CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ELLSWORTH BUNKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-6-11-9
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: July 25, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

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(BUNKER)
'ROM: -AMBASSADORIPNKER SAIGON 0116 IIWIATE
THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONLY FOR HENRY A. KISSINGER
REF: WHS 20S9 ? .
.1. I MET WITH THIEU THIS MORNING TO DISCUSS WITH HIM PLANS FOR
'AUGUST MEETING AS OUTLINED REFTEL. CONCERNING THE THREE MODIFI-
CATIONS: .
A) I POINTED OUT THAT SINCE A CEASE-FIRE WOULD COME INTO
EFFECT SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH AGREEMENT ON THE STATEMENT
OF PRINCIPLES THIS WOULD BE LESS FAVORABLE TO NORTH VIET-
NAM, SINCE IN THE JANUARY 25 PROPOSALS THERE WAS NO '
DEADLINE FOR REACHING A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT AND IT COULD
HAVE DRAGGED ON FOR A PROTRACTED PERIOD, THUS DELAYING
A CEASE-FIRE.
2) THE DEADLINE BY WHICH DETAILED POLITICAL IMPLEMENTATION
TALKS (POINTS 3, 4, 5 OF JANUARY 25 PROPOSAL) ARE TO BE
.CONCLUDED WILL. BE THREE MONTHS. UNDER THE JANUARY 25
PROPOSAL, THERE IS NO DEADLINE. THEREFORE, AS MENTIONED,
THESE COULD HAVE DRAGGED ON FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD.
. 3) THE ELECTIONS AS PROVIDED IN THE. JANUARY 25 PROPOSAL
WILL BE CONDUCTED SIX MONTHS AFTER COMPLETION OF THE
POLITICAL SETTLEMENT - OR NINE MONTHS AFTER THE STATE-
MEN I OF.PRINCIPLES IS SIGNED. WITH THIEU'G AGREEMENT,
AWE woup SUGGEST THAT HE STEP DOWN Two MONTHS RATHER
THAN ONE moNni BEFORE ELECTIONS TAKE PLACE SINCE A
CRITICISM, WHICH SEEMED TO HAVE JUSTIFICATION, HAD BEEN
THE FACT THAT A PERIOD OF ONE MONTH PROVIDED INSUFFICIENT
TIME TO ORGANIZE ELECTIONS. I RECALLED THAT HE, HIMSELF,
1'HAD MADE THI,S POINT DURING PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS.
2. f MENTIONED THE. FACT THAT WE HAD SOME REASON TO BELIEVE THAT
THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE PROPOSAL WHICH THE SOVIETS HAVE URGED ON
HANOI, ALTHOUGH I MADE IT CLEAR THAT'WE HAVE NO INDICATION OF THE
LATTER'S RESPONSE. NEVERTHELESS, THIS SEEMS TO BE A LINE WHICH
WE WOULD Do WELL TO EXPLORE... - -
3. THIEU WAS NOT CLEAR ABOUT THE PROVISION FOR "AGREEMENT ON THE
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES". I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT THIS HAD BEEN
INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSAL THAT WE HAD SENT TO HANOI IN NOVEMBER LAST
YEAR AND THAT ALLIED TROOP WITHDRAWALS WERE TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE
SEVEN MONTHS AFTER SIGNING OF STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES. THIS HAD
BEEN CHANGED IN OUR JOINT .PROPOSAL OF JANUARY 25 TO PROVIDE WITH-
DRAWAL OF ALLIED FORCES WITHIN SIX MONTHS AFTER SIGNING OF AGREE-
MENT. WHAT WE ARE SUGGESTING, THEREFORE, WILL PROVIDE AN EARLIER
CEASE-FIRE AND TIGHTER SCHEDULE FOR REACHING A POLITICAL AGREEMENT.
4.. THIEU SAID THAT HIS RECOLLECTION ON THE DIFFERENCES OF THE TWO
PROPOSALS WAS NOT PRECISE AND HE WOULD LIKE TO REFRESH HIS RE-
COLLECTION ON THE TIMING AND SUBSTANCE OF OUR PREVIOUS PROPOSALS.
4. THIEU ASKED HOW YOU WOULD PROPOSE TO PRESENT THE NEW POINTS,
FOR EXAMPLE, WHETHER YOU WOULD PLAN TO DO'THIS IN THE COURSE OF
DISCUSSION OR AS A NEW PROPOSAL. ME SAID T.T HE WAS THINKING IN
TERMS OF HOW THIS MIGHT BE PRESENTED IN CASE OF A LEAK CONCERNING
THE TALKS OR IN CASE WE SHOULD DECIDE AT SOME TIME TO MAKE THE
RECORD PUBLIC. HE SAID THAT HIS FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT IT MIGHT BE
WELL TO BRING OUT THE POINTS IN THE COURSE OF EXPLORATION OF THE
OTHER SIDE'S POSITION, PERHAPS SEEKING THEIR REACTION TO OUR PRO-
POSALS AT THE LAST MEETING. ON THE OTHER HAND THERAMIGHT BE SOME
ADVANTAGE IN BEING ABLE TO SAY WE HAD MADE A NEW PROPOSAL, INDI-
CATING OUR FLEXIBILITY.
MORI/CDF
C05074677
DOS Review
Completed.
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-11-9
et
0. No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-11-9
11111 ?
TOP SECRET SENSITIVE EYES,. ONLY
6. SINCE IT WAS CLEAR THAT HE WANTED A DAY OR TWO TO RE-ORIENT
HIS THINKING, I LEFT HIM TEXT OF BOTH THE JANUARY 25 JOINT PROPOSAL
AND THENCARLIER PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO HANOI. I STRESSED THAT WE
NEEDED HIS AGREEMENT URGENTLY SO THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TIME TO
MAKE PREPARATIONS FOR THE MEETING AND I HOPED HE WOULD BE ABLE
TO GIVE ME HIS ANSWER BY TOMORROW. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU
COULD GIVE ME AN INDICATION OF HOW YOS WOULD PLAN TO APPROACH THE
OTHER SIDE IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO THIEU'S QUESTION.
7. WARM REGARDS.
[OP SECRET SENSITIVE EYES ONLY
-0
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2012/10/03: LOC-HAK-490-6-11-9