Kissinger Henry. White House Years

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XXIII

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Vietnam197071:

ForcingHanoi’sHand

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onthbymonththedesignofourforeignpolicywaspiecingtogether:

Atlanticrelationships,theopeningtoChina,theconsequent

improvementinMoscow’sattitudetoseriousnegotiations.Butwehad

onenightmarethatmightshatterallweweretryingtoachieve:thewarin

Vietnam.WecouldnotenditontermsacceptabletoHanoiwithoutjeopardizing

everythingelseweweredoingabroad;wecouldnotpursueittoadecisive

militaryresultwithoutriskingallcohesionathome.Sowenavigatedbetween

conflictingnecessities:holdingouthopetoourcitizensthattherewouldbean

end,butposingsufficientrisktoHanoitoinduceasettlementcompatiblewith

ourinternationalresponsibilitiesandournationalhonor.

M



Bythesummerof1970theparticipantsinourVietnamdebatewereforthe

momentspentfromthetraumaofCambodia.TheAdministrationhadachievedits

objectiveofreducingHanoi’scapacityforoffensiveoperations.Butithaddoneso

atthecostofpsychologicalexhaustion;thefearofanotherroundof

demonstrationspermeatedallthethinkingaboutVietnamintheExecutive

Branchthatsummer—eventhatofNixon,whopretendedtobeimpervious.So

wearinessprovidedtherespitethataconsensuscouldnotfurnish.Andthecrises

alongtheSuezCanal,inCienfuegos,Jordan,andChileabsorbedsomeofthe

government’sattentionandfocusedpublicconcernonotherpartsoftheworld.



Wehadonepieceofgoodfortune.Ihadsuggested,andNixonhad

enthusiasticallyagreedto,DavidBruce’sappointmentasAmbassadortothe

negotiationsinParis.Brucehadacceptedatonce.Inthesummerof1970,asthe

nationalobsessionwithVietnamseizedholdofusagain,Brucewasasteadying

influence.Heaskedtostudytheissuefortwomonthsbeforemakingproposals;

hedidnotwishtheimpressiontobecreatedthathehadreceivedfresh

instructions.Hanoiwouldsettleonlyifitbelievedthatitcouldnotextractfresh

concessionssimplybydiggingin.



Ithadacalmingeffect,forinthewakeoftheturmoiloverCambodia

Nixon’smoodoscillatedwildly.NixonwastalkinginresolutetermsonJuly4when

hemetBruceandPhilHabib,hisParisnegotiatingteam,atSanClemente.He

wouldstaythecourseregardlessofthepoliticalrisk.Hedidnotthinkde‐

escalationorunilateralwithdrawalwouldbudgetheNorthVietnamese;every

timewewithdrewtroopsHanoibecamemoredifficult.Ifnegotiationsfailed,he

wouldthrowrestrainttothewindsandreturntomassivebombing.Butaweek

later,onJuly11,hefrettedtomeprivatelythatthewarwassappinghisdomestic

supportandthereforehadtobeendedbefore1972;ifanyofhislikelyopponents

wereelectedPresident,America’sworldposition wouldbeundermined.His

solutionwastocombineall ‐outbombingwithatotalwithdrawal.ButbyJuly22at

breakfastintheWhiteHousewithBruceandEllsworthBunkerandme,hehada

moreoptimisticestimateofourendurance: 



IamutterlyconvincedthathowweendthiswarwilldeterminethefutureoftheU.S.in

theworld.WecanmaintaintheAmericanpositioninEuropeandAsiaifwecomeoutwell.The

Americanpeopleareevenlydivided.Theestablishmentisagainstme,butI’llseeitthroughif

I’mtheonlypersoninthecountrytodoit.We’llseetheendofourparticipationonewayor

another…IcameintoofficewithoutthesupportofallthepeoplewhoopposemetodayandI

cangetreelectedwithouttheirsupport.



