CABLE TO ELLSWORTH BUNKER FROM HENRY A. KISSINGER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-490-8-32-4
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: December 16, 2010
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: October 25, 1972
• Content Type: CABLE

1972 Ul.l Dn..~ 5 10
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/12/16: LOC-HAK-490-8-32-4
T 0 P S E C R E T 252115Z OCT 72 SENSITIVE EXCLUSIVELY EYES ONLY
VIA.-BUN KE_R CHANNEL'
FM: HENRY A. KISSINGER
TO: AMBASSADOR BUNKER
CITE: WHS2298
DELIVER IMMEDIATELY OPENING OF BUSINESS
OCTOBER 25, 1972
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SAIGON 0234 AND 0235. I AGREE COMPLETELY
THAT THE HANOI LEG SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AT THIS TIME-FOR THE
VERY REASONS YOU CITE. REFERENCE YOUR SAIGON 0235, IT IS OF
COURSE ESSENTIAL THAT THIEU COMES TO UNDERSTAND THAT/CONTINUATION
OF HIS INTRANSIGENT POSITION, WHICH WILL ISOLATE HIM AS THE SOLE
OBSTACLE TO PEACE, IS NOTHING SHORT OF SUICIDAL. HE MUST ALSO
UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS TOTAL UNANIMITY WITHIN THE U.S. CABINET
HAT THE GENERAL OUTLINES OF THE AGREEMENT WE HAVE NOW OBTAINED
FROM HANOI ARE FAIR AND PROVIDE FOR THE KINDS OF SAFEGUARDS
NECESSARY TO PREVENT A COMMUNIST TAKEOVER. THUS, SHOULD THE
tt'EGOTIATIONS. BREAK..DOWN BECAUSE OF THIEU'S OBSTINACY, THERE WILL
BE ABSOLUTELY NO HOPE OF CONTINUING U.S. MILITARY OR ECONOMIC
SUPPORT TO SOUTH VIETNAM. FINALLY, THIEU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WE
WILL DO OUR UTMOST TO OBTAIN HANOI'S ACCEPTANCE OF AS MANY AS
POSSIBLE OF THE MODIFICATIONS HE HAS PROPOSED O
THE PRESIDENT WANTS YOU TO KEEP WORKING ON THIEU PERSISTENTLY,
PERHAPS SEEING HIM EVERY OTHER DAY IN AN EFFORT TO'INSURE THAT HE
NEVER LOSES SIGHT OF THE INEVITABLE OF CONTINUING INTRANSIGENCE.
IF HANOI AGREES, WE WILL MEET AGAIN IN PARIS DURING THE WEEK
OF OCTOBER 29. 'AS A"RESULT OF YOUR EFFORTS, HOPEFULLY, THIEU
WILL-BE PREPARED BY NOVEMBER 15 TO ACCEPT THE FINAL PROPOSAL
WHICH BY THEN SHOULD HAVE BEEN MODIFIED TO.BRING IT IN CLOSER
CONFORMANCE WITH AT LEAST THE COSMETIC CHANGES HE HAS RECOMMENDED,
I HOPE TO SEND THE FINAL PROPOSAL TO YOU BY NOVEMBER 8.
