USG CONTACT WITH SOUTH VIETNAMESE THIRD FORCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 16
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: July 18, 2012
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: July 13, 1973
• Content Type: MEMO

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
MEMORANDUM R
NATIONAL SECURITY
W
MEMORANDUM FOR:
FROM:
GENERAL SCO
WILLIAM L. U
OFT
ARMAN
'-
SUBJECT:
USG Contact with South Vietnamese
Our Paris Embassy recently has broken. a long-standing rule against
official contact with South Vietnamese. third force personalities in
'range. We believe that these contacts are most ill-advised and
recommend that you ask State to instruct the Embassy to, discontinue
further such meetings.
tJ1
25X1
On two occasions, within the past 10 days, an Embassy officer has met
with leading third force figures in Paris. It is unclear at whose initiative
these, c^intacts were held-but presumably they. were sought by our per-
sonnel or the reports would. have indicated otherwise. The individuals.
in question are in contact with the."PRG11. and their exile association for
the "third forcer" element on the National Council of National Reconciliation
and Concord.
We believe the rationale for avoiding contact with third forces in Paris
continues to apply and see even less reason for breaking the practice -.
against Embassy meetings. The GVN considers -- and we agree - that
the exiles are opportunists of the first rank without any political following
in the South. To meet with them would only inflate their credentials,
lend our name to their very dubious cause and risk involving ourselves
in controversy with the GVN over the NCNRC. Saigon is extremely sen-
sitive on. the NCNRC issue, which it considers an internal political matter,
and would resent -- and possibly misconstrue -- official contact by USG
officials with a group that the GVN has spurned and denounced.
DOS, NSS,
review completed
- pgs 1-15
MORI/CDF
C05106399 pgs
2-16 match pgs
1-15 of target
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
w
We have brought our views to the attention of State Department working
levels without much effect. The Department has cabled the Embassy
that it concurs in its line (to be noncommital with the Third Forces)
but failed to discourage further .contacts.
RECOMMENDATION:
That you inform State to cease further meetings between third forces
and Paris Embassy officials.
DISAPPROVE
SECRET
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
CONFIDENT JAL .
July 17,..1973
MEMO FOR:
FROM:
SUBJECT:.
with Vietnamese Third
Paris Embassy Contacts
Forcer
Per your request, attached are the. back-up
..cables reporting and commenting on ill-
-advised contacts between our Paris.Embassy
and South Vietnamese ?third-torces.
CONFIDENTIAL
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
 No Obiection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
a7"t11a212t; of State
CONFIDENTIAL 206
PAGE 01 STATE 136451
67
ORIGIN EA-14
INFO OCT-01 EUR-25 ADPw00 JAE-00 DODEwOO PM-07 H-03
YNR?i0 Lw03 NSAE-013 NSCw1 PA?v-3 RSC-01 PRS-+0I
USIA-12 IOi3 ACOA-19 ' NIC-O!'
DRAFTED BY EA/VN:PCOLLINS:AOA
7/12/73 EXT 23221
APPROVED BY EA/VN:L
/138
rRwpirr~w+r ~.r ~rw vv~rv~w~.v w~ 067615
P 1219057 JUL 73
FM SECSTATE WASHOC
TO AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
ANEMBASST SAIGON PRIORI T i
INFO USDEL JEC PARIS PRIORITY
C 0 N F Y 0 E N T I A L _ S'ATE 136451
E.C. 11652= GOS
TAGS1 PINT VS
SUBJECT: SOUTH VIETNAMESE 'THXRD FORCE'CONTACTS WITH PRG.
AND GVN
REFS; ...A, SAIGON 1256", U, PARIS 18671
WE CONCUR IN LINE TAKEN WITH MINH BY EMBASSY OFFICER
(REF t3) AND IN EMBASSY SAIGON COMMENTS (REF A), ROGERS
CONFItEVIAL
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
SS-1
ANDERSON
HOLDRIDGE _;-.
HORMMATS
JORDEN
KENNEDY
LEHMAN
LEVINE ---
N6GftUNUrv E .
ODEEN ___----
RATUFF ~._._.
RONDON
SAUNDERS -
SONNENFEt
V.I.G. _. r.
WALSH ..~: ~-
 414 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
.~ ?~~'~~`.4? Metpartlizent of Stare
INR.1 fo L-03 NSAE-0
67
ACT,1ON EA.14
INFO OCT?01 EUR??25 ' ADP' 00
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 SAIGON 12500 1200042
LEVI I"
PA 03 RSC?011 .ks2 1 SS-15
USTA-12 IOO13 AC:DA%xl9 NXC"01 RSRvOI
. ?7~~r~srwPrf.Ma.r?wrrw.rrr
P R 11141587 JUL 73
FM, AMEMdASSY SAIGON
TO SECSTATE WASHOC PRIORITY 4449.
