NOON NOTES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-547-5-11-7
• Release Decision: RIPLIM
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: September 30, 2011
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: January 12, 1973
• Content Type: CABLE

No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-547-5-11-7
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DELIVER TO WINSTON LORD FOR DR KISSING ER
JANUARY 12, 1973 m
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MEMORANDUM FOR MR. KISSINGER
FROM: THE SITUATION ROOM
SUBJECT: NOON NOTES
ADDITIONAL INDOCHINA DEVELOPMENTS: IN CAMBODIA, COMMUNIST FORCES
LAUNCHED ATTACKS AGAINST FOUR CAMBODIAN ARMY POSITIONS ON ROUTE I
EAST OF NEAK LUONG. THE GOVERNMENT UNITS WERE FORCED TO PULL BACK
TO THE TOWN, WHICH ALLOWED THE COMMUNISTS TO ADVANCE SEVERAL MILES
UP ROUTE 1. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY CONDUCTED ATTACKS-BY-FIRE
AGAINST THE NAVY BASE AND AIRSTRIP AT NEAK LUONG. THE ENEMY HAS
ALSO TAKEN NUMEROUS COMPANY-SIZE POSITIONS ALONG THE EAST BANK
OF THE MEKONG RIVER, AND SEVERAL ISLANDS IN THE RIVER ARE UNDER
COMMUNIST CONTROL. THESE MOVES NOT ONLY INCREASE THE THREAT OF
ATTACKS AGAINST CONVOYS MOVING UP THE MEKONG, BQT THEY ALSO EN-
ABLE THE ENEMY TO MOVE SUPPLIES INTO SOUTH VIETNAM ALONG THE
LOGISTIC CORRIDOR THAT EXTENDS THROUGH THIS AREA. INITIAL
CASUALTIES WERE REPORTED AS 150 FRIENDLY KILLED, 40 WOUNDED,
AND 300 MISSING*
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-547-5-11-7
 IN NORTH No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-547-5-11-7
NAISSANCE PLATFORM, LAUNCHING A DRONE NORTH OF THE 20TH PARALLEL,
WAS SHOT DOWN BY AN F-4 FIGHTER. THE F-4S WERE FLYING MIG CAP
JUST SOUTH OF THE 20TH PARALLEL WHEN THE MIG REACTION WAS RE-
PORTED. THE F-4 WAS THEN VECTORED AGAINST THE MIG AND DOWNED
IT AT APPROXIMATELY 20 DEGREES, 27 MINUTES OVER INTERNATIONAL
WATERS.
DEPLOYMENT OF TANKS THROUGH SOUTHERN NVN AND LAOS CONTINUES:
NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMORED UNITS ARE TRANSITING SOUTHERN QUANG
BINH PROVINCE, NORTH VIETNAM, AND SOUTHERN LAOS AT AN INCREASED
TEMPO. COMMUNICATIONS INTELLIGENCE INDICATES THAT BETWEEN JAN-
UARY 7 AND 10, AT LEAST EIGHT TANK GROUPS HAVE BEEN DETECTED
MOVING SOUTH, AT LEAST THREE OF THE TANK GROUPS, WHICH PROBABLY
COMPRISE ELEMENTS OF AN INTEGRAL ARMOR REGIMENT, MOVED THROUGH
THE BAN.KARAI PASS AND INTO THE BINH TRAM 32 AREA, WHERE THEY
REPORTEDLY ENCOUNTERED FUEL SHORTAGES AND SUPPLY AND MAINTENANCE
PROBLEMS, THE OTHER TANK GROUPS HAVE ALSO REQUESTED PERMISSION
TO STOP OVER IN THAT AREA.
