NOON NOTES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2010
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: February 14, 1973
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24: LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5
1417201 FEB
THE SITUATION ROOM TOI4AK 16.4
w
TOP SECRET
TO.RODNAN/LORD FOR MR. KISSINGER
ONVNS E . C R E .T/SEN$IT IVE/CO%qTAINS. CODEWORD CITE WH 30511
T O HAK 1
DELIVER OIL-OPENING OF BUSINESS
MEMORANDUM 'OR DR. IISSINGE.R
SECRET
MORI/CDF
C03360290
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24: LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5
NSA Review
Completed
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24 0 1 OC-4AK-548-6-11-5
AFTER kYEA w1r n IRE:
NVA..LOGISTIC '? AC:TIVZT IN LA09 TO-CON TINUE
Ct1MNltINCAT.IOS INTELLIGENCE I +1D XCATES ThAT` NORTH VIES` NAMES:
LOGISTIC UNITS .IN SOUTHERN "LAOS "ARE MAKING: PREPARATIONS TQ
CONTINUE " ACT-IVITY .AFTER A CEASEaF RE GOES INTO .E T "CT IN LAOS.
IN. ONE MESSAGE OF FEBRUARY 10s A MAJOR LOGISTIC AUTHORITY
NOT'I 'IED TWO SUBORDINATES THAT s AFTER ."D-DAY :. fl LAOS ~. ROUTES
IMPROVEMENTS TO THESE ROUTES :ARE TO BE COMPLETED BY FE RUARY..,
28 THIS CONCENTRATION OF ACTIVITY SUGGESTS THAT THE EASTERN.,
BAN BAG AREA, WOULD,BECOME PRIMARY ROADS. ALL. REPAIRS AND
~ ~. 91 i.,AN17. 9 ~ WHICH RUN NORTH--SOUTH THROUGH THE TCHEPONE
ROAD CORRIDO :WILL .BE USED TO A 'GREATER EXTENT AND:?THAT THE?
NEWLYt .ILT ROUTE 29: TO THE WEST_ W ILL SEE BLESS TRAFFIC.
EVIDENC OF CQ.SV.I~T RETURNING TO BOUT I VIETNAM: T}E COMMUNISTS
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APPARENTLY ACRE REESTABLISHING THEIR TOP LEVEL - COT4MAND FOR PO
LITI'CAL AND MI-AFFAIRS.. INSIDE SOUTH VIET;NAM. OVER TIC
VOLVE ENTITIES FROM WIDELY SEPARATE POINTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM
AND CAMBODIA, INCLUDING A HEADQUARTERS ELEMENT 4-E;THE VIET
PAST FEW MONTHSSEVERAL MAJOR VIET CONS MILITARY HEADQUARTER
COMPONE jTS" HAVE. BEEN MOVING TO AN. AREA OF NORTHEASTERN TAY NINH-
PROVINCE OCCUPIED BY COSVN PRIOR TO 19 710 THESE MOVES IN
CO 3G?S "LIB ERATSON AR1' " AND SE-VERAL OF ITS TACTICAL AND IN-
SIDE. OF COSVN HAS ALSO BEEN -DETECTED IN THE AREA.
VU E R LOCATIONS ARE I.N LINE WITH OTHER RECENT MOVES AIMED
AT CONSOLIDATING COMMAND AND CONTROL EL!ME.NTS DISPERSED THROUGH "
THE AREA BY .ALLIED OPERATIONS IN 19"70. THE ? CONSOLIDATION MAY
ALSO HAVE BEEN". UNDERTAKEN TO ACILITATE CO;SVNI'S PARTICIPATION
.EN. -PAGE -0NE?
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24 : LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5
TELLIGENCE FIELD UNITS. A RADIO STATION SERVING"T`HE" POLITICAL
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24: LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5
IN DEVELOPMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CEASE-fit"RE> .. aR. EXAMP E,
THE EXTENSIVE. N1EW COMMUNICATIONS COMPLEX SET UP TO SERVE HE
TWO VIETNAMEESE DELEGATIC~?S IN THE SAIGON AREA IS LINKED CLOSE Y
WITH THE HEADQUARTERS. 0-F THEE; VIET CONE?S LIBERATION ARMY' AS
PRC; INADVERTENTLY DISCLOSES. DEFICIENCY: TN ITS DESIRE TO
OBTATN U.S. TECHNOLOGY,THE PAC MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY DIS-
CLOSED.A DEFICIENCY 1N ITS SOLID.-PROPELLANT PRODUCTION PROGRAM.
PEKING IS SEEKING-TO BUY""A PLANT, OR AT LEAST OBTAIN A LICENS-
I.Nf :AGREE FIAT TO ACQUIRE. THE NECESSARY. TECHNICAL DATA, TO PRO
DUCE ,SPHERICAL ALUMINUM POWDER. 'THIS POWDER IS AN ESSENTIAL
COMPONENT OF THE SOLID PROPELLANT; USED IN THE MINUTENEN AND
PO'SEIDONY BALLISTIC :M:ISSILES. PEKING''S LACK OF THE POWDER MAY
HAVE DELAYED:.THEUR SOLID PROPELLANT PF,OGRAM. ? WHILE: THEY HAVE
HAD AN EYTENSIVE PROGRAM TO DEVELOP SOLID' .PROPELLANT MOTORS.
