Office of the Historian

323. Backchannel Message From the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army (Haig) to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker)1

Washington, January 21, 1973, 2115Z.

WHS 3105. Deliver at opening of business.

Have arrived in Washington and have been following with great care the exchanges between you Kissinger on one hand and Thieu on [Page 1134] the other. I have told both Henry and the President that tough patience will bring us to a successful conclusion. I want to again thank you for your hospitality and counsel during our stay in Saigon. We are now on the verge of what we have sought for so long.

I would be very grateful if you would pass on to Fred Weyand and John Vogt the following operational guidance which was raised with me at the airport at the time of our departure for Seoul. “We should continue to operate carrier based air south of the DMZ into Laos and Cambodia in the post-ceasefire situation even though this requires overflight of South Vietnam. There should be no sorties flown over Cambodia and Laos from US air bases in South Vietnam. During the 72 hours following the initiation of the ceasefire in South Vietnam we should plan to withhold US air action over Cambodia unless a serious tactical emergency develops. We will do this in order to assess the effect of Lon Nol’s unilateral declaration of the cessation of all offensive operations by Khmer forces. He will make this announcement immediately following establishment of the ceasefire in Vietnam. For this reason we should avoid US air activity unless the other side launches serious attacks during the 72-hour period.”

Warmest personal regards.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 860, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam, Sensitive Camp David, Vol. XXIV. Top Secret; Operational Immediate; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.↩