YetbyAugust10NixonwasshakenbyaconversationwithSenatorsHarry

ByrdandGordonAllott,whohadurgedhimtoendthewarquickly.“We’vegot

theLeftwherewewantitnow,”hetoldme.“Allthey’vegotlefttoargueforisa

bug‐out,andthat’stheirproblem.ButwhentheRightstartswantingtogetout,

forwhateverreason,that’sourproblem.”Thereforehewantedtobringmatters

toaheadbyblockadingtheNorth,resumingbombing,andsimultaneously

withdrawingallourforces.Iwarnedthatinviewofthetroublewehadhadin

sustainingacampaignofeightweeks’durationtoadistanceoftwentymilesin

Cambodia,wewouldnot beabletosticktosuchacourseunlesstherehadbeen

overwhelmingprovocation.Andwithdrawalwouldconveyasignalexactlythe

oppositeofourmilitaryactions.Nixon’sschememightwellproduceacollapsein

SaigonamidstcarnageintheNorth.Nixondidnotpursuethesubject.



DuringthesummerourstudiesconfirmedthattheNorthVietnamese

supplysystemthroughCambodiahadbeendisruptedandenemyforcesbased

thereseverelyweakened.Moreimportant,theNorthVietnamesetroopsinthe

SouthernhalfofVietnam—theso‐calledMilitaryRegions3and4—wouldnow

havetobeusednotforoffensiveoperationsinSouthVietnambuttoprotectnew

baseareasandtotrainCambodianguerrillas;theircapacityforoffensive

operationshadbeengravelyunderminedforatleastayear.Alliedcasualties

droppedcorrespondingly.InthetwelvemonthsbeforeCambodia over7,000

Americanswerekilledinaction.Intheyearafter,thefigurewaslessthan2,500.

Thenextyearitfelltolessthan500. 



Butthepoliticalproblemremained.Hanoiwasnotweakenedtothepoint

ofabandoninghopeandcontinuedto demandtheunilateralwithdrawalofall

AmericanforcesandtheoverthrowoftheSaigongovernment.Therewasnohint

ofcompromise.Wewereofferednotermsotherthanunconditionalsurrender

andbetrayalofthemillionswhohadreliedonustothetendermerciesof

Communistrule.Ouropponentsathomederidedourdefinitionofhonor,but

theiralternative,fixinganunconditionalwithdrawaldate,wasanactoffutilityas

wellasdishonor.BytheendofAugusttheSenatewasdebatingtheMcGovern‐

Hatfieldamendment,whichsetadeadlineforAmericanwithdrawalonDecember

31,1971,allowingthePresidenttoextendthedeadlinebysixtydaysinan

emergency.Thisschemereceivedwideeditorialsupport.FortheWashington

Post

itwould“endtheshellgame”;totheSt.LouisPost‐Dispatchwewere

“droppingthemask”byopposingMcGovern‐Hatfield,andrevealedthatour

purposewasmilitaryvictory(whichhadbecomeatermofopprobrium).Butonce

afinalwithdrawaldatehadbeenestablishedbylaw,thealreadynarrowing

marginfornegotiatio nswouldevaporate.Wewouldlosethecapacitytobargain

evenforourprisoners,forwewouldhaveliterallynothinglefttoofferexceptthe

overthrowofafriendlygovernmentandtheabandonmentofmillionstoabrutal

dictatorship.Toendthewarhonorablyweneededtopresentourenemywiththe

verymarginofuncertaintyaboutourintentionsthatourdomesticopponents

benteveryefforttoremove.



Theidealbargainingpositionwouldhaveexistedifourpublic hadtrusted

ourgoalsandourenemyhadbeenuncertainaboutourtactics.Ourdomestic

discordproducedexactlytheoppositestateofaffairs.Wefaceda constant

credibilitygapathomewhileouropponentsunderstoodonlytoowellthe

directioninwhichwewerebeing pushed.Nor,oncewewerecommittedtoa

fixedwithdrawaldate,woulditbesosimpleaswasclaimedtoreturntoCongress

toaskfortheextensiontheMc Govern‐Hatfieldamendmentpurportedtooffer.

