CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ALEXANDER HAIG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-8-1-8
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 2, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-1-8
State Dept. review completed
T 0 P S C R E T SENSITIVE 02101OZ OCT 72 VIA CAS CHANNELS (BUNKER)
FROM: GENERAL HAIG SAIGON 0173 FLASH
TOJC THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES O N L Y - R--H NRY. A S
i1r Qtl h.1 7
HAIL TO O!~8
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
SECTION i ONE OF TWO
I HAVE JUST COMPLETED A TWO HOUR AND FORTY MINUTE MEETING
WITH PRE IOENTMYHIEU. THE FIRST HOUR AND ONE-HALF WAS CONDUCTED
ON A HEAD-TO-HEAD BASIS. I AGREED WITH THIEU TO HAVE MR. NHA
JOPFHTHE LAST HOUR AND TEN MIflUTES DURING WHICH THE SPECIFIC NEGO-
TIATIhNG COUNTER-PROPOSALS WERE DISCUSSED. AMBASSADOR BUNKER
ALSO JOINED FOR THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING,
DURING THE HEAD-TO- 4EAD, I COVERED IN GREAT DETAIL OUR
CONCERNS ,ABOUT MANIFESTATIONS OF GROWING SOUTH VIETNAMESE SUSPICION,
REITERATED THE EVENTS OF THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND -NOTED THE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN THE U.S. DOMESTIC CLIMATE IN 1965 AND TODAY. I LAYED OUT
IN THE STROb1REST TERMS THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOUTH VIETNAMESE THREATS
FOR PUBLIC PARTING OF THE WAYS AS WELL AS THE CONSEQUENCES OF UN-
REASONABLE INTRANSIGENCE. I MADE IT CLEAR THAT OUR CONCERNS FOR
A FORTHCC ING. NEGOTIATING STANCE WERE DICTATED BY LONG TERM CON-
SIDERATIONS WHICH INVOLVED OUR ABILITY TO SUPPORT THE GVN IN THE
LONG HAUL AND WERE NOT DRIVEN BY IMMEDIATE ELECTION NEEDS. THIS
PORTION OF THE MEETING WAS EMOTIONAL AND EVEN TEARFUL ON THIEU'S
PART. HOWEVER, IT CONCLUDED BY WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE THE RE-
ESTABLISHNENT' OF MUTUAL CONFIDENCE AND RESPECT ON BOTH SIDES.
THIEU APPEARED TO ACCEPT BOTH MY ADMONITIONS AND WARNINGS WITH
SINCERITY AND GOOD WILL. DESPITE THE TOUGHNESS AND THREATENING NATURE
OF PORTIONS OF MY PRESENTATION, HE WAS BOTH DOCILE AND COOPERATIVE
FROM THE OUTSET.
,THIEU EFFLAINED IN GREAT DETAIL HIS CONCERN THAT WHATEVER .
NEGOTIATING- INITIATIVES HE AGREED TO MUST NOT SERIOUSLY AFFECT THE
MORALE OF HIS FIGHTING MEN WHEN MADE PUBLIC. HE STATED THAT THE
EXPERIENCES OF 1969 LEFT DEEP SCARS IN THE BODY POLITIC OF SOUTH
VIET-NAM AND THAT DESPITE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, THE
SOUTH VGUTNAMESE PEOPLE AND THEIR FIGHTING MEN COULD NOT HELP BUT
REMAIN SUSPICIOUS OF U.S. MOTIVES.
AFTER LISTENING TO THIEU'S EXPLANATION, I CONCLUDED THAT
HE GENUINELY. EXPECTED THAT MY MISSION HAD BEEN CONCOCTED
FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASKING HIM TO STEP DOWN. HIS RATIONALE,
WHICH HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN PREPARED BEFOREHAND, FOCUSED ON THE
RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH SUCH A STEP. I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT HIS
MEETING WITH THE SECURITY COUNCIL THIS MORNING HAD BEEN CONVENED
FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE AND TO OBTAIN THEIR BACKING
IN THE EVENT THAT HIS FEARS WERE REALIZED. THIEU DID REITERATE HIS
INTENTION TO STEP DOWN IF AND WHEN A TRUE PEACE WERE IN THE OFFING.
IT IS CLEAR THAT HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THIS
POINT AT THII6111
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-1-8
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-1-8
1972 GCT- 2 8 18
T 0 P S E C R E T SENSIT::IVE 0.2101.02 OCT
72 VIA CAS CHANNE
X (BUNKER)
FROM GENERAL HAIG SAIGON 0 173 FLASH
TO*.. THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONLY FOR HENRY A. KISSINGER
HAIG TO 002
FINAL SECTION OF TWO
I STRESSED WITH THIEU THAT WHILE WE HAD HELD
FIRM SINCE THE SEPTEMBER 15 MEETING, BOTH THE PRESIDENT AND YOQ
CONSIDER HANN:0I'S SEPTEMBER 26 PROPOSAL TO REPRESENT A MAJOR
CONCESSION AND THAT WHILE IT IS STILL UNSATISFACTORY IN MANY DETAILS,/
26 PROPOSAL DEMANDED A FORTHCOMING 'RESPONSE FROM
WASHINGTON AND SAIGON. I TOLD HIM OF THE TENTATIVE TIME SCHEDULE
IN PARIS AND THE NEED TO RETURN HOPEFULLY ARMED WITH HIS CONCURRENCE
TO EXPLORE FLEXIBLY THE NUMEROUS VARIATIONS OF THE CONSTITUENT
ASSEMBLY ROUTE. BARRING'-THIS I INSISTED THAT WE MUST HAVE , AS A
MINIMUM, HIS CONCURRE NCE..TO TABLE THE MODIFIED VERSION OF OUR
SEPTEMBER 15 PROPOSAL.
