CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ELLSWORTH BUNKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-8-35-1
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 35
• Publication Date: October 26, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-35-1
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PROM, AMBASSADOR TINKER
AIGON 0236 FLASH
TO: THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES. ONLY FOR HENRY A. KISSINGER
REF: WHS 2299
1. I HAVE JUST SEEN THIEU ABOUT HANOI'S PUBLICATION OF DRAFT AGREE-
MENT AND I FOUND HIM CALM AND RELAXED ABOUT IT. HE SAID THAT THIS
IS WHAT ONE HAS TO EXPECT OF THE COMMUNISTS, THEY ARE TRICKY AND
LACK SCRUPLES; THEY ALREADY HAD TRIED TO PRESSURE THE USG BY GIVING
AN INTERVIEW TO NEWSWEEK IN WHICH THEY LEAKED SOME DETAILS AND
NOW HAVE FOLLOWED UP BY LEAKING THE WHOLE PROPOSAL.
Z. THIEU SAID THAT AS FAR AS THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE SITUATION IS
CONCERNED, HE DID NOT :ATTACH TOO MUCH IMPORTANCE TO IT.. EVERYONE
HERE UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS HERE
WITH YOU. IT IS.A NORMAL. PROCEDURE THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE NEGOTIATED
WITH'THE DRV, THEN HAD COME TO SAIGON FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE
GVN, SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED TO WASHINGTON FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH.
PRESIDENT NIXON AND WILL TALK AGAIN WITH THE OTHER SIDE. PEOPLE
UNDERSTAND ALSO THAT WHILE THE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE NOT YET BEEN . COM-
PLETED WE WANT TO ARRIVE AT A SETTLEMENT OF THE WAR. THIEU SAID
THAT AS A RESULT OF HTS.SPEECH ON OCTOBER 24, EVERYONE HERE NOW
UNDERSTANDS THAT'THERE.WILL-BE A CEASE-FIRE IN A MATTER OF
MONTHS AT THE MOSS
3. I ASKED HIM TO HOLD' UP ON ANY PUBLIC COMMENT UNTIL 4t,-HAVE HAD
AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONCERT WITH HIM AND HE AGREED TO DO SO.. SOME-
THING ALONG THE FOLLOWING LINE, WHICH I HAD. SUGGESTED, WOULD BE
SATISFACTORY TO HIM.
BEGIN TEXT.
ANY, AGREEMENT OBVIOUSLY HAD TO BE AD REFERENDUM TO THE GVN
AS,A PARTY TO THE AGREEMENT.
' THE PROVISIONS OF THE PROPOSAL INCLUDING THE TIME. OF. SIGNING-
AN AGREEMENT NECESSARILY HAD TO DEPEND ON THE OUTCOME OF DISCUS-
SIONS BETWEEN THE GVN AND THE U.S. SOME PROBLEMS NEEDED FURTHER
CONSIDERATION AND CLARIFICATION.
THIS WAS THE PURPOSE OF DR. KISSINGER'S VISIT TO SAIGON.
MAJOR PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE, BUT WE WANT A SOUND AGREEMENT
AND WANT TO BE SURE THAT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE WE HAVE PROVIDED AGAINST
FORESEEABLE CONTINGENCIES. SOME PROVISIONS STILL REMAIN TO BE
WORKED OUT. IN OTHERS, THERE ARE LECHNICAL DETAILS WHICH NEED TO
BE RESOLVED. ON FURTHER EXAMINATION, SOME PROVISIONS SEEM TO
BE TOO AMBIGUOUS AND NEED TO BE STATED MORE DEFINITIVELY.
WE HAVE PROPOSED'TO THE OTHER SIDE TO MEET WITH THEM IN PARIS
AT ANY TIME AND ARE READY'TO TRY TO WORK OUT WITH THEM THE.REMAIN-
ING PROBLEMS. THE GVN AND OURSELVES ARE AS READY FOR A CONSTRUCTIVE,
PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT AS THE ?DRV. END TEXT.`
4. I TOLD THIEU I WOULD FLASH THIS TO YOU AND WOULD GET IN TOUCH
WITH NHA THIS EVENING WHEN I HAD A REPLY. HE THOUGHT WE DID NOT
NEED TO 'ISSUE IDENTICAL. STATEMENTS AS Nffl``E WERE ON THE SAME
AVE LENGTH. WARM REGARDS. ~~" 4)* ON-FILE NSC RELEASE INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
ON-FILE NSC RELE
State Dept. review completed
F,1Fu, UliiLf
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-35-1