS WELL AS THOSE BEING CONSIDERED
FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE.
7. WARM REGARDS.
TOP SECRET. SEN
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-27-0