COMMENTS OF LE DUC THO TO FRENCH COMMUNIST LEADERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B01737A002000010055-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 21, 2001
• Sequence Number: 55
• Publication Date: May 19, 1972
• Content Type: TELEGRAM

Approved For Release 2005/01/31 : CIA-RDP79B01737AO02000010055-9
PAGE 01 FRANCE 09743 01 OF 03 t9?tgo,.
CABLE SECRETARIAT ROUTING: EXDIS, BACKGROUND USE ONLY: FILE, CS'BF, DCI,
E
DDP, SDO,
/OGI, D/NIC, D/ONE,
R 1918482 MAY 72
FM USOEL FRANCE-
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5825
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY SAIGON
17,
S E C R E T SECTION t' or 3 USDE.L FRANCE-9743
SUBJECT' COMMENTS OF L'E DUC THO To FRENCH' COMMUNIST LEADERS
PASSED US FOLLOWING REPORT
I
OUC THO DISCUSSED THE CAREFULLY RESERVED PUT NOT NEG0IVE
SOVIET' POSTION WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANNED ORV
OFFENSIVE, HANOII'S ACKNOWL-EDGED NEED FOR CHINESE C0p
OPER,-T'ION IN RE9UPPLY IF THE BOMBINGS CONTINUED, -THE
LACI< OF UNANIMITY WITHIN THE PARTY ON THE DECISION, TO:
LAUNCH THE OFFENSIVE, .HANOI'S ADMITTED MISCALCULATION
AS TO THE PRESIOENT'S REACTION TO THE OFFENSIVE, THE I
ENSUING ESTIMATE THAT MILITARY ACTION WOULD SLOW DOWN
id
T T D V
f
ANO DIPLON
A IC rC IVITY
UL) MA E TC aPrto UW IN ORbc-R
TO ATTAIN POLITICAL VICITORY, AND THE ASSUMPTION THAI
ONCE A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT WERE BROUGHT ABOUT IN SAIGON,
HANOI'S PLANS, WHICH HAD NOT CHANGED SINCE iFio WOOD
BE 'SATISFIED IN EVERY SPHERE.o' LE 'DUE THO STRESSED
THE NEED TO HAVE THE PARIS PL.ENARIES AND PRIVATE SES IONS
RESUMED SO THAT CESSATION O BOMBING COULD BE ATTAIN
D?
VO VAN SUNG, IN A .SEPARATE CONVERSATION, CONCEDED
THE DEVASTATING PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS 0~
THE BOMBINGS. Ef,10 SUMMARY
st t'e--D? pt. declassification & release instructions on file
25X1
NOT TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE AC AUTHORIZATION OF THE EX?CUTJVE SECT .TAR'`
C 8148
 { WOULD PROVIDE ALL NECESSARY ASSISTT ~,ftICE~ BUT THEY DID N01
uLr RI Irvf"a? rir - ub vl*I I I,-" .
BEEN INFORMED (THIS WAS IN 1971)A TOLD US: THAT THEY
WANT TO ADVISE US ONE WAY OR r~ . O i ~+ {~ o i ~t1 s WA 5a r~tie3vc;~ ChNQSe
L(_A BECAUSE THEY !VIcTNAMESE FRIENDSHIP ' .SSOCIATION?
THE PEACE MOVEMENT,r OR THE ASSOCIATIONS 148)j PARTI w
THO IF IT WERE CORRECT THAT THE OFF NNSIVE IN SOUTH
fi ARRANGEMENTS TO SET UP THE ~tit..F IN SOUTH VIFT-NAMr THE
it FOR A LONG TIME 'NOW, THE DRV HAS BEEN MAKING
DISAPPROVAL OF THE MOSCOW LEADERS. LE DUE THO SEEMED
EMBARRASSED AND REPLIED AS FOLLOWS9
OPF-RATIONS OF SAIGON TROOPS IN 1-OWE( LFOS.SHOWED US
r f WE HAD To MAKE ALL NECE$SARY PREPARATIONS TO LAUNCH
TT ! AFTER LONG DISCUSSIONS WITHIN 'THE PRTY, WE DECIDED TWAT:
GE THEIR REPRESENTATIVE IN HANOI, THEM RONCO,, THAT UNANI'MI`TY
REACHEDo ACCORDING TO HIM. THE,
ON HAD~WOT BEEN
or C3PIN~
pID NOT TELL LE DUC THO WAS THAT THEY HAD LEARNED THROUGH
`;. WHAT THE FRENCH COMMUNISTS I 25X1
I . i G'I AV H 1 f f 5 t. t- r I t. r U (% I t t 1 I? T O n 1 V I n h I r-I . I I A 1.0 n C. Ia,:. r r .y F 4 V i v w +a;,-- Q 44- ? I N THE EVENT THAT "SUPPLY,$t1 OR THE DESTRUCTION OF THR
vbvl
SECRET
1,1_} fig.
