CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ELLSWORTH BUNKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-3-33-8
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 2, 2012
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: March 20, 1971
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/02: LOC-HAK-490-3-33-8 ,
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MORI C05076848
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T 0 P s I SENSITIVE 2012501 MAR'71 VIA CAS CHANNELS
:FROM: AMBASSADOR BUNKER, SAIGON 0665
TO: THE WHITE HOUSE EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONLY HENRY A. KISSINGER
REF: A. WHS-1021
B. J ,
W}-1S- 1023.
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State Dept. review completed
1. I CAN WELL UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS EXPRESSED IN YOUR 1021 OF
MARCH 18. I AM SURE THEY MUST HAVE BEEN COMPOUNDED BY THE KIND
OF BIASED, HALF-BAKED, TENDENTIOUS PRESS REPORTING COMING OUT OF
HERE AND THE EFFECT IT .MUST BE HAVING AT HOME. AS PRESIDENT
THEIU SAID YESTERDAY, "A PLATOON LEADER CAN'T DESCRIBE THE WAR
IRA WAY IN WHICH A GENERAL CAN" AND MUCH OF THE REPORTING
HAS REPRESENTED THE VIEWS OF PLATOON LEADERS AND HELICOPTER
PILOTS.;I YGI MAY BE CERTAIN THAT I DID NOT INTERPRET YOUR 1021
AS A CRITICISM OF ME OR OF OUR SIDE, BUT AS ONE EXPRESSING REAL
AND UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERNS.
?
2. GENERAL ABRAMS HAS REPORTED THROUGH HIS CHANNELS TO ADMIRAL
MOORER (5E-1078-32) ON THE TALK WHICH HE., GENERAL HAIG,-AND-I
HAD WITH -THIEU YESTERDAY. 'GENERAL HAIG ALSO HAS REPORTED TO
YOU. I WILL NOT ATTEMPT TO GO OVER THE GROUND THEY HAVE COVERED,
BUT WOULD SIMPLY LIKE TO ADD A FEW COMNJS. IT IS TRUE THAT
-PLANS FOR LAM SON 719 HAVE HAD TO BE CHANGED. AS THE OPERATION
HAS DEVELOPED, IT HAS NOT MATCHED THE SCENARIO USED TO EXPLAIN
THE CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS. CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE NECESSARY BY
WEATHER CONDITIONS; BY THE LAOTIAN TERRAIN, BY THE CONDITION
OF ROUTE 9 WITHIN LAOS; BY THE BUILD1)UP OF ENEMY FORCESSOO AN
EXTENT GREATER THAN ANTICIPATED; BY THE FACT THkT. ARVN FORCES
HAVE BEEN FIGHTING CONTINUALLY FOR 33 DAYS, HAVE TAKEN HEAVY
CASUALTIES, AND OE IN NEED OF ROTATION, REST AND REFITTING.
LI 3. IN OPERATIONS OF THIS 'KIND, TACTICS HAVE TO BE, KEPT
FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ADAPT TO CHANGING CONDITIONS, INCLUDING
ENEMY TACTICS. THIEU, I THINK, HAS ACTED AND MOVED IN RESPONSE
TO CONDITIONS AS THEY H(PJDEVELOPED DURING THE COURSE OF THE
OPERATION. GENERAL ABRAMS AND I HAVE MADE A POINT OF SEEING
HIM TOGETHER ONCE A WEEK TO GET HIS CURRENT THINKING AND ABE
HAS REPORTED TO ADMIRAL MOORER THROUGH HIS CHANNELS.
1 OSD Review Completed "ARMY review completed.]
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/02: LOC7HAK-490-3733-8
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/02: LOC-HAK-490-3-33-8
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4. WHILE THE OPERATION IS NOT EXTENDING FGR AS LONG A PERIOD
AS WE HAD ORIGINALLY EXPECTED, MY OWN VIEW IS THAT IT HAS
ACHIEVED MOST OF WHAT WE HAD HOPED FOR. ARUN HAS Z NKEN HEAVY
LOSSES, BUT ENEMY LOSSES HAVE BEEN FAR HEAVIER. OF TEN ENEMY
REGIMENTS, SIX HAVE SuFFE r .
LD HEAVY CASUALTIES; TEN OF HIS
THIRTY MANEUVER BATTALIONS HAVE BEEN LOST TO HIM. HIS KIA OF
NEARLY 11,000 INCLUDE 3,000 OF HIS REARISgRVICES. THE MOVE-
MENT OF SUPPLIES HAS BEEN DISRUPTED. BELIEVE THAT THE
COMBINATION OF LAM SON 719 AND TOAN THANG 01/71 WILL MAKE IT
DIFFICULT, IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE, FOR THE ENEMY TO CARRY OUT ANY
MAJOR OPEJATIONS DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE DRY SEASON AND WILL
GREATLY BENEFIT OUR REDEPLOYMENT.
5. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS WILL ACCRUE IN SOUTH VIETNAM AS A RESULT
OF LAM SON 719. IN OUR .DISCUSSION YESTERDAY, THIEU STATED THAT
THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH VIETNAM ARE ENCOURAGED AND PLEASED BY ITS
RESULTS. THE PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN PRIDE IN THE PERFORMANCE OF ARVN
AND SPONTANEOUS SUPPORT HAS COME FROM MANY SOURCES TN9uGHOUT
THE COUNTRY. THEY ARE AWARE THAT -ARVN HAS SUFFERED HEAVY LOSSES,
BUT KNOW THAT ENEMY LOSSES HAVE BEEN FAR HEAVIER. THE FIGHTING
HAS BEEN IN LAOS, NOT IN SOUTH VIETNAM. THIEu GIVES EVERY
EVIDENCE OF FEELING THAT THE. OPERATION HAS BEEN A POLITICAL AS
WELL AS A MILITARY PLUS. ?
6. CLEARLY IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO MAKE A BETTER APPRAISAL OF
THE OVERALL EFFECT OF LAM SON 719 SEVERAL MONTHS FROM NOW, BUT
I THINK WE HAVE REASON TO BE ENCOURAGED BY THE RESULTS SO FAR
ACHIEVED.?
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7. WARMEST REGARDS.
EWBGO
TOP SECRET SEMSITIVE
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/02 : LOC-HAK-490-3-33-8