FOR SEVERAL YEARS, THEY APPARENTLY AS `. YET HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE
TO FLIGHT-TEST A VIABLE SOL ID-FUEL- MISSILE SYSTEM.,
P SEC,
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24: LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5
WELL AS, W THE NORTH VIETNAMESE. HIGH, COM NO IN HANOI.
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24: LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5
CHINESE RESPONSE TO MONETARY ,UNCERTAINTY:; ON THE: EVE 0F THE
DOLLAR DEVALUATION, CHINA ANNOUNCED TEMPORARY BANKING .MEASURES
TO DEAL WITH MONETARY UNCERTAINTY. SHE SUSPENDED THE POSTING
OF: FOREIGN EXCHANGE 'REMITTANCE AND CURRENCY, QUOTATIONS FOR THE,
HONG KONG DOLLAR' JAPANESE YEN, U.S. AND CANADIAN DOLLAR, AND
VARIOUS EUROPEAN CURRENCIES.: LARGE "PAYMENTS AND PRIVATE PUR-
CHASES OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE WERE STOPPED, CERTAIN LIMITED
INTERNAL "" TRANSACT IONS. INCLUDING THOSE.OF TOURISTS, GUESTS'
AND DIPLOMATIC PERSONNEL WERE CONTINUED AT PREVIOUS EXCHANGE
RATES. AT LEAST TWO DEUTSCHE MARK DEPOSITS, HELD FOR NORTH
KOREA BY CHINESE BANKS' WERE TERMINATED TO AVOID PAYMENT OF
NEGATIVE INTEREST RATES.
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY DEVELOPIVIENTS: MOST MAJOR EXCHANGE
MARKETS REOPENED- TODAY AMID FAVORABLE REACTION FROM BOTH
GOVERNMENTS AND TRADERS TO THE TEN PERCENT DEVALUATION OF.
THE DOLLAR RELATIVE TO GOLD. THE LONDON MARKET WAS THE ONLY
MAJOR " EXCHANGE OPEN YESTERDAY AND TRADING WAS REPORTED "UN-
SETTLED AND"HESITANT," WITH MOST ACTIVITY CENTERED IN CONTRACTS"
THAT ALLOWED FOR RATE FLUCTUATION. STERLING CLOSED ABOUT 2.5
PERCENT. HIGHER THAN FRIDAYS CLOSING LEVEL. THE WEST GERMAN
MARK ' FLUCTUATED INLONDON AT 6-7 PERCENT HIGHER THAN ITS SMITH-
SONIAN CEILING IN TERMS OF STERLING.'' MOST MAJOR CURRENCIES
END. PAGE TWO.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24: LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24: LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5
WILL MAINTAIN THEIR PARITIES RELATIVE TO GOLD. THE CANADIAN
DOLLAR AND THE BRITISH POUND CONTINUE TO FLOAT AND WILL BE
.JOINED BY THE ITALIAN COMMERCIAL LIRA.
THE JAPANESE FOREIGN EXCHANGE MARKET REOPENED THIS MORNING
WITH THE YEN FLOATING UPWARD TO AN INITIAL LEVEL OF AN EF-
FECTIVE 14-15 PERCENT REVALUATION AGAINST THE DOLLAR. THE
JAPANESE FINANCE MINISTER SAID THE YEN WOULD BE ALLOWED TO
FLOAT FOR A CONSIDERABLE LENGTH OF TINE, PERHAPS AS, LONG AS
THE FOUR-MONTH FLOAT IN THE LATTER PARTT OFF 1971. THE BANK
OF JAPAN BEGAN INTERVENING SHORTLY AFTER THE MARKET OPENED,
IN AN EFFORT TO HOLD THE YEN REVALUATION TO AN EFFECTIVE
13.6 PERCENT. THE BANK REPORTEDLY PURCHASED :Wi%i MILLION
DURING THE MORNING SESSION, A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT FOR THE
TIGHTLY CONTROLLED MARKET, INTERVENTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE AS SPECULATORS STILL FEEL THE YEN IS UNDERVALUED.
A HIGH-LEVEL BONN FINANCE OFFICIAL EMPHASIZED THAT THE MARK
WILL RETAIN ITS PRESENT PARITY AGAINST ALL CURRENCIES, EXCEPT
THE DOLLAR AND THE FLOATING CURRENCIES. HE ESTIMATED THAT
THE AVERAGE REVALUATION OF THE MARK IN RELATION TO THE CUR-
RENCIES OF GERMANYOS TRADE PARTNERS WOULD BE ABOUT TWO PERCENT.
FOREIGN REACTION TO THE DEVALUATION WAS GENERALLY FAVORABLE,
ALTHOUGH THE FRENCH, FOR EXAMPLE, FELT A SEVEN PERCENT RATE
WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE REALISTIC, THE FEELING IN EUROPE WAS
THAT THE MOVE HAD ENDED THE CRISIS AT LEAST FOR THE PRESENT.
THERE IS9 HOWEVER, STILL CAUTION ABOUT THE LONG-TERN PROSPECTS.
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No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/08/24: LOC-HAK-548-6-11-5