CABLE TO HENRY A. KISSINGER FROM ELLSWORTH BUNKER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-8-40-5
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: January 3, 2013
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: October 27, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-40-5
TOP SECRET SESEUS~ ins Nil
1972 Ur/.~ 27 /11 2 464t)
T O _P S E C R E T SENSITIVE 1000Z OCT 72 VIA CAS CHANNELS (BUNKER)
TO: THE WHITE HOUSE, EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONLY FOR HENRY A. KISSINGER
REF: WHS 2298
1. 1 HAD PLANNED TO SEND THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE YESTERDAY AND HAD
DICTATED MOST OF WHEN IT WAS OVERTAKEN BY OTHER DEVELOPMENTS. I
AM SENDING IT ALONG, HOWEVER, FOR THE RECORD.
2. 1 APPRECIATE REFTEL WHICH IS MOST HELPFUL. I MET WITH THIEU
YESTERDAY MORNING AND GAVE HIM THE VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE TEXT OF
THE PROPOSAL AS OF OCTOBER 17 TOGETHER WITH OUR REVISION OF
ARTICLES 7 AND 5, WHICH I STRESSED AGAIN HAD BEEN ACCEPTED BY
THE DRV. .
3. I SAID THAT YOU HAD INFORMED ME THAT IF HANOI AGREES, YOU PLAN
TO MEET. AGAIN IN PARIS DURING THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 29 AND THAT
YOU WILL DO YOUR UTMOST.TO GET HANOI'S ACCEPTANCE OF AS MANY AS
POSSIBLE OF THE MODIFICATIONS THAT HE HAD PROPOSED. WE UNDERSTOOD
THAT FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE WERE:
-- OBSERVANCE OF THE DMZ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
1954 GENEVA AGREEMENTS.
-- THE WITHDRAWAL OF NORTH VIETNAMESE TROOPS.
-- CHANGE IN THE WORDING OF ARTICLE 9 CONCERNING THE
COMPOSITION OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF RECONCILIATION
AND CONCORD, INCLUDING THE PHRASE "ADMINISTRATIVE
STRUCTURE". I EXPLAINED AGAIN IN ENGLISH THIS PHRASE
DIMINISHED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NCRC, BUT WE UNDER-
STOOD THAT IT GAVE HIM PROBLEMS IN VIETNAMESE.
4. 1 COMPLIMENTED THIEU ON THE MODERATION AND REASONABLENESS
OF HIS SPEECH TUESDAY NIGHT AND HIS AVOIDANCE OF ANY APPEARANCE
OF CONFRONTATION WITH US. I THEN SAID THAT IN THE PERIOD IMME-
DIATELY AHEAD, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAIN A POSTURE OF FL BIL CY.
AND TO AVOID GETTING FIXED IN ANY RIGID POSITIONS. WE ARE OP ED,
OF COURSE, TO THE IMPOSITION OF ANY COALITION GOVERNMENT, BUT
EXCEPT FOR THIS WE SHOULD MAINTAIN A NEGOTIATING POSITION ON OTHER
POINTS.
State Dept. review completed
MORI/CDF C03317550
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-40-5
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-40-5
S. I REFERRED TO INTELLIGENCE WE HAD BOTH RECEIVED ON THE ENEMY'S
PREPARATION FOR A CEASE-FIRE AND THIEU SAID THAT HE HAD ALSO BEEN
WORKING INTENSIVELY ON HIS OWN PLANS. HE HAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS
THAT A SPECIAL SPEED UP CAMPAIGN IN PREPARATION FOR CEASE-FIRE
MUST BE INITIATED SIMILAR TO THE ACCELERATED PACIFICATION CAMPAIGN
AFTER TET 1968 AND HAS PERSONALLY GIVEN INS.R UCTIONS TO CORPS
CO ?f1ANDERS, TO ALL PROVINCE CHIEFS, THE NATIONAL POLICE, THE
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND THE POLITICAL WARFARE DEPARTMENT
'CONCERNING ITS IMPLEMENTATION.
6. THIEU SAID THAT THE ENEMY HAD DIVIDED-HIS CEASE-FIRE PREPARA-
TIONS INTO TWO PHASES. PHASE 1 WHICH CONTINUES UNTIL THE DAY OF
CEASE-FIRE PROVIDES FOR THE BREAKDOWN OF-FORCES INTO SMALL UNITS
EQUIPPED WITH MORTARS IN AN EFFORT TO ATTACK AND OCCUPY HAMLETS
AND VILLAGES. PHASE 2 WILL EXTEND FROM THE TIME OF CEASE-FIRE
UNTIL THE DAY CONTROL PROVISIONS ARE ESTABLISHED, A PERIOD WHICH
THE ENEMY REFERS TO AS THE "HALF DARK, HALF LIGHT" PERIOD DURING
WHICH THE STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE.
7. THIEU SAID THAT EVEN IF A CEASE-FIRE IS PROCLAIMED, VIGILANCE
MUST BE MAINTAINED. ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS IS TO PREVENT
DISRUPTION OF THE ARMY. THIS HAD HAPPENED IN 1954 WHEN THE ARMY
SIMPLY DISINTEGRATED AND TROOPS LEFT FOR HOME. IF THE ARMY, HE
SAID, IS VIGILANT AND CALM, THE PEOPLE WILL REMAIN CALM.
8. I SAID THAT IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT THAT HE AND I KEEP IN CLOSE
TOUCH FROM NOW ON AND HE AGREED THAT WE SHOULD DO SO. AS
SUGGESTED IN YOUR MESSAGE, I SHALL TRY TO SEE HIM EVERY OTHER
DAY; IN FACT, I HAD ALREADY PLANNED TO DO SO WHEN YOUR MESSAGE
ARRIVED. I SHALL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THE POTNTS'MADE IN REFTEL.
I AM AWARE OF THE BALANCE THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN UNTIL
NOVEMBER 7 AND WILL BE GUIDED ACCORDINGLY.
9. WARM REGARDS.
TOP SECRET SENSITIVE
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/01/03: LOC-HAK-490-8-40-5