SAIGON DENIES RECLASSIFICATION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS: SOUTH
VIETNAM'S VICE MINISTER OF INTERIOR INFORMALLY DENIED REPORTS
THAT COMMUNIST OFFENDERS IN GVN PRISONS ARE BEING RECLASSIFIED
AS COMMON CRIMINALS TO PREVENT THEIR RELEASE IN THE EVENT OF A
CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT. THE VICE MINISTER EXPLAINED THAT MANY
COMMUNIST OFFENDERS INITIALLY SENTENCED UNDER AN TRI PROCEDURES
WERE LATER BROUGHT TO TRIAL BEFORE MILITARY FIELD COURTS FOR
TERRORIST ACTS OR OTHER VIOLATIONS OF GVN LAW. HE INSISTED,
HOWEVER, THAT THESE PRISONERS REMAINED CLASSIFIED AS COMMUNIST
OFFENDERS. (GVN PRISON POPULATION FIGURES AS OF OCTOBER 31
SHOW APPROXIMATELY 4,000 OF THE 21,400 COMMUNIST OFFENDERS
WERE SENTENCED BY MILITARY COURTS.) EMBASSY SAIGON COMMENTS
THAT RECLASSIFICATION IS TAKEING PLACE IN SOME CASES BUT EXPECTS
THE.GVN WILL CONTINUE TO DENY THE PRACTICE, EVEN THOUGH CRIMINAL
CHARGES WILL BE STRESSED IN CURRENT DETENTIONS.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-547-5-11-7
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-547-5-11-7
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MCGOVERN SAYS HENRY KISSINGER LIED: SENATOR GEORGE MCGOVERN
SAYS HE THINKS YOU LIED WHEN YOU TOLD THE NATION THAT "PEACE
IS AT HAND," THE BOSTON GLOBE REPORTED TODAY. THE NEWSPAPER
SAID MCGOVERN MADE THE ASSERTION THURSDAY AT A LUNCHEON WITH
GLOBE EDITORS. MCGOVERN TOLD THE EDITORS THAT YOUR "PEACE IS
AT HAND" WAS A FINAL FACTOR IN HIS DEFEAT 12 DAYS LATER. "I
THINK THAT HE KNEW THAT THE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL THIEU WERE
NOT ABOUT TO ACCEPT THE AGREEMENT WHICH HE HAD TENTATIVELY
REACHED WITH HANOI," MCGOVERN SAID.
THE EVENING STAR AND WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS: ANDREW BOROWIEC
REPORTS THAT A WIND OF OPTIMISM ABOUT VIETNAM PEACE PROSPECTS
BLEW ACROSS PARIS TODAY WITHOUT ANY SUBSTANTIAL PROOF OF ITS
JUSTIFICATION. IT WAS FUELED BY A FEW SMILES FROM YOU, A
PUBLIC HANDSHAKE OR TWO, MILDER COMMUNIST LANGUAGE AT THE
FORMAL PEACE TALKS YESTERDAY, AND, ABOVE ALL, BY AN ENCOURAG-
ING STATEMENT IN MINSK BY BREZHNEV.
No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-547-5-11-7
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No Objection to Declassification in Part 2011/09/30: LOC-HAK-547-5-11-7
ACCORDING av "r.0 "It -~ntrLata. r anruv-r, ana:. auUaU V.r-LImpac
GOVERNMENT, LONG DISPLEASED WITH THE PROSPECTIVE LIST OF
CEASE-FIRE SUPERVISORS, IS THINKING OF PROPOSING NEW COUN-
TRIES, VIETNAMESE SOURCES SAID TODAY. THE SOURCES SAID
SAIGON IS THINKING ABOUT A LIST CONTAINING ONLY NEUTRAL
COUNTRIES, PERHAPS CANADA, FINLAND, SWITZERLAND, AND AUSTRIA.
SENATE DEMOCRATS, UPSET OVER WHITE HOUSE SECRECY ON VIETNAM
AND THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS, WARNED YESTERDAY THAT THE CON-
FIRMATION OF PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEES COULD BE DELAYED IF THE
NIXON ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES TO DRAW A CURTAIN AROUND THE
PROCESSES OF DECISION-MAKING.
WILLIAM CLEMENTS, JR., IN A HEARING OF THE SENATE ARMED SERVICES
COMMITTEE YESTERDAY ON HIS NOMINATION. AS DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRE-
TARY, SAID HE IS NOT SURE, IN HIS OWN MIND, WHETHER HE WOULD
FAVORZAUX USE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGAINST NORTH VIETNAM.. CLEMENTS
ALSO SAID HE FAVORED "SUPERIORITY" OVER THE SOVIET UNION RATHER
THAN "SUFFICIENCY."
AN EDITORIAL COMMENTS THAT THE OVERTURE FROM EAST GERMANY ABOUT
ESTABLISHING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. IS TO BE WEL-
COMED AS A CONFIRMATION OF THE NEAR-INEVITABILITY OF EAST-WEST
DETENTE. THE STAR-NEWS BELIEVES WE CAN SPEED THINGS UP, PER-
HAPS, IN THE POINTS WE MAKE LEADING TOWARD REGULAR DIPLOMATIC
CONTACTS.
ON. THE EDITORIAL PAGE, GEORGE SHERMAN ASKS: DOES THE NIXON
DOCTRINE FOR GREATER SELF-RELIANCE OF ALLIES BRING WITH IT
THE GROWTH OF AUTHORITARIAN REGIMES IN ASIA? SHERMAN BELIEVES
THE ANSWER IS MIXED.
THE PHILIPPINES,
THAILAND, AND SOUTH VIETNAM THE ANSWER IS YES. BUT IN JAPAN,
THINGS HAVE GONE THE OTHER WAY. IN TAIWAN, NEW PARLIAMENTARY
ELECTIONS HAVE SHOWN THE GLIMMER OF GREATER REPRESENTATION FOR
THE NATIVE POPULATION.
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