~~,roved -~,g,~ Release 2(I,QS~,~ CIA-RC2P7.QR01.7 _
iBkFGp~MVn;A'k.CJ'.FI'gY're~Y9'im~d":v.+:
 epart fenT
PAGE 03 FRANCE 09743 01 OF 03 1921i' 0Z
HO CHI MINH TRAIL' MADE IT No LONGER POS9!SI.E. TO 'GET
THE NECESSARY MATERIAL INTO THE SOUTH - DESPITE ALL'
THE SUPFLYwGUILD.UP PRECAUTIONS TAKEN BY THE `HIGH. COMr1AN io
INw
ITHE PRO-CHINESE VIEWPOINT'CALLS"FOR HAVING OW SITE
. { THE AREA' AROUND V SAIGON I ENO_SGH MILITARY
FLUENCE THE POPULATTON/AND1NABLE THE POL.ITIC'AA 'CADRES-
TO- REVERSE THEITUATIONa. THE PRO-CHINESE WERE GUI,DEb
BY THE LESSON LEARNED IN 1968o THEY BELIEVE THAT WITH
NST SAIGON, ONCE THIS 'CITY HAS
T AG
AI
SERIOUS THREA
A
BEEN COMPLETELY AND SOLIDLY SURROUNDED BY THE ELITE TROOPS
OF. THE DRVs THE POLITICAL CADRES' WITH THE. HELP OF THE
FOREIGN PRESS, WILL. BE ABLE TO BRING THE POPULATION
TO REVERSE MOMENTUM IN FpR~SIQ~..WYATOHIEUa~ANpWILL
THE'GOM~
THE FORCED DEPARTURE OF
MUNISTS WILL HAVE-WON,
. ; r;C+~l' Zt;: :. ?.!' ~::.~1t: ~ ~;TI ~r; OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETAPY
:,
V
NOT TO tit. F. P ,
SECRET
Approved For Release 2005/01/31 ?- CIA-RDP79BO1737AO02000010055-9
Approved For Release 2005/01/31 : CIA-RDP79B01737AO02000010055-9
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PAGE o l FRANCE 09743 02 Or
1 62
1 ACTION SS-25
-, INFO OCT-01 '/026 W.
A.'. TO: SECSTATE WASHOC 5 26
z y'M US?EL FRANCE'
INFO. AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
A
0
1
U J AMEr1f AbSY S
$? E-C R E- T SECTION
if,, Exais
03 1921302
- p- ,r ~--- r w r w r a r w r~ r! w
2 Or 3 USDEL` FRANCE ?9743
0.5751
THE VICINITY OF THE DEMARCATION .LINE]
t.RCTION IN
UL mV THE ORVi WOULD IN 'PACT
S
EF
I ALTHOUGH NOT CONSIDERED U
f i i VERB' DN TQ DRAW SAIGON TROOPS INTO T H I-S?
I
~+ I -
V BE ONLY A D
t?: t~ _.....s^.i A1.1n uni PI THP-M TWrIRE+ IT IS IN 'THE. INTEREST OF
`jHE ORV, WHICH CA?IV~r.~si4,
r, i1 . TiliCcr Yr?1 S? wwir Rrr ITS TROOPS*-
-
-. .,
z;pY; ?
11 ~ - F j ARE NOW INFLITRATINGI TAY NI A . .
f ^- AND THE OTHER SUPPORT .BASES THAT THEY ARE: ESTA6f"ISHI~dG i
Ui
AUrwnPTTATIVE)WAND WHO
(' LE DUC TH0s. WHO Ic QUITE
Rc "r*u COMMUNIST PARTY. TOL
H
E, r''
.? HAS NUtIEROU? FRIENDS IN.. T
THEM I WE ARE OBLIGED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT??'THE DES I R65
? "I Ir-1 Mc , A hln 17- THE BOMBINGS :CONTINUE
-
WE WILL NEED THEIN FKLV, S T S Y4 -1 . ?