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
INFO USOEL JFC PARIS
t 13 tr'tdN
SAUNDERS
s6,,v?Ei FELDT__?
tNIiLSH ------
SUBJECT SOUTH VIETNAMESE "THIRD FORCE" CONTACTS WITH PRO AND GVN
REF; (A) PARIS 18363; (B) PARIS 16871; (C) FBIS S101222 JUNE
1. ? REFTELS REPORTED RECENT EMBASSY P'A?RIS EMBOFP I S CONVERSATIONS
WITH SELF-STYLED LEADERS OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE "THIRD FORCE"
HO THONG MINH AND NGUYEN HUU CHAR. REF (B) REPORTS THAT MINHR
AFTER REPORTING RECENT CONTACTS WITH PRG QEL CHIEF N1:UY.EN VAN
HIED, COMPLAINED OF "LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS" OF GVN TQ "THIRD
FORCE" APPROACHES, MINH THEN SUGGESTED THAT. THE US AND DRV
MIGHT USEFULLY "INDICATE.FORCEFULLY" TO PRESIDENT THIEU THAT
HE SHOULD ADOPT A MORE RESPONSIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE "THIRD
FORCE'.
C O N F I D E N 'T I AL SAIGON 12500
E.O. 1.1652: GOS
TAGS' PINT VS
20 WE RELIEVE EMBASSY PARISI RESPONSES TO MINH HAVE STRUCK
TNF apOt NOTE. SOUTH VIETNAMESE
POLITICAL PROBLEMS MUST OF COURSE RE SOLVED BY THE SOUTH'
VIETNAMESE THEMSELVES AND THE I~E`SS?~C14~TSSpRNG. I~N ~,Jt CH
MATTERS THE E K. WE BELIEVE THIS SHOULD CONTINUE To BE OUR
LrjNE WITH MINH, CHAD, AND OTHER EXPATRIATES.
3. FYI. GVN PRESS SPOKESMAN JULY 1P REACTED TO STORIES OF
CONFIDENTIAL
*7
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
M
ANDE^SON
?HO4D7uGE
Hc)RmATS
jORDFiL
E 0P1 DODE-00 PM i Y
N-; 0-2
 kosov No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
rr ~j to
t Qb Fr ~y ? ?c~R . ~-
r =~. Department of State
r
PKG. t"THIRn FORCE" CONTACTS TN PARK THAT EXPATRIATES INVOLVED
tN SUCH ACTIVITIES "REPRESENT NO ONE" CREF C)?GVN WOULD. WE
RELIEVE, VIEW ANY U.S, ENCOURAGEMENT OF "THIRD FORCE'S ELEMENTS
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 SAIGON 12500 12(601042
WITH SUSPICION AND RESENTMENT..
WHITEHOUSE
CONFIDENTIAL
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
 Ike artment of Stag
.7l'I'll a~?h~. t. ~a tF
CONFIDENTIAL 388
PAGE 01 PARTS 18871 1018482
63
ACTION EA-+i4
'INFO. OCT-011 EUR-25. ADP-00 10.13 DPW0,01
PM?07' H"02 INR-10
PRS.011 SS-15. USIA"12 R5R-A1 /119 W'
R 1,017362. JUL 73
FM AMEMBAS V PAaIS .
TO SECSTATE WASHOC 166 1 '
INFO AMEMBASSY SAIGON
C O N F I b ,E N T I A L PARIS 18871
Eva. ?1G52: GDS
TAGS! PINT VS
CXAE?00 DODE'00
v
SUBJECTi SOUTH VIETNAMESE "THIRD FORCE" CONTACTS
BEGIN SUMMARY. SOUTH VIETNAMESE "THIRD fDRC&4 FIGURE
F
THE JULy ~.Z.,.,h1E~1>x F~LEF_THIRD FORCE" LEADERS AND.
THE HEAD OF THE PRG DELEGATION NDUYErs VAN HIE.U. MINH
LAMENTED LACK OF GVN RESPONSE TG 61 ULTANEOUS DEMARCHE.
MINH ASK n ?xFT F !~~ FiAD ANYi5UGGF5Tt0NS J 70_ MAK 19-H-I 1
to SOUTH VIETNAMESE "THIRD FORCE" FIGURE, HO THONG MINH,
CALLED ON EMQ.Ta EXPLAIN RECENT CDNTACTS WITH PRG AND
G LADERS IN PARIS. ACCORDING TO MINH# ON JULY 4 A
GROUP OF "THIRD FORCE" ORGANIZATIONS LOOSELY F'EDE'RATED
UNDER THE NAME OF "COMMITTEE FOR RACE AND DEMOCRATIC
LIBERTIES IN SOUTH VIETNAM" SENT LFTTERS TO HEAD OF-THE
PRG DELEGATION (NGUYEN VAN HIEU) AND hEAn OF?.IHE GVN
DELEGATION (NGUYEN LUU VIEN). THE LETTFkS PROPOSED. MEETINGS
BETWEEN THE COMMITTEE AND THE GVP4 ANO PRG REPRESENTATIVES,
ON JULY S- THE PRG REPRESENTATIVE PROPOSED A MEETING ON
JULY 7, AND THE COMMITTEE MET AND EXCHANGED VIEWS WITH
PRIOR TO DINNER __ .TULY Y~. ENU SUMMARY.
CONFIDENTIAL
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/07/18: LOC-HAK-36-3-33-2
a~ ~ E' s tj R +'?a
a? r;: t of State
De Patm
11 21
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 PART; 18671 IW1S46Z
THE PRG CAFE J. LY 9 PL?0''.T CflVEF