IN MY OWN JUDGMENT, THIEU WAS GREATLY RELIEVED THAT I HAD NOT
COME TO AS;, FOR HIS. RESIGNATION. CONSEQUENTLY, BOTH HE AND NRA WERE
COOPERATIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE IN DISCUSSING ALL OF THE DETAILS OF
THE TWO COUNTER-PROPOSALS AND THEIR VARIATIONS. IN HINDSIGHT, IT WAS
WISE, TO hPVE NHA PRESENT FOR THE DETAILED DISCUSSION SINCE HE
APPEARED TO PICK UP ALL OF THE NUANCES WHILE AVOIDING ANY SEMBLANCE
OF THE NITPICKING WHICH I HAD EXPECTED.
THI1 U AND NHA BOTH SEEMED CONCERNED ABOUT THE SHORT RESPONSE
TIME IN PROVIDING AN ANSWER BY TUESDAY NIGHT. THIEU ASKED WHETHER
OR NOT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO HOLD HERE UNTIL NOON WEDNESDAY,
POINTING OUT THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR HIM TO NOT ONLY REVIEW
CAREFULLY THE ENGLISH. TEXT, BUT TO FORMULATE PRECISELY HOW IT
WOULD BE PRESENTED IN VIETNAMESE... HE ALSO ASKED THAT HE BE
PROVIDED WITH THE VIETNAMESE TEXT OF THE SEPTEMBER 26 HANOI PROPOSAL
SO THAT HE COULD SAY PRECISELY HOW THE TERM "UNANIMITY" WAS
ARTICULATED. FROM THIS QUESTION, I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT HE, TOO,
.RECOGNIZES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HANOI'S CONCESSION.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-1-8
 Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-1-8
w
LANCE ANn CONSIDERING THE ATMOSPHERE WHICH EXISTS
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HERE, I BELIEVE THE MEETING TO HAVE BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. IT
REMAINS TO BE SEEN, HOWEVER, WHETHER HIS IMMEDIATE RELIEF
RESULTING FROM MY FAILURE TO ASK FOR HIS RESIGNATION WILL SUB-
SEQUENTLY BE TRANSLATED INTO A FAVORABLE POSITION WITH RESPECT
TO OUR INITIATIVES. THERE IS NO QUESTION BUT THAT WE HAVE GIVEN
THIEU A LARGE BONE TO CHEW ON WITH MINIM(l(h, TIME TO RESPOND. I
THINK HE UNDERSTANDS PRECISELY WHAT THE STAKES ARE AND WHAT WE
HOPE TO ACHIEVE FROM HIM. I HAVE COMMITTED YOU TO AN IMMEDIATE VISIT
WITH HIM FOLLOWING THE NEXT PARIS SESSION IF HE ENDORSES A FLEXIBLE
APPROACH TO THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ROUTE.
HIS POINT I CANNOT PREDICT WHAT POSITION HE WILL TAKE.
AT T
, IN OUR HEAD-TO-HEAD, HE NOTED THAT THE TALKS IN PARIS HAD PROGRESSED
TO THE POINT WHERE HE COULD NO LONGER FAIL TO SHARE THEIR IMPLICATIONS
WIT-L HIS ADVISERS. THIS MAY OCCASION ADDITIONAL DIFFICULTIES
AND DELAYS. HO/EVER, I'DO BELIEVE THAT THIFU, FEELS HE MUST PRO-
VIDE US WITH A SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSE BEFORE MY DEPARTURE. IN VIE1,W1 OF
HIS RELIEF ON THE RESIG,-1ATION CONCERt'J I BELIEVE HE WILL
APPROACH THE TASK WITH A CONSTRUCTIVE FRAME OF MIND. IN HINDSIGHT,
OUR WISEST DECISION WAS TO LIMIT MY PRESENTATION TO THE PARAMETERS
.WE DISCUSSED PRIOR TO MY DEPARTURE AND IN YOUR SUBSEQUENT CABLES.
WHILE P JAITINO THIEU'S REPLY, I WILL ':WORK WITH WEYAND TO GET A FIRM
GRASP ON THE LOGISTICS SITUATION. I WILL ALSO DISCUSS FURTHER
WITH W'EYA3`D THE LOGISTIC TARGETING WHICH BASED ON EARLIER
DISCUSSIONS DOES NOT NEED MUCH PUSH. DISCUSSIONS WITH WEYAND AND
VOGT, H'O WEVER, CONFIRM THE INSANITY OF CURRENT COMMAND RELATIONSHIPS
AND THE URGENT NEED TO CLEAR THEM UP- EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER B. I AM
NOW CONVINCED THAT THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR AIR EFFORT IN
THE.' NORTH ARE DIRECTLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO THIS WHOLLY. INADEQUATE COMMAND
STRUCTURE.
I BELIEVE AMBASSADOR BU. KER, WHO HAS BEEN OF INVALUABLE
ASSISTANCE AS USUAL, IS VERY PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THIS
IItT!1, ;
WARM REGARDS.
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-1-8