Theveryforcesthathadestablishedthedeadlinewouldsurelystrivetopreserve

it.Andtheissuewasunlikelytoariseina clear‐cutway.Themerepassageofthe

amendmentmightwellleadtothecollapseoftheSouthVietnamesemoraleand

withittheirarmedforces.Thailandwouldprobablyclosethebasessoessential

forairoperationsinVietnam,andSouvannaPhoumaofLaoswouldalmost

certainlyrequestustoendthebombingoftheHoChiMinhTrail,asthesetwo

threatenedcountriessoughttoadjusttonewrealities.Noresponsible

administrationcouldaccepttheserisksmerelyinthehopeofreassuringcritics,

mostofwhom,aseventsshowed,werenottobeplacated.Asthingsturnedout,

wemanagedtoremovetheoverwhelmingmajorityofAmericanarmedforces

withinthetimeperiodoftheMcGovern‐Hatfieldamendmentandtheremainder

fifteenmonthslater.EnoughremainedtohelpblunttheNorthVietnamese

offensiveof1972.Butwewithdrewwithoutoverthrowingourallies,andtohave

boundourselvesinSeptember1970toaknowndatethatwehadnowayof

meetingwouldhavehadavastlydifferentresult.



TheMcGovern‐HatfieldamendmentwasdefeatedonSeptember1,1970,

55‐39.ItwastechnicallyanAdministrationvictory.Butthatthirty‐nineSenators

soughttoprescribetheconductofpeacenegotiations,inthefaceof

Administrationwarningsthattheywerelegislatingadebacle,dealtaseriousblow

tothepsychologicalbasisforacoherentstrategy.Norwasthatvotetheendof

theamendment.Itwouldcomebackmonthaftermonthwithconst a ntly

increasingsupport,dramatizingtoHanoitheerosionofourpositionandthus

reducingtheNorth’sincentiveforseriousnegotiation.AndNorthVietnamhad

anotherdisincentivetonegotiate.WewerepullingoutAmericantroops sofastas

toplaceaburdenofcredulityonVietnamization;intheprocesswelostthe

bargainingleverageinherentinofferingaspeedupinourwithdrawalsinreturn

foragenuinelyfreepoliticalchoicebythepeople. 



TheconceptofafreechoicewouldhavebeenhardtoselltotheNorth

Vietnameseinthebestofcircumstances,fortheyhadnocategoryofexperience

towhichtoreferit.Theyhadseizedpowerbythegun;theyhadexpandeditby

struggle.TheywerededicatedMarxist‐Leninists.Tothempoliticallegitimacy

residedinthemilitantelitethatembodiedthe“realwishes”ofthepeople;

dissentershadtobereeducatedoreliminated.NordidVietnamesehistoryoffer

succor:Pastrulershadgovernedbythemandateofheavenandenduredby

success.Ourschemesforimpartialelectoralcommissionsandfreeballotswere

rejecteddisdainfullybyHanoi;theywereacceptedreluctantlybySaigonto

indulgearichbenefactorwhosesupportwasessentialforsurvival,thoughhis

naïvetéconstantlycourteddisaster.HowinthelightofCommunistideologyand

VietnamesehistoryitcouldeverhavebeensupposedthatalltheCommunists

werefightingforwasacoalitiongovernment—orthatindeedanyVietnamese

wouldacceptit—mustbelefttostudiesofmasspsychology.



