VICE PRESIDENT KY'S VIEWS CONCERNING THE STALEMATED PARIS TALKS AND THE GVN POSITION

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06923742
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: December 2, 2021
• Case Number: F-2019-02256
• Publication Date: November 9, 1968

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9 NOVEMBER 1963
SUBSECT: VICE PRESIDENT KS VIEWS CONCERNING THE
STALEMATED PARIS TALKS AND THE GVN POSITION
I. ON 5 NOVEMBER:19681 VICE PRESIDENT NGUYEN GAO KY
DISCUSSED HIS VIEWS CONCERNING THE CURRENT STALEMATE
IN THE PARIS NEGOTIATIONS WITH A NUMBER OF SOUTH VIETNAMESE
SENIOR OFFICERS. DURING THE CONVERSATION, KY INDICATED
THAT HE AND PRESIDENT NGUYEN VAN THIEU WERE NOW PRETTY
MUCH IN ACCORD ON GVN POLICY. KY'S CONCERN LAY IN THE
GVN'S ABILITY TO UNITE AND SHOW PROOF THAT IT WAS A TRULY
INDEPENDENT AND SOVEREIGN COUNTRY. �
2. KY TOLD THE�OFFICERS TiLkT THE PARIS TALKS WERE
DEADLOCKED. HOWEVER, THE GVN SHOULD WAIT uNTn.,, AFTER
THE U. S. ELECTIONS AND THEN, WITH THE NEW PRESIDENT-.ELECT,
OFFER A SOLUTION WHICH IS COMPLETELY VIETNAMESE AND
NATIONALIST. POINT ONE SHOULD CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE AND
AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO CONTROL THE TWO SIDES OF
THE 17TH PARALLEL IT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE A TOTAL WITH..
DRAWAL OF NOTtONLY THE NORTH VIETNAMESE TROOPS FROM
SVN BUT THOSE OF THE ALLIED POWERS AS WELL. POINT TWO
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WOULD ENTAIL THE GYN. DISCUSSING DIRECTLY WITH THE DRY
THE ISSUE OF REUNIFICATION OF THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. ,POINT
THREE WOULD RECOMMEND THE GVN TALK DIRECTLY WITH THE
� NLF ABOUT SVN INTERNAL PROBLEMS.
3. KY CONTINUED THAT THE DRY COULD NOT REFUSE TO
ENTER INTO SUCH TALKS NO R COULD THE "MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROADERS"
IN SVN FIND THE POLICY OBJECTIONABLE. INTERNATIONAL
OPINION WOULD ALSO BE FAVORABLE, SEEING THE POLICY AS
ONE OF GOOD WILL OFFERED BY A COUNTRY "WITH INDEPENDENT.
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AND SOVEREIGN" STATUS. KY NOTED THAT THE GVN'S WEAKNESS
� DERIVED FROM THE DRV'S BELIEF THAT SVN WAS THE LACKEY OF
U. S. IMPERIALISTS.
4. KY REITERR.ATED THAT HE WAS NOT AFRAID TO TALK TO
THE NLF NOR DM HE FEAR EVEN NGUYEN HUU THO'S BECOMING
A GVN MDTIST.ER. HOWEVER, HE WAS AFRAID THAT THE DRY
WOULD CONTINUE TO INFILTRATE CADRES AND WEAPONS INTO
SYN. KY AFFIRMED THAT INTERNATIONAL GUARANTEES WERE
NECESSARY TO PROTECT SVN IN THIS REGARD. KY ALSO SAID
THAT IT SHOULD BE MADE EVIDENT THAT SVN REALLY WANTED
A LASTING AND GUARANTEED PEACE. SVN 'WOULD HAVE TO RELY
ON OTHER COUNTRIES TO GUARANTEE THE 17TH PARALLEL; �
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5. KY SAID THAT HE WOULD PROMISE TO TALK DIRECTLY
WITH THE DRV REGARDING VIETNAMESE REUNIFICATION. IN
THIS WAY, "ALL" THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE WOULD SEE THAT
THE GVN WAS INDEPENDENT,, CONSEQUENTLY, THE PEOPLE
WOULD BACK THE GVN. A SHORT-RANGE EFFECT OF THIS
POSITION WOULD BE TO FIND A WAY OUT OF THE IMPASSE AT
THE PARIS TALKS, AFTER ALL THE U. S. HAS ARRANGED TO DATE
�IN PARIS.
6. REFERRING TO DIRECT TALKS WITH THE DRY, KY
STATED THAT PERHAPS THE U. S. MOULD NOT ACCEPT THIS, NOR
WOULD THE RUSSIANS AGREE TO IT, HOWEVER, AVERRED KY,
WITH THE TROOPS GONE, VIETNAM WOULD BE OUT FROM UNDER
THE DOMINATION OF THE GREAT POWERS. KY FELT THAT THIS
WAS THE ONLY WAY OUT FOR SVN. "WE MUST BE INDEPENDENT, "
HE MAINTAINED.
7. KY NOTED HE HAD TOLD THIEU THAT THERE WERE NOW
THREE THINGS TO BE DONE: REORGANIZE THE GOVERNMENT TO
MAKE IT MILITANT; PUT A HALT TO FACTIONALISM AND FAVORITISM
WITHIN THE MILITARY; AND BRING THE PARTIES AND PEOPLE
TOGETHER INTO AN ANTI-COMMUNIST POSITION.
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8. KY SUGGESTED THAT THE GVN USE DUONG VAN ("BIG")
MINH. IN THE PAST THERE WAS SUSPICION OF "BIG" MINH FOR
FEAR HE WOULD FORM A COALITION GOVERNMENT, KY CLAIMED,
BUT NOW MINH HAD SHOWN THAT HE WAS A NATIONALIST. IN
ADDITION, THE PEOPLE WERE FOND OF HIM. HE WOULD HELP
UNIFY THE PEOPLE AND THE MILITARY, KY OPINED.
9. � KY FELT THAT 17I/EU WOULD BE FINISHED IF HE DID ,
NOT DO THESE THINGS TO UNIFY THE COUNTRY. HE REMARKED
� THAT OVER THE YEARS, LACK OF UNITY HAD BROUGHT ON MANY
� GVN DEFEATS. NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THERE WAS AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR UNITY.
10. KY TOLD THE OFFICERS THAT WHEN THE DRAFT
COMMUNIQUE WAS FIRST PRESENTED, THERE WERE MANY
ARGUMENTS LEADING NOWHERE. KY SAID THAT HE ASKED THEM
TO LOOK AT REALITY. THIE,U HAD BEEN PRESENTED WITH A
COMMUNIQUE WHICH HE DID NOT WANT TO SIGN. ONE OF THE
POINTS TO WHICH THIEU OBJECTED WAS THE REFERENCE THAT
THE EXPANDED TALKS WOULD BE A CONTINUATION OF THE EXPLORA-
TORY TALKS. I NOTICED, SAID KY, THAT THIEU WAS OPPOSED
TO HAVING THIS IN THE DRAFT RIGHT FROM THE START. IT
� WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER, SAID KY, IF THE COMMUNIQUE HAD
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