COLBY QUERY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01495R000300080020-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 12, 2005
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: April 24, 1975
• Content Type: MEMO

Appro FFW 2eQe 11PPx (CIA-RDP80B01495j
Date: 24 April 1975
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT: Colby Query
Mr. Colby wants to know, as Kissinger
allegedly asserts, whether in fact CIA has
flip-flopped on its estimate of whether the
Communists would or would not storm Saigon.
I have given this to Lehman for prompt
action.
Approved For Release 2005/11/23 : CIA-RDP80B01495RQ-80020-2
 r~~rtl
11 r,4 i1k)MUMMArl I
EJI&O.V 1AKJ-UVER
Asserts It Is Not Trying to
Humiliate Washington in
Assumption of 'Control
NEW YORK TIMES
orbRete~2@:Oh*tZt3 II'Ii,-RDPOJ 4&p0
headed the group that over.
threw' President Ngo Dinh. Diem
in November, 1963.
In Paris today, the Vietcong
rejected appeals from the no,.,:
Saigop;Government for a cease-
fire Gild new peace talks. A
spol:e~man for the Provisiona:
Revolutionary Government re-
pcated,,demands for "total ces-
sation of United States military
He thinks that Hanoi may
want to' support its assertion
that it has no troops in South
Vietnam and therefore may
wait until an acceptable coali-
tion government assumes power
in Saigon, then send just Viet-
cong troops into the- city.
-One official said that based
on this reasoning and on the
interference in South Vietnam" possibility that Hanoi might
and a.5aigon Government sin-prefer an orderly take-over of
cerely'c.esiring '.'peace and in- Saigon, Mr. Kissinger has'been
dependence and national recon- (trying to signal the Commu-
ciliati.rt." Enlsts that it is in their interest
to wait.
French Being Encouraged lie said at a House committee
The;'new Saigon proposal meeting Friday; "The negotiat-
went`Eeyond the position of ding process has its- own logic
former President Nguyen Van that will become apparent." The
T'"lieu by stating willingness to ]official said that in effect, Mr.
By LESLIE H. GELB
Special to The New York Tiara
WASHINGTON, April 23-
The North Vietnamese and
Vietcong have told Washington
through intemediaries that they
do not wish to humiliate the
United States in the coming
days, but have refused to say
anything else, even ? whether
they are prepared to negotiate
or on what terms, according
to authoritative Administration
officials.
Hanoi has frequent:y said
lover the years that it does not'
ant to humiliate Washington,
w
without explaining further. It
is assumed to mean that if
(Washington accepts a Commu-
inist 'take-over of South Viet-
nam, Hanoi would do what it
:could to "save American face."
The Administration officials
maintained that the Unitedll
States was essentially asking
North Vietnam and the Provi-
sional Revolutionary Govern-
Iment for safety and evacuation
guarantees for American citi.
zens, their dependents and an
unspecified number of South
Vietnamese.
One official said: "They
won't even tell us whether they
want any sort of American dip-
lornatic presence in Saigon aft-
er they take over."
The` officials said that the
United. States had not sought
and was not in direct contact
talk about establishing a Na- JKissingee was telling Hanoi
tional Council of National Re- that if its attack on Saigon was
conciliation and, Concord as
called-for in the 1973 Paris ac-
cords. The council- would in-
elude.'Vietcong and neutralist
represiwntatives.
There was an ominous warn-
ing from the Hanoi radio today.
Referring to the American force
now off South Vietnam "to save
its henchmen, prolong the war
and interfere in the internal af-
fairs,of South Vietnam," the
broadcast said, "This adventur-
ous course of action may lead
to disastrous consequences."
Discussing indirect contacts
with Hanoi, Administration of-
fic.ials,l would not say which
naticps were serving as inter-'
mediaries for Washington. They
did sa}-, however, that the inter PARIb April 23--A Saigon
Saigon
8perial to The NewYork Tlme3
mcdijries- were not the Sovietappeal for an ininiediate cease-
Un.itexl?;Natioris. ?;
letcong -o
"The French are basically . !authority was rejected here to
actirlv?on their own," one OM- (day by theProvisional -Revolu-
cial g puaineci, "but wa are en- tionary Government delegation.
couraging their efforts. And i? ?t'hc South Vietnam Embassy
still r pthing from.Moscow and ysaid the plea t^