IwrotetoNixononJuly20,warninghimonceagainthatastrategyrelying

onVietnamizationwouldnotbecompatible indefinitelywithastrategyof

negotiations.Eachunilateralwithdrawaltendedto weakenourbargaining

position.Iftroopwithdrawalswerealreadyatthefastestrateconsistentwith

Saigon’ssurvival,ourmarginforspeedingthemupwaslimited;hencewehad

littletoofferHanoi.Somewheredowntheroad,probablybythemiddleof1971,

wemighthavetochoosebetweenVietnamizationandnegotiation.Itwasmainly

totrytoexplorehiddenpossibilitiesforbreakingthedeadlockthatduringJuly

andAugusttheAdministration’sthinkingcrystallizedaroundtheideaofa

standstillcease‐fire(orcease‐fireinplace),aproposalpreviouslybroachedby

CyrusVanceafterheretiredasnegotiatorinParis,

AverellHarriman,theNew

YorkTimes,

andSenatorMikeMansfield.Itsappealasa“compromise”proposal

wasthatbothsideswouldtherebyberenouncingmilitaryvictory.In1969a

standstillcease‐firehadbecomeafavoriteformulaformoderateopponentsof

thewarwhodidnotyetwishtoadvocateAmericancapitulationorafixed

deadlineforwithdrawal.Theirviewsweresharedbymanyseniorofficials,fro m

variousmotives.SomeintheDefenseDepartmentfavoredacease‐firetoease

budgetarypressuresandfreefundsforweaponsprocurement.TheState

Departmenturge ditpartlytopleasetheCongressandthemedia,andpartlyfrom

itsowncongenitalwishtofuelnegotiationswithever‐newproposals.Nixonwas

generallydisdainfulofalltheseschemes.ThedayafterhisNovember3,1969,

speech,thePresidenthadwrittentohisSecretariesofStateandDefense,

specificallyrejectinganyinitiativeforacease‐fire.Nevertheless,onNovember8

RogersurgedthatwesupporttheMansfieldResolutionforaVietnamcease‐fire

asameansofwinningoverthedoves.OnNovember10aformalState

Departmentmemo randum arrivedattheWhiteHouseproposingacease‐fire

initiative.



Unfortunately,there weretwoconsiderableobstacles:theNorth

Vietnamesehadshownnointerestincease‐firesofanykind;andin1969the

SouthVietnameseg overnment,ourmilitarycommanders,andtheSaigon

embassyhadallbeenconvincedthatastandst illcease‐firewouldprecipitatethe

militarycollapseofSouthVietnam.TheVietnamSpecialStudiesGroupstudied

theimpactofacease‐fireprovincebyprovince.Itsconclusionstendedtoconfirm

theSaigonjudgment.



Wehadneverthelesskepttheideainplay,onthetheorythatifitwere

acceptedinprinciplewewouldinsistontermsthatgavetheSouthVietnamesea

reasonablechancetosurvive.InFebruaryandMarch1970,IhadproposedtoLe

DucThoacease‐fireforLaosandCambodia;Ilisteditamongthesubjectswe

werepreparedtodiscussforVietnam.



ButLeDucThorefusedanysuchdiscussion.Ateveryturn—untilOctober

1972—hecontemptuouslylecturedmeabouttheimpossibilityofacease‐fire

withoutapriorpoliticalsettlement;andhistermsforthatwereathinlydisguised

Communisttakeover.IdonotknowwhetherHanoiwassodisdainfulbecauseit

thoughtitsprospectsinthecountrysidebetterthanwedid,orbecaus e itfeared

thatwewouldkeepourtroopsinVietnamafteracease‐fire,orbecauseofa

doctrinaireMarxist‐Leninist mistrustofanyconceptofequilibrium.Forwhatever

reason,HanoiignoredthesuggestioninNixon’sMay14,1969,speechandpaid

noattentiontoitsreiterationonNovember3(bothofthesewereintheformof

offeringlocalcease‐fires,butthehintcouldhavebeeneasilypickedup).



InlateMayof1970Iorderedaspecialstudythatproducedavarietyof

optionstobediscussedatintera gencymeetingsinJuneandJuly,includinganNSC

meetingonJuly21.EveryoneagreedthatHanoiwouldrejectacease‐fire

involvingregroupmentorwithdrawal;theonlykindwithanychanceofbeing

acceptedbytheothersidewasaceasefireinplace.ThesuccessoftheCambodian

operationnowmadetheriskstolerable;theNorthVietnamesehadregrouped

theirforces,withdrawingthemclosertotheborderandusingthemto protect

trainingbasesfortheCambodianCommunists.Nevertheless,ourstudies 

predictedthatinacease‐fireinplace,Saigon’scontroloverthepopulationwould

erodebyatleast6percent.



Yetitwasameasureofthetightropewewerewalkingdomesticallythat

duringthesummeraconsensusdevelopedaroundputtingforwardastandstill

cease‐fireproposal.Insidethegovernmentopinionshadnotchanged,exceptthat

Nixonwascomingaroundtotheneedforputtingforwardsomepeaceproposal

aftertheCambodiantrauma.Outsidegovernment,too,theconceptgained

momentum.OnthedaytheMcGovern‐Hatfieldamendmentwasdefeateda

bipartisangroupoffourteenSenatorswhomtheWashingtonPostcalled“an

unusualcross‐sectionofhawks anddoves”

sentNixonaletterurginghimto

devotehiseffortsattheParispeacetalkstoward“aninternationallysupervised

standstillcease‐firethroughoutVietnam.”SixteenmoreSenatorsjoinedby

September18.AtthesametimeClarkKerr’sNatio nalCommitteeforaPolitical

SettlementinVietnamwasintheforefrontofthosepushingtheproposal.The

concepttemporarilyunitedallpoints ofviewinthegovernment:thosewho

thoughtitshouldbeofferedinordertopreemptourcriticseventhoughitwas

almostcertaintoberejected;thosewhosawitasanopeningwedgeformore

sweepingproposalsthattheywereasyetreluctant toarticulate;andthosewho

sincerelybelievedthatacease‐fireproposalwouldbreakthenegotiating

stalemate.



EvenNguyenVanThieuwentalong;aswashistacticwhenfacingthe

inevitable,heevenrecommendedit.Onlytooawareofthegrowingwar‐

wearinessinAmerica,Thieuwasinthenearimpossiblepositionofbeingaskedto

replaceever‐decreasingAmericanforces,tooffertosharepowerwithan

adversarythatdailyproclaimeditsdeterminationtodestroyhim,andtocarryout

politicalreforms.Anyoneofthesetaskswouldhavetestedthefabricofastable

society;tosucceedinthemallinthemidstofacivilwarwithhundredsof

thousandsofforeigntroopsonhissoilwasimpossible.Thatheaccomplishedas

muchashedidisatributetohisconsiderableabilities.Thieuknew thathewasa

convenienttargetforwarcritics,whovilifiedhimasthetrueobstacletopeace;

andthathecouldendtheirattacksonlybyarrangingforhisownandhiscountry’s

demise.LikeallVietnamesehecouldnotseehowpowermightbeshared.He

knewheneededtimeandthatitwouldbeacloseraceunderthebestof

circumstances.Thieusoughttopurchaseitbymakingwhatheconsideredthe

leastdamagingconcessionstothisstrangeallywhosoughttoinduceflexibilityon

thepartofanimplacableopponentbyunilaterallyweakeninghisownposition.So

hewentalongwithourproposalpartlybecausehethoughtitatolerablegamble,

partlybecausehesuspectedthatHanoiwouldrejectit,partlybecauseitmight

availhimsomerelieffromtheincessantpressuresforcoalitiongovernment.



DuringAugust,therefore,Nixondecidedtoofferacease‐fireafterBruce

waswellestablished.Histargetdatewastheendofthesummer.Itprovedtobea

decisionofprofoundlong‐termconsequence.Thestandstillcease‐firewasput

forwardasbeingprovisional.Ifachieved,itwastobefollowedbyadiplomatic

conferencetosettlethewar,atwhichwewouldpresumablycontinuetoput

forwardthedemandforthewithdrawalofNorthVietnameseforces.Ifrebuffed,

wecouldthenmaintainaresidualforceinSouthVietnam.Butnobodycouldtake

suchaprospectseriously.Evenwithawargoingon,Congressionalpressuresfor

theunilateralwithdrawalofourforcesweremounting;notamonthpassed

withoutsomesortoflegislateddeadlinebeