Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume IX, Vietnam, October 1972–January 1973

231. Message From the Air Attaché at the Embassy in France (Guay) to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)¹

Paris, December 28, 1972, 1017Z.

Customer called at 9:35 am Paris time and asked if I could make 10:30 appointment which I did arriving at 10:35. He greeted me with a statement that he had an answer to our last message and handed me the message which follows:

Quote

Message of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam in reply to the U.S. message of December 27, 1972.²

The D.R.V.N. side has received the December 27, 1972 message of the U.S. side. The D.R.V.N. side reaffirms its view as presented in its message of December 26, 1972. In the private meeting on January 8, 1973, the D.R.V.N. side will fully express its views.

The D.R.V.N. side vigorously condemns the continued extermination bombing by U.S. planes, including B–52’s, of many heavily populated areas in Hanoi capital city, Haiphong city and several other places in North Viet Nam. The D.R.V.N. side resolutely demands that the United States immediately cease these acts of escalation of the war against the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam and put an end to the intimidation manoeuvres in an attempt to negotiate from a position of strength.

After the situation existing before December 18, 1972, has been restored, that is, if the United States immediately stops all the bombardments and mining of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam north of the 20th parallel and reduces the bombardments south of the 20th parallel, the meetings between the representatives and experts of the two sides will be resumed to discuss the protocols, and the private meeting of Special Adviser Le Duc Tho and Minister Xuan Thuy with Dr. Kissinger will take place as proposed by the U.S. side.

On that basis, the D.R.V.N. side confirms that:

1. The private meeting of Special Adviser Le Duc Tho and Minister Xuan Thuy with Dr. Kissinger will take place on January 8, 1973 in Paris.

2. Experts of the two sides will resume their meeting on January 2, 1973.

3. When these discussions have been concluded, Special Adviser Le Duc Tho and Minister Xuan Thuy and Dr. Kissinger will agree on the schedule for the signing of the agreement.

The D.R.V.N. side reaffirms once again its constantly serious negotiating attitude and, together with the U.S. side, will endeavour to settle the remaining questions. The D.R.V.N. side demands that the U.S. side also show an attitude of goodwill, only then can the coming negotiations bring results and the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Viet-Nam be rapidly concluded.

End quote.

Comment: Visit lasted only about 10 minutes and exchange was limited to courteous but reserved handshakes. I posed one question concerning text which pertains to last sentence and which reads “… the D.R.V.N. side demands that the U.S. side also show …” He checked his Vietnamese version and said that it was the French equivalent of “demander” not “exiger” i.e. “requests” not demands. Also received telecon from Situation Room this am transmitting message that I should not discuss with anyone contents of your last message. Please rest assured that I have not and will not. End message.

Warm regards.

End message.

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 865, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam, Camp David Memcons, December 1972 [1 of 3]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.
2. See Document 228.