- . 1 - CANNONT ALWAYS REJECT 14R SUGGESTIONS,0RADVICE, EE VENS
IF WE DISCUSS IT WITH OUR SOVIET FRIENDS, W
f
IC ATIONS" INTO ACCOUNTS
ifQ
BL
b
US SETTER+ TAKING THESE
_ - .?? r ... r. . i l.t r T L-1 I KI "r to T.' - 0 A i? T Y / A N15
A
f
i DECISION WAS ,
4a 1! 41 A . ?ruAT' TW7 YOUNG -O NOT SEE THE z,-1!
P1
r i r 1 G
'='[ ~. a O
AL THOUGH I CANNOT .
LLY MADE ONLY AS A RESULT OF A, MAJORIT
l
=
rr
U
O
OF
THE S fF OLDr AND BECA 57'
IN Mt SAME TERMS AS T. I
117, i S o DIFFERENCES OF OPI.NICON A'RE INEVITABLE. THE ES-
17H
ME MOMENT, DISCIPLINE WITHIN
fZ '
.
-POINT IS THAT F.O
,.? _ ~1 ~?~ T THE AUTHORIZATION OF THE EX CUT1VE SECRETA
NOT TO A pW i y'Re~eaVse 65 1/3%EC RDP79B01737AO02000010055-9
 Y _ PAGE 02 PRANCE. 09743 22 OF .03 19? 1302
-le 1.1
It7.Tr
t'SOl
PARTY IS
.
1 RHE
E:. 5dUTN WILL RAII'Y TO THE. NLF IF THE OFFENSIVE
T
I
I,' QUESTION BY Y. MOREAUi DO YOU THINK THAT THE 'POPULATI.ON
H
c,.? ' 0 , ,
CONTINUE$ AS IT HAS BEGUN AND ACHIEVES EVEN AN INCOMPLETE
.3 V1.CTORY IN THE FAIRLY NEAR FUTURE?
I . u r- n v w ... .+ . .- ..- . ..,
V1 ~o wi wTNr: T'H17 nPPENSiVF TURNED -OUT TO BE A SURPRISE I
I
1 `('( E.. DUC TWO r WE THINK SO. ALTHOUGH I T S .NUT 1-1.10:31,06M
-'i ..___-_. c.('I t I C i'T TLIt^ TTMC O C'
is. 'THAT MILITARY ACTION WILL E3E L VNr-
i. r,rinv t.tr! t.lrl t ?iuAtlC Tn 'CTCA
MISTAKE; BUT NOT A C T ,STROPHIC ONE . THE ONLY O I$ADVANTA E
S 0 p ?oowN Akin IN
i ? .PRESiDI:NTIAL' CLECTIQN YEAR IN THE US.Aa THIS WAS -A
{ . ~ !4 A U r. L. J. t 1 J. 11 - - , _ _ ' -. i - . ..... _ _
,,HE~ YEAR Or- THE PEKING ANa MOSCOW VISITS AND -DURING
TH` PQS1TIUJV IAKC.rv t3T (VJn=IV? `~ `.t.Mw ..v .. ?.r ~v
nl to TAI PJ _
R TO WIN A POLIT
U 4C AC
I~ PARALYSE MCI IVITT IN THE
BLOCKADE IS' EFFECTIVE ANOD~V?
~? MOREAUI, COULD YOU- HOLD OUT FOR ONG '1'Th1E IF"TMi"
F TUC INTENSIVE nmmnTNf%S
LE DUC THOS THE SITUATION WILL BE ARDOU$, LIFE WILL.
iP RESIDENT IEUS QEPA iTURE+ HE; AND HE ALON o -itANUD
IN THE- WAY OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR PLANS, WHLGH c.'
e- LCZ L+.'P WTI -I RFAr4 nUR- GOALS
Ia
BE HARD, BUT WE HAVE COME THROUGH OTHER TESTS. WE.ARE.
} ORGANIZED' TO 00 ON FOR A LONG 'TI Mr