RESPONSE TO GVN COMMENTS ON OUR PEACE PROPOSALS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: September 19, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
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TOP sECRET/SENSITIVE/EXCLUS/VELY EYES ONLY
IMMEDIATE ? DELIVER '0011 VIA SPECIAL SHAN4EL
AUGUST 19 1972
FOP AmBASSADOR,BUNKER,SA/GON
FRom HENRY A .SSINGER
42,/r* La NA/ fe?
VFW RESPONSE TO evN COMMENTS ON OUR PEACE PROPOSALS
1. HEPEvITH OuR RESPONSE TO THE !VN AuCVST ls COMMENTS
Or ou0 PPOPOSED PEACE OFFER. YOU SHOuLD CONVEY OUR
POsITIoN TO THE PPESIDENTIAL PALACE AS SOOr AS POSsIBLE, AND REt,r1'
THIEWS EARLY COMMENTS LOOKING TOWARD OUR HAWAII MEETING.
P, FIRsT, SOME SENERAL cOmmENTS. I CArrOT EMPHASIZE
TOO STPONGLY THE PO/NT I MADE REPEATEDLY TO THIFu THAT
VF MUST YEEP OUR EYE ON THE mAIN ISSUE ArD NOT sET mumc;
11P ON MINOR LEGAL TECHNICALITES, VE 'A'T TO ArcFPT AS mrCH
OF THE DRY LAWIAGE AS POSSIBLE ON PERIPHEPAL ISSUES SO
THAT IF TALKS EVER BREAK UP, WE APE IN IMPECCABLE PuBLIC
POSTURE AND, TN POSITION TO DEMONSTRATE BEYOND SHADOW OF A
DOUBT THAT FAILURE OF NEGOTIATION
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END PACE ONE
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
111,
WAS DUE TO HANOI S-IMVILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT OUR FORTHCOMING
POLITICAL FOR SHORT BY THEIR TNS/STANCE ON OUR
IMPOSING A COMMUNIST; GOVERNMENT. WE cANNOT'AFFORD BREAlc-uP
IN WHICH DRV CAN DIVERT ATTENTION PRO" OUR FUNDAMENTAL
POLITICAL DIFFERENCE.SljTINTING.TO OTHER NONESSENTIAL
AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT..?
,
GVN MUST ALSO BEAR JO MIND THAT. ACCEPTING HANOI'S
LANGUAGE IN ESSENTIALLY NON-OPERATIVE CLAUSES will NOT ALTEP
CENTRAL FACT THAT, SHOULD OUR PROPOSAL BE ACCEPTED, GAIN
WILL HAVE VETO INVARIOUS FORUMS AND, THAT IF THEY PEJEcT
OUR OFFER, SOME OF THE MINOR OBJECTIONS GYN HAS PA/SED
WILL BE OVERSHADOWED BY ENORMOUS ADVANTAGES ACCRUING To
BOTH OURSELVES AND SVN FROM STRATEGY WHICH I OUTLINED
IN SUCH DETAIL TO-THIEU, SO FINALLY, AS A GENERAL PRINC/PLE,
WE CANNOT SLIDE BACKWARDSTROM US-001 JANUARY FLAN WHICH
oVN COMMENTSSUGGEST. ,IN SOME INSTANCES,
3 WE ACCEPT THEIR SUGGESTION THAT THE PEACE OFFER AND
THE PROCEDURAL PLAN SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS sEPAPATE PPOrOsALS,
vE ALSO SuPGEST THAT THE PEACE PROPOSAL BE TPTATED AS A FORMAL
NEGOTIATING DOCUMENT WHILE THE PROCEDURAL PPOpOsAL CAN
BE INFOPMAL IN NATURE,
A. WITH REGARD TO THEIR pO/NT-BY-PqNT cOmmENTS ON OUP
cOvNTEP-pROpOsAL, OUR RESPONSE, NEYED TO THE mEmOPANDUm
THEY CONVEYED TO US 04 AUGUST 18, IS AS FOLLOWS:
POINT 11 WE BELIEVE IT WOULD BE MOST UNWISE TO ALTER THE
LANGUAGE
