LAM SON 719: PUBLIC REACTION AND POSSIBLE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-3-38-3
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 2, 2012
• Sequence Number: 38
• Publication Date: March 25, 1971
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/02: LOC-HAK-490-3-38-3
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1971 VAR 2 3 11-1, 90
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TO:
REF: TELEPHONE COVERSATION MARCH 24 A.MN AND SAIGON 276
SnJECT: LAM SON 719: PU2LIC RECTION?AM. POSSIBLE POLITICA"
AM3A3SADOR BUNKER, SAIGON 0737 r
THE 'WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY E-Yzs a:11y HERY A. KISSINGER-
CONSEQUENCES;
1. I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT VIETNAMESE PU3LIC REACTION TO .
LAN SON 719 WENT THROUGH THREE PHASES, AN INITIAL EUPHORIA;
FOLLOWED 3Y DOUBTS IN THE LATTER PART OF FEBRUARY THAT THE ?
CikPAIGN WAS GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN; AND FINALLY A RESURGENCE
O:r CONFIDENCE IN AV N AND PRIDE IN ITS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
2. INITIAL REACTION, THE INITIAL THRUST INTO LAOS SET OFF ?
A WAVE OF EXCITEMENT IN SOUTH VIETNAM STIMULATED 3Y SEEING ARUN.
PENETRATE AN AREA THE,ENENY HAD CONSIDERED HIS OWN FOR SO MANY
YEARS. VIRTUALLY ALL NATIONALIST ELENENTS WERE INSPIRED BY THE
IDEA THAT ARV N TROOPS WERE ATTACKING ALONG AND ACROSS THE W.
CET MINH TRAIL. LACK OF HEAVY CONTACT WITH. THE NORTH VIETNAMESE
IN THE INITIAL STAGES GAVE RISE TO THE BELIEF,THAT LAM SON 719 -
MGHT BE A RE-PLAY OF THE SWEEPS INTO CAMBODIA THE PREVIOUS
SPRING.
3. A CONCOMITANT 'OF THIS ENTHUSIASM .WAS THE SURFACING OF NEW.
CALLS FOR A "MARCH NORTH" TO SETTLE THE WAR ONCE AND FOR ALL.'
THE fOST VOCAL ADVOCATES WERE THE NORTHERN REFUGEES, 3UT SOME
SOUTHERNERS AND MANY PEOPLE IN MR 1 WERE ALSO SYMPATHETIC.
MANY MORE'VIETNAMESE, WHILE NOT FAVORING ti.1 ACTUAL MILITARY
ATTACK ON NORTH VIETNAM, NEVERTHELESS FELT THE THREAT EXERTED
DESIRABLE PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE ON HANOI.
.4. DOUBTS. _IMPRESSIONS THAT THE CAMPAIGN WAS GOING ACCORDING
TO PLAN RECEIVED A JOLT IN THE LATTER PART OF FE:VuARY YNEN
REPORTS OF HEAVY ARUN CASUALTIES ?BEGAN TO CIRCULATE. THE
EXTREMELY HEAVY LOSSES OF THE 39TH RANGER BATTALION AND OF THE
AIR3ORNE TROOPS STRUGGLTNG TO RETAIN CONTROL OF HILL 31 ADDED_
TO 'ENE UNEASINESS. INADEQUATE OFFICIAL EXPLANATIONS OF WFAT
WAS .ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN LAOS COUPLED WITH SENATIOAL WIRE
SERVICE ACCOUNTS HELPED TO COMPOUND FEARS TUT THE OPERATION
HAD RUN INTO TROUBLE. IN SOME QUARTERS, DOUBT WAS EXPRESSED
WHETHER THE AMERICANS wEaz PROVIDING ADEQUATE SUPPORT. VICE
PRESIDENT KY WAS ESPECIALLY UNHELPFUL IN THIS RESPECT.
State Dept review
completed
MORI C05076881
5. RESURGENCE. OF CONFIDENCE, WITH THE ADVANCE TO TCHEPONE IN
EARLY MARCH AND NEW REPORTS THAT AVC' WAS ACCUITTING ITSELF WELL
AGAINST THE ?WELL-ARMED AND NUMERICALLY SUPERIOR NORTH VIETNAmESE
FORCES? CONFIDENCE IN ARVN RETURNED TO A HIGH LEVEL AND HAS -
PL:3I'jr,F: No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/02: LOC-HAK-490-3-38-3
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L,No Objection i ?t?DeVass!i Declassification FuFull2012/10/02 . . LOC-It8X-49 73-38 .73
Uf.11.4Aljiq ANU )LLP ILD 1k
-SUPPORT OF TEE 'NOW'S yE BEEN POURING IE FROM PiRIFV'MIAL
coucfu;7r WO: CIVIC o..zoup. C) NANCH 13, UPPER HOU LEADER
FO :AU PRAT S TEE, SPI AT OF THE NEN INVOLVED. A
CAM)AIGN.,'WHICH GREW OUT OF A RECT CONFERENCE OF
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL CHAMEN, AW IS NAMED THE MOVEMENT FOR THE
REAR SUPPORT OF THE SOLDIERS AT THE FRONT, II"SET TO RUN FROM
MARCH 20 TO APRIL 4. DEMONSTRATIONS ARE BEI.EG PLANNED IN EVERY
PROVINCE FOR SATURDAY IN SUPPORT OF THE ARMED FORCES.
7. A FURTHrR MATTER FOR SATISFACTION HAS BEEN THE FACT THAT
THE FIGHTING HAS TAKEN PLACE OUTSIDE OF VIETNAM. THERE IS PRIDE
IN THE FACT THAT ARVN HAS BEEN ABLE TO CONDUCT TWO CAMPAINS
CUTSUE THE BORDRRS OF.VI:TOAM SIMULTANEOUSLY. PEOPLE WERE
ENCOURAGED TO SEE THE INITIATIVE WITH THE' ARVN AND THERE WAS
A FEELING THAT THIS INDICATED A SHIFT IN THE BALANCE OF POWER.
THAT THE DRIVE INTO LAOS F:AY HAVE FORESTALLED NORTH VIETNAMESE
ATTACKS INTO THE NOW PEACEFUL COASTAL PLAIN WAS ESPECIALLY.
APPRECIATED IN CENTRAL VIET-NAM.
S. CRITICISM. THERE PAS BEEN VERY LITTLE PUBLIC DISAPPROVAL OF
LAM SON 719, EVEN FROM opposINo POLITICIANS, MOST OF WHOM HAVE
PRAISED THE. OPERATION OR HAVE REMAINED SILENT. THE NUMBER OF
CASUALTIES SUFFERED BY Alivn, HOWEVER, REMAINS A SENSITIVE ISSUE.
'THE MAJOR OVERT CRITIC OF THE OPERATION HAS BEEN VICE PRESIDENT'
KY. HE FIRST EXPRESSED FEARS OF A POSSIBLE ?'BOGGING DOWN" THE
DAY'THE OPERATION BEGAN AND THEN PREMATURELY ISSUED A CALL FOR
TERMINATION OF THE OPERATION TO REST THE TROOPS.
9. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH CRITICISM OF THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
AND GENERAL GVN AND ARVN PRESS POLICY ON THE. OPERATION FROM
BOTH GOVERNMENT SUPPORTERS AND OPPOSITIONISTS. IT AS FELT
-THAT BOTH THE' MINISTRY AND THE BRIEFERS FAILED TO PROVIDE TIMELY
AND AUTHORITATIVE TNFORMATION TO PUT DOWN SPOT RUMORS AND .PUT
MATTERS IN PERSPECTIVE.
10. THERE 18 A COPSIDERAnE DIVERGENCE BETWEEN THE VIETNAMESE
INTERPRETATION OF THE OPEiATION'S RESULTS AND THE VIEW PRESENTED
IN THE FOREIGN PRESS. ? MUCH OF THE LATTER PRESENTS THE WITH-
C;AWAL.PNASE AS A DEFEAT FOR ARV. THE VIEW OF THE VIETNAMESE
PRESS, PROADMINISTRATION AND.OPPOSITIONIST,- IS THAT LAM SON 719
WAS A VERY HEAVILY FOUGHT ENGAGEMENT IN WHICH SOME THINGS WENT
WRONG, .TAT THAT;,3ASIC OBJECTIVES WERE ACHIEVED AND THAT THE ARUN
FOUGHT ADMIRABLY%
it. POLITICAL EFFECT. IT rs TOO EARLY TO EVALUATE THE POLITICAL
IMPACT OF THE OPEIIATION WI;H ASSURANCE.. MANY POLITICAL FIGURES
!AVE CUMENTED THAT SUCCEAS IN LAM SON 719 WOULD GREATLY
ENNACE THIEU'S POSITION. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME REPORTS THAT IT
liAS ALREADY RESULTED IN MORF POSITIVE SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNMENT.
THIEU HIMSELF FAS REFLECTED THIS FEELFOG IN RECENT TALKS I HAVE
En WITH HIM. I THINK IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT LAN SON 719 HAS
!=N A POLITIOAL PLUS IN THE CONFIDENCE IT HAS CREATED IN THE
AOILITY OF ARVN AND IN PRIDE IN ITS ACCOMPLISUENTS. THERE, ?
HAS FIEEr SATISFACTION IN THE FACT THAT THE FIGHTING HAS TAKEN
PLACE ONSIDE THE k;ORDERS OF SOUTH VIETNAM AND THAT WHILE ARVN
VtV3 HAD EAVY LOS".-..S IT VAS INFLICTED FAR HEAVIER CASUALTIES
CO THT
? No Objection to Declassification in Full 2012/10/02: LOC-HAK-490-3-38-3