CABLE TO ELLSWORTH BUNKER FROM HENRY A. KISSINGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-9-22-4
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: November 10, 2010
• Sequence Number: 22
• Publication Date: November 22, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/11/10: LOC-HAK-490-9-22-4~.~
T 0 P S E C R E T P_2 9325Z
ONLY VIA BUNKER CHANNELS
1'32 NOV 21 P ;J 10 47
DOS Review Completed.
NOV 79 SENSITIVE EXCLUSIVELY EYES
FROM: HEIR:RY A. KISSINGER
TO AMBASSADOR BUNKER
CITE: WES 2253
T 0 P S E C R E T/SENSITIVE/EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONLY
NOVEMBER 21, 1972
TO A1-3A5SAD'6R BUNKER, SAIGON.
TO: AMBASSADOR BUNKER, SAIGON FLASH
FROM: HENRY A. KISSINGER
1. TODAY'S SESSION LASTED FOUR AND A HALF HOURS, DURING WHICH
WE HEARD THE NORTH VIETNAMESE RESPONSE TO ALL THE CHANGES WE
SUBMITTED THE FIRST DAY. THEY ACCEPTED- A FEW CHANGES WHICH WERE
SLANTED PRIMARILY IN THE DIRECTION OF PRESERVING U.S. PRESTIGE OR
REPRESENTED TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS. THEY WERE VERY TOUGH ON ALL
-SIGNIFICANT SUBSTANTIVE 'ISSUES, MAKING NO CONCESSIONS ON ANY OF THE
MAJOR CHANGES. INDEED THEY GREATLY. HARDENED THEIR -POSITIONS ON THE
POLITICAL CHAPTER, CIVILIAN PRISONERS, AND
U.S. CIVILIAN PERSONNEL-TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM SOUTH VIETNAM.
IN THESE AREAS THEY RETURNED TO EARLIER, SOMETIMES PRE-OCTOBER S,
POSITIONS.
P. THEIR APPROACH OBVIOUSLY REFLECTED IN PART THE TYPICAL
COMMUNIST TACTIC OF HARDENING THEIR POSITION SO AS TO NEUTRALIZE THE
MANY CHANGES WE ARE REQUESTING. I NEVERTHELESS IT IS CLEAR THAT WE
HAVE VERY DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS AHEAD OF US-WHICH WILL KEEP US HERE
FOR SEVERAL DAYS. WE MEET AGAIN NOVEMBER 22 AT 2:30 P.M.
FOLLOWING '~Y RETURN FROM BRUSSELS WHERE I AM MEETING INDONESIAN
PRESIDENT SUHARTO, PRIMARILY ABOUT HIS COUNTRY'S ROLE TIN THE ICCS.
WHILE I .WAS ONN THE WAY TO BRUSSELS, HAIG MET WITH SOUTH
3.
VIETNAMESE AMBASSADORS HERE AND EMPHASIZED THE CRITICAL JUNCTURE
'.JE ARE NIW IN. HE REVIEWED THE RESULTS OF THE. SESSION' IN DETAIL
Af:D EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR THE GVN TO FOCUS ON CRUCIAL ISSUES AND -
DROP LESS ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS. -HE STRESSED: THE ABSOLUTE-RE-QUIRE-
VIENT FOR PUBLIC UNITY ' AND FAST PRIVATE COOPERATION SO THAT WE CAN._
WORK TOGETHER EFFECTIVELY THIS WEEK. HE' ALSO PRESSED THEMPECIFICALLY
FOR THEIR IMMEDIATE VIEWS ON THE ICCS AND FOUR-PARTY MILITARY COMMISS-
IOf: PROTOCOLS WHICH WE WILL HAVE TO TABLE IN THE NEXT DAY OR SO. HE
01`CF ^GAIN UNDERLIf.ED THE PRESIDENT'S DETERMINATION TO COMPLETE THE
AGREEMENT, AFTER MAKING MAXIMUM EFFORTS TO IMPROVE IT. HE
UNDERLINED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PRESENT SITUATION AND THE FATAL
CONSEQUENCES OF OUR FAILURE TO ARRIVE AT A SUCCESSFUL AGREEMENT.
4. PLEASE DO WHATEVER YOU CAN AT YOUR END TO CONTINUE YOUR
EFFORTS TO IMPRESS UPON THE GVN THE NEED TO WORK WITH US RAPIDLY AND
,r~ `.'~ ?-"1 fit ""~q <
p Y,PNRLVr THIS FINAL NEGOT Nr 111f a
EFFECTY
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/11/10: LOC-HAK-490-9-22-4