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03' : LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
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IN OUR POINT I,TO'REFER.: TO THE TERRITORIAL. INTEGRITY OF
*NORTH AND'SOUTH-VIETNAM4;" FIRST OF ALL-THIS Is A No4.,
OPERATIVE PROVISION IN ANY EVENT. H sromy, FROM LEGAL
POINT OP VIEW OUR 'UNDERSTANDING- IS THAT AM/TY OF
VIETNAM HAS NEVER BEEN AT.ISSUE'ANYVAY BUT RATHER MEANS
BY WHICH IT IS TO-BE,ACHIEVED. ARTICLE I OF MIN'S OWN
CONSTITUTION. STATES IHAT V/ETNAM-IS A *TERRITORIALLY
INDIVISIBLEi-UNIFIE04_AND INDEPENDENT.REPUBL/C.*
THUS WE WOULD.VIEV THIS AS-:A VEA w POINT OM WH/CH TO
HAVE A SHOWDOWN-WITH:DRY. ALSO WEDO NOT BELIEVE THIS IS
TO RAISE THEOLOGICAL ISSUE OF SEPARATE LEGAL STATUS
OF NORTH AND SOUTH VIETNAM, '
IN ADDITIONfi:OVN MEMORANDUM LEAVES OUT AS
RECOGNIZED ,AY THEAR54,11ENEVA.-AOREEMENTS:ON. VIETNAM UNOUOTE.
WE BELIEVE'VE:SKIULD.WEEP'THIS FORMULATION. WE HAVE
ALWAYS EXPRESSED RESPECT1POR.GENEVVAGREEMENTS, AS REFLECTED:
IN POINT 'A. OF .OUR.JANUARY:PLAN AND. POINTYT-OF OUR CURRENT
7ROPOSALVE,D0 NOT'MIND?UNILATERAL EXPRWTON HERE,
SD LONG AS IT TO ALL PARTIES AS POINT /40
_ . . -
POINTS 2 AND 3i WE APPEAR TO BE /N AGREEMENT ON THESE POINTS
AND AS I TOLD TH/EU, THE PERIOD FOR WITHDRAWAL AND CONSEAUENTL Y
FOR PRISONER RELEASE* WILL BE SET AT THREE MONTHS. PLEASE
RECONFIRM OUR INTENT/ON ON THIS.
POINT 5 WE DO NOT BEL/EVE QUEST/ON OF MVA FORCES SHOULD
BE RAISED IN THIS DOCUMENT. THIS IS A MATTER WHICH WILL
BE DISCUSSED IN THE ENSUING FORUMS. ,YOU SHOULD POINT
OUT THAT NVA FORCES WERE NOT REPEAT NOT MENT I ONED
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
(4)
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IM OUR JANUARY PROPOSAL AND THIS WOULD BE A RFD FLAP TO
OTHER SIDE* THE PROBLEM OF NVA FORCES IS CLEARLY DEALT
WITH BY INFERENCE IN OUP POINT 7* ALSO IT IS BETTER
PAM!) TN A FORUM WHERE THE CNN HAS A VETO.
WE NOTE PVN'S SUCCESTED LAMCUAPE ALSO DROPS WORD "ErTALITY"
EPOP0 PAPAGPAPH. WE ?NDEPSTAND THEIR POINT BUT IT Is
ESSENTIALLY SEMANTIC AND NON-OPERATIVE. WE cONSIPITE WORD "EnuALITY"
IN sENsE OF FAIRNESS AND NOT TO MEAN THAT THERE IS PARITY
BETwEEM sVN AND NLF FORCES. BESIDES, THAT PROBLEM
WILL BE SETTLED IN THE SUBSIDIARY FORUMS, IF NOT oN THE
BATTLEFIELD*
POINT is: WE BELIEVE THEIR FIRST SucCESTION PEsAPDI?4G.
pPOMpT sTAPTINO NEPOTIATIONS TOwAPDS PErsTABLISHmENT
OF v0PmAL RELATIONS IS A miNOR ONE , PAPTICuLAPLY SINCE
LE DUO TH0 SAID AT THE LAST PRIVATE mEETINC, THAT THIS WOULD
nE THE CHIEF SUBJECT FOR THE THIRD FORUM. BUT WE AGREE TO
THE CHANsE "PROMPTLY START MESOTIATIoNS.T0wARDS," WITH
MDEPSTANDINS-THAT WE MAY BALL OFF THIS SHOULD IT TURN
OUT TO BE ONE OF FEW REMAININC STICYINO POINTS WITH DPv.
THE SUBSTITUTION OF THE WORD "1 VAPTOuS" FOP "ALL" FIELDS
If FEMANTIC, RELATES TO A MATTER WHICH WILL BE TINDER OvNIS
COMPLETE CONTROL IN SUBSIDIARY FORUM AND THEREFORE WE BELIEVE
IT AN UNNECESSARY CHANGE*
WE CANNOT ACCEPT MIN'S sunCESTED ADDITION OF CLAUSE" EXCEPT
FOP PURELY DEFENSIVE PURPOSES AND ON A TEMPORARY BASIS" AT
THE END OF FINAL PARAPPAPH.
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
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(5)
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THIS WOULD BE A MAJOR RED FLAG TO THE DPV AND IN END OF
ITSELF COULD PRODUCE THE VERY BLOW-OUT OVER A NON-OPERATIVE
oiLm!rE WHICH WE SEEK TO AVOID. YOU SHOULD POINT OUT THAT
VE HAVE ALREADY PET THE cm POINT BY INFERENCE PY DROPPING
DRV'S LAMUACE CONTAINED IN THEIR POINT 6(B) ABOUT THE
TWO VIETNAM'S PEFRAIN/NO QUOTE FROM REOOPMIZING THE
PROTECTION OF ANY FORETON POWER, ANY MILITARY ALLIANCE
OR BLOC UNQUOTE. WE DROPPED THIS CLAUSE FROM OUR
PROPOSAL PRECISELY BECAUSE WE HAD TM PM THE CVN'S RIGHT
TO CALL ON OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR SELF DEFENSE. YOU
SHOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT SVN'S SUnGESTED LANGUAGE
WAS NOT IN OUR JOINT JANUARY 25, PROPOSAL AND WOULD LOO', LIYE
A SIGNIFICANT NEW HEDGE. COSmETICALLY, WITH PARTICULAR
REFERENCE TO OUR DOMESTIC SCENE, IT COULD BE VIEWED AS A
LOOPHOLE TO JUSTIFY CONTINUED U.S. INVOLVEMENT.
POINT 7: OVN LANGUAGE WOULD (j)MOVE UP PRINCIPLE OF ARMED
FORCES STAYING WITHIN NATIONAL FRONTIERS TO FIRST
PARAGRAPH ON GENEVA AGREEMENTS AND (2) INTRODUCE PHRASE
QUOTE FOUR COUNTRIES UNQUOTE.
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No Obiection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
No Objection WIlieclasification in Full 2012/10/03: LOCHAK-490-6-24-5
(6)
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Yr TIELIFvE THAT wE SHOULD STICr TO ONP LANsuAGE wHICH Is sNBsTAN-
TTALLY IDENTICAL TO POINTS A AND 5 OF ()NIP JOINT JAWJAPY 15 pposn.
FuRTHERmoRE, YE CANNOT ACCEPT INJEcTINc IDEA OF ouOTE FOuR comITP/Irs
UMPU0TE INTO OUR FORMAL PPOPOsAL, HEPE APA/N0 WE WOULD BE SPECIFYIN0
FFPAPATF NORTH AND SOUT VIETNAmEsE COUNTRIES, A THEOLOGICAL POINT
NOT PAM? IN ORR PREVIOUS PROPOSAL AND AlAIN A RED FLAP FOP HANOI.
WE RELIEVE OUR POINT AS PRESENTLY PHRASED DEALS ADEclUATELY WITH
sJN cONERNs AND WOULD AGAIN POINT OUT THAT PA/4 HAS AMPLE Room
FOR MANEUVER ON THIS ISSUE IN THE NEGOTIAT/NG FORmumS WHICH WOULD
OPEN UP.
POINT St WE HAVE NO DIFFERENCES.
POINT 9: WE AGREE THAT FOR PRESENTATIONAL PUPPOSES THE WORD
"PENEPAL" CAN BE SUBSTITUTED F00 "STANDSTILL" BEFORE CEASEFIRE
AS SuscEsTED AT OUR AUGUST IR MEETING. '
WE ALSO INTEND TO LEAVE IN LANGUACE "AT A TIME MUTUALLY AGREFE0
MON" AT THE BEGINNINc OF THE POINT ALTHOUGH YOU SHOULD MENTION AGAIN
THAT I INTEND TO TELL THE DRV NEGOTIATOPS SEPEmBER 15 THAT AS A
CONCESSION WE APE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THEIR POSITION THAT A CEASE-
FIRE SHOULD COME AFTER OVERALL ACREEMENT ON ALL OTHER ISSUES.
FOR THE SAME REASONS AS OUTLINED WITH RESPECT TO POINT 7 WE
CANNOT ACCEPT THEIR SuGGESTED ADDITION AT THE END OF POINT 9 cONcERN.
ING FOUR REPEAT FOUR COUNTRIES OF INDOCHINA.
' POINT 10t YOU SHOULD POINT OUT THAT WE WOULD ADD POINT 4 As OW
COMING UNDER INTERNATIONAL SUPERVISION siNcE PROVISION IS MADE FOR
INTERNATIONAL SuPERVISION OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, AS IN THE
JANuARY P5 PROPOSAL,
END OF PAGE 6
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5_
No Objection to Declassificationin Full 2012/10/03: LOClAK-490-6-24-5
(7)
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WE ACCEPT THE ADDITION OF THE WORD "BELLIGERENT" AND THE
PHRASE "PRIOR TO THE CEASEFIRE" ALTHOUPH THE LATTER PHRASE MAY DROP
OUT AGAIN IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATIONS. YOU CAN ASSURE THIEU
THAT AS I TOLD HIM ON AUGUST IS, WE ENVISAGE AGREEMENT ON SUPEVISION
PRIOR TO A CEASEFIRE IN ANY EVENT, AND THAT IS ONE REASON WHY WE
GAVOR SHIFTING DISCUSS/ON OF CEASEFIRE MODALITIES 10 THE ELEBER FORUM
AS SOON AS POSSILE?
As FOR PARAGRAPH (B) WE ACCEPT THE INSERTION OF "FOP THE PECPECT
OF THE cEASEF/RE" AFTER WORDS "INTERNATIONAL OlIARAMTEES"; WE ALSO
AGREE TO INSERTION OF WORD "BELLIGERENT" BEFORE "PARTIES" AT END OF
PARAGRAPH,
PROCEDURAL !MIES '
1. WE HAVE ALREADY USED THE CORRECT DESIGNATION FOR THE OVM?
WE ALSO AGREE TO THEIR SUGGEST/ON THAT ANY PROCEDURAL D0rrimEmT WILL
REFER TO THE ME MEAD OF THE PRO. WE PRESUME GVN (au ALSO WANT
TO REFER TO THEM AS NLF IN POINT 4
OF OUR SUBSTANTIVE PROPOSAL. SHOULD NOMENCLATURE PROVE AT SOME STAGE
TO BE ONLY OBSTACLE TO AGREEMENT BETWEEN US AND OFT WE APE NOT
GOING TO FALL OR OUR SWORDS OVER THIS.
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
IP
IR)
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YOU MAY HOWEVER , REAFFIRM TO evN THAT IN ANY FORMAL DOCUMENT
WE wIL IN THE FIRST INSTANCE SEEM TO FOLLOW STANDARD DIPLOMATIC
PRACTICE OF EACH SIDE USING NOMENCLATURE IT WISHES IN INSTANCES WHERE
JuPIDICAL STATUS OF A POLITICAL ENTITY Is IN DISPUTE. SO WE WOULD CALL
THE PRP THE NLIP IN OUR DOCUMENTS AND MY TN. TWIN WOULD PROBABLY
REFER TO THE GUN AS THE SAIroN ADMINISTRATION.
WE AGREE TO DELETE WORDS nuOTE AND RESOLVE uNnuoTE FROM
THE SECOND SENTENCE OF WHAT IS NOW POINT 11(A) OF OUR PROPOSAL.
SINCE, WITH THIS DELETION, WE APE NO LONGER REFERRING TO SOLUTION
OF POLITICAL ISSUES IN THE FIRST FORUM, THERE WOULD NOT APPEAR As
GREAT A NEED TO CHANGE THE WORDS puOTE IS PEsOluTD uNnuOTE TO nuOTE
HAS BEEN DEALT WITH UNcUOTE IN THE THIRD RARAGRAPHI RUT.! inEw OF
OUR DISCUSS/ON ON AUGUST. 10, WE DEFER To THE GvN IF THEY INSIST ON
THIS POINT.
UNDER THE SECOND FORUM WE AGREE TO cHANPE nuOTE MAY NOT HAVE
BEEN RESOLVED UN0UOTE TO QUOTE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DEALT w/TH uNnuoTE.
IN THE SECOND SENTENCE * .
3. elm OBJECTION TO A TRIPARTITE FORUM GIVES US CONSIDERABLE DIFF-
IcLuLTY AND AS I POINTED OUT WE BELIEVE LEGALISTIC DISADVANTAGES ARE
IN OUT VIEW STRONGLY OUTWEIGHED BY POLITICAL AND LEGAL RECOGNITION
GUN GAINS BY DEALING WITH OTHER SIDE IN AS MANY FORUMS As POSSIBLE.
TO EASE GUN'S PROBLEM WE WOULD SUGGEST DELETION OF "TRIPARTITE"
FROM NOMENCLATURE OF THESE PRIVATE MEETINGS AND ALSO DELETE PHRASE
puoTE SUCH As PROBLEM OF VIETNAMESE ARMED FORCE uNnuOTE RIGHT THROuGH
TO END Or SENTENCE.
ALSO, AS I PO/NTD OUT TO THIEN DPv DOES NOT VISUALIZE DISCUSSION
OF INTERNAL Mils IN THIS FORUM BUT RATHER THE STATUS or THE DMZ,
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE Two ZONES AND STEPS LEADING To REUNIFICATION.
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
dila%
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5
IIP
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4, WITH RESPECT TO FOUR PARTY FORUM WE PROPOSE TO DELETE
PHRASE QUOTE SUCH AS AN INDOCHINA-WIDE CEASEFIRE UNPUOTT SO AS TO BE
CONSISTENT WITH OUR APPROACH OF BEING VAGUER ON WHAT IS DISCUSSED'
IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH FORUMS. THIS CHANGE AS IT HAPPENS, ALSO REVERTS
BACK MORE CLOSELY TO ORIGINAL DRV LANGUAGE AT NO EXPENSE TO US, ,
THIS DELETION IN NO WAY DETRACTS FROM OUR INTENTION THAT CEASEFIRE
MODALITIES BE DISCUSSED AT KLEBER.
REGARDING PARAGRAPH CC) OF OUR PROCEDURAL PROPOSAL, JOINT
U.S. ..DRV RESPONSIBILITY, WE WILL DELETE THIS IN THE PROCEDURAL
PROPOSAL, ITSELF,
ON PARAGRAPH CD) PURSUANT TO OUR AUGUST le DISCUSSION, WE
AGREE TO CHANGING THE SECOND SENTENCE TO READ'OUOTE BESIDES THE.
ALL AGREEMENT THE PARTIES MAY ALSO REACH BILATERAL OR MULTILATERAL. '
AGREEMENTS WITH ONE ANOTHER UNQUOTE, THERBY'AGAIN AVOIDING REFERENCE
TO TRIPARTITE AGREEMENTS, :
5. YOU SHOULD, OF COURSE, PRESENT our COMMENTS IN THE MANNER
YOU CONSIDER MOST EFFECTIVE, DRAWING ON THE ABOVE RATIONALE As YOU
SEE FIT TO ACCOMPLISH OUR OBJECTIVES,'IN .S0 DOING, PLEASE REITERATE
TO THIEU MY APPRECIATION FOR OUR CONSTRUCTIVE Discussums AND
THE SPIRIT IN WHICH WE BEL/VE HE IS CONSIDERING OUR STRATEGY AND
COUNTER PROPOSALS. fl HOPE THIS SPIRIT VII INFUSE HIS REACTIONS TO
OUR POSITIONS IN THIS MESSAGE AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL QUEST ION or POINT
4, AS YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEIR COMMENTS AS SOON AS POS-
SIBLE AND ANY EVENT IN TIME FOR HAWAII MEETING.
WARM REGARDS
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-24-5