IT WOULD BE WISHFUL THINKING TO EXPECT MUCH MOVEMENT FROM HANOI
ON EITHER THE POLITICAL OR THE TROOP WITHDRAWAL ISSUES. THIEU
SHOULD BE UNDER NO ILLUSIONS THAT HE CAN EXPECT A FUNDA-
MENTAL CHANGE IN THE AGREEMENT AS NOW DRAFTED. FOR HIM TO CONCENTRATE
AT THIS JUNCTURE ON DEVELOPING ALTERNATE PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD
CHANGE ITS OVERALL FRAMEWORK IS BOTH IMPRACTICAL AND WILL SERVE
TO DIVERT HIS ATTENTION FROM THE KIND OF PREPARATORY ACTIONS HE
SHOULD ALREADY HAVE UNDER WAY. EFFORTS BY THIEU TO DEVELOP ALTERNATE
PEACE PROPOSALS CAN ONLY HAVE THE CONSEQUENCE OF FORCING A
CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE TWO OF US. WE WILL UNDER NO CIRCUMS-
TANCES
ACCEPT SUCH PROPOSALS. O
DDLY ENOUGH. THIEU SEEMS TO
,
BELIEVE
HE CAN PROCEED THIS WAY
25X1
25X1
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/12/16: LOC-HAK-490-8-32-4
 No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/12/16: LOC-HAK-490-8-32-4
BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER7, WE ARE POSED WITH A MOST DELICATE
PROBLEM. BEFORE NOVEMBER 7, WE CANNOT BRUTALIZE THIEU
TO THE POINT THAT HE WILL KICK OVER THE TRACES AND UNDERTAKE
A PUBLIC CONFRONTATION AND BREAK WITH US. WE SHOULD, HOWEVER,
IMPRESS UPON HIM THE IMPRACTICALITY-OF HIS FAILING TO PLAN FOR THE
CONTINGENCY OF ULTIMATELY HAVING TO ACCEPT A SETTLEMENT ALONG THE
LINES WHICH HAVE BEEN CURRENTLY WORKED OUT. THEREFORE, IN YOUR DISCUS-
SIONS WITH THIEU YOU SHOULD IMPRESS UPON HIM THE URGENT NEED TO PLAN
INTENSIVELY FOR THE CONTINGENCY OF A CEASE-FIRE IN PLACE IN THE VERY
NEAR FUTURE AND PERHAPS AS SOON AS MID-NOVEM^ER. CONCURRENTLY, AND
ALSO IN THE CONTINGENCY CONTEXT, WE SHOULD MOVE JOINTLY TO INSURE
THAT THE EXPEDITED FLOW OF EQUIPMENT AND MATERIEL IS UNDERTAKEN SO
THAT THE ADDITIONAL MATERIEL WILL BE IN SOUTH VIETNAM BY MID-NOVEMBER.
WE HAVE INSTRUCTED DEFENSE AND STATE TO PROCEED WITH THE SHIPMENTS,
WITH GENERAL ABRAMS SERVING AS THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE'S AND THE
PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE AGENT IN THE THEATER. IN PRESSING THIEU VIGOROUSLY
TO PROCEED WITH THIS KIND OF CONTINGENCY PLANNING,YOU SHOULD AT THE SAME
TIME MAKE IT VERY CLEAR TO HIM THAT HE MAY BE FACED WITH ABSOLUTELY
NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO ACCEPT THE BROAD OUTLINES OF THE-CURRENT PROPOSAL.
YOU WILL -HAVE TO EMPLOY A DEGREE OF VIGOR WHICH IS STRONG ENOUGH TO
STRIP HIM OF HIS CURRENT ILLUSIONS BUT AT THE SAME TIME AVOID FORCING
HIM TO KICK OVER THE TRACES AND BREAK PUBLICLY WITH US BEFORE NOVEMBER
7. AFTER NOVEMBER 7, FULL LEVERAGE WILL BE APPLIED.
I BELIEVE OUR BEST TACTIC IN DEALING WITH THIEU IS FOR YOU TO
MEET WITH HIM REPEATEDLY BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER 8 50 THAT MY NEXT
MEETING WITH HIM CAN BE FINAL. HE MUST KNOW BEFORE THAT MEETING
THAT HE IS EITHER GOING TO JOIN WITH''US AS A PARTNER IN ACCEPTING THE
CURRENT PROPOSAL` MODIFIED TO.THE DEGREE THAT IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE TO
DO SO OR WE WILL PROCEED WITHOUT HIM. AT MY MEETING WITH HIM, IF
NECESSARY, WE CAN UNEQUIVOCALLY INFORM THIEU THAT WE WILL PROCEED
WITHOUT HIM WITH ALL OF THE GRIEVOUS CONSEQUENCES THAT THIS HOLDS
FOR HIM.
WARM REGARDS.
TOP SECRET SENSITIVE'' N`_
G~IL
. No Objection to Declassification in Part 2010/12/16: LOC-HAK-490-8-32-4