CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ALEXANDER HAIG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-503-10-11-9
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: July 28, 2010
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: December 20, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

C i s- ri
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/28 : LOC-HAK-503-10-11-9
T O P S E C R F T SENSIT IVE ?0)013532 DEC 72 VIA CAS CHA.N[~!ELS (F3IJNKER)
FROM : GENERAL HA IG SA IGOnI OJ303
T0: THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY F`YES ONLY FOR HE~1RY A. KISSINGFR
DECEMBER 2 0J, 19 72
HA I r, T O 0J6
JUST COMPLF'TED LENGTHY MEETING i~1TTH GENERALS t~IEYAND AND VOLT.
VOLT CONFIRMS THAT HE CAN AND SHOULD CONTINUE (+IITH INTENSIFIED THREE-DAY
STRIKES. HF RECEIVED THIS MORNING AUTHORIZATION FOR A F(JLL RANG1~ OF
ADDITIONAL TARGETS. THE SF. MORE.. THAN MEET ANY FLEXIBILITY HE MUST HAVE.
1-E, INCID>:NTALLY, CONFIRMS THAT THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS FROM HE!?F ABO[IT
LACK OF FLEXIBTLITY IN TARGETING AND THAT CONCERNS, IF ANY, ^~LrST HA VF C0~
FROM CINCPAC. WEYAND ALSO CO'VFIRMF,D THAT DESPITE ~AIEATHER HE 41 ILL BF
ABLE TO MAINTAIN A HEAVY AND SUBSTANTIAL LEVEL OF PRESSURE AGAINST A VAST
ARRAY OF HIGH VALUED TARGETS IN NORTH VIETNAM FOR THP FORF'SEFA!3LF.. Fl.]TURE,
HE IS MOST ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IL THE LORAN SYSTEM HE HAS DEVELOPED ~~IHICH
ENABLF,S HIM TO (1T ILIZE F-4'S IN LOW VISABILITY SITUATIONS. HF., IS ALSO
CONFIDENT THAT F- 111'S, A-~"S AND 8-52'S CAN PROVIDE AN ADEn(IATF LEVEL OF
EFFORT THROUGHOUT THE RAINY SEASON.
GENERAL WEYAND IS VERY CO NFIDF..NT OF THE MILITARY OUTLOOK IN SO(ITH
VIETNAM FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. HES RATINGS ARE AGAIN ON THE RISE'
AND F.NEMY UNITS BEING ENCOII'`iTF.RED ARE WEAK, ILL TRAINED, AND POORLY
MOT IVATED. THEY ARE, AS A GENERAL RULE, COMING OUT SECOND HEST I~3
ALL ENCOUNTERS.
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS
APPLY
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/28 : LOC-HAK-503-10-11-9
 WEYAND STATES THAT HE CAN EFFECT FURTHER DRAWDOWN IN i1.S. PERSONNEL
WITHOUT ANY LOSSES IN EFFICIENCY. I TOLD HIM TO FORWARD A PLAN TO ~~-ASH-
INGTON OUTLINING SPECIFIC PROPOSALS THAT HE COULD CONFIDENTLY
RECOMMEND. '~!E CAN THEN ASSESS BOTH WHETHER OR NOT TO CO NTINl1E DRAWDOI~-N
AND IF SO HOW TO PLAY IT, I.E. FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT ON HANOI, THIEU OR L'.S.
OOMEST IC SCENE.
I COVERED STRONGLY WITH WEYAND AND VOGT THE 1?SSEl~1TIALITY OF
"IATNTAINTNG MAXIMUM DTSCIPLIN'E IN THE PR AREA, J SPECIALLY WITH RF,SP~"CT
TO CIVILIANS, RF..LOCATION OF HEADQUARTERS, ANn MATTERS RELATING TO
PEACE SETTLEMENT OR GEASE.FIRE.
I AM SCHEDULED TO SEE THIEU T HTS MORNING BFTU-EEN i l AND 1 1 .3r?1 PRIOR
TO DEPARTURE. FOR VIENTIANE. ~a~HAT HIS POSITION 41I1_L RE IS ANY ONE'S
GUESS. I SUSPEGT HE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO PRESERVE. HIS FLFXIF3ILITY BY
NOT ENDORSING THE AGREEMENT BiJT BY NOT FOR CLOSING IT EITHER. I INTEND
TO STRESS 41ITH HIM
'THE FACT THAT A TREMENDOUS REACTION IS DEVELOPING IN THE l1NITED STATES TO
THE STALLED PEACE EFFORTS AND THE RESUMPTION OF Ft.JLL SCALE BOMBING ACAI'~,5
1$
THE NORTH. WHILE THIS INIT IALLY TARGETED ON THE PRESIDENT AND YO1.1,
I WILL EMPHASI7_F TO THIEU THAT IT i~-ILL RAPIDLY SHIFT TO THI~'U HIMSELF
AS THE. Ol~VTOUS OBSTACLE TO PEACE 41ITH A RFSi1LTANT CLAMOR FOR A CUT OFF
OF U. S. SUPPORT. I ~-ILL STRESS THAT THE ONLY ~~IAY TO DEFLECT THIS TRFVD
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/28 : LOC-HAK-503-10-11-9
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/28 : LOC-HAK-503-10-11-9
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/28 : LOC-HAK-503-10-11-9
IS THROUGH POST TRIP PR THEME GJHICH STRESSES RENEWED U.S. ~CSAIGON UNITY
AND GrHICH SUGGESTS ABOVE ALL THAT SAIGON IS PREPARED TO ACCEPT SE'TTLFMENT
IF HANOI MEETS REMAINING MI!~OR REQUIREMENTS AND RETURNS TO SPIRIT
OF OCTOBER DISCUSSIONS.
I GILL ALSO STRESS HEAVILY YOUR ROLE AND THE NFE.D TO SHIFT SAIGO^J
PR LINE WITH RESPECT TO IT . I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT THIEU G1ILL ~3E
AMENABLE BUT I WILL BE AS TDUGH AS POSSIBLE POINTING OUT THAT FOR
BETTER OR u-ORSE THIS IS IT . THE PRESTDENT WILL NO LONGER TOLERATE
CARPING FROM SAIGON AND IF THIEU FORCES HIM TO DO S0, HE WILL IMME-
DTATELY SHIFT FROM JOINT STRATEGY TO ONE WHICH SEEKS TO SATISFY U.S.
INTERESTS ALONE.
I NOTE ANTTCTPATED PRESS REACTION IS BEGINNING TO DEVELOP BUT,
OF COURSE, ALWAYS FRDM THE SOURCES YOU GlDULD ANTICIPATE. I HOPE. YOll
WILT. RECOGNIZE THIS FDR WHAT TT IS AND PRESS AHEAD WITH POLTGIES WHICH
IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS WILL AGAIN PROVE OIJR CRITICS TO I3 F.. COMPLETELY
~~oNG.
WARM REGARDS.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/07/28 : LOC-HAK-503-10-11-9