151. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson1
Washington, January 6, 1965.
SUBJECT
- Sihanoukʼs letter-to-the-editor2
- 1.
- If you did not see this, it may be interesting as a demonstration of the problem of dealing with Sihanouk.
- 2.
- We are continuing to press the State Department on this subject, but my own inquiries so far indicate that we have been as reasonable as possible, in the circumstances. The one thing we can do better is border control, but that requires cooperation from Vietnamese generals, who are only too well aware that Cambodia is a “privileged sanctuary” for the Viet Cong.
There remains the problem of the public explanation of this matter, and there it is clear that Ambassador Bonsal was outdone by the Cambodians. On the other hand, the attached letter suggests that a slanging match with Sihanouk is not something we want.
McG. B.
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Cambodia, Vol. III, Memos, 8/64–6/65. No classification marking. The source text indicates that the President saw it.↩
- In the Herald Tribune, copy attached, but not printed, Sihanouk claimed that Cambodiaʼs stability and neutrality was in spite of U.S., Thai, and South Vietnamese attempts to subvert it. He took the Herald Tribune to task claiming he was obstructing peace efforts in South Vietnam, blaming instead the United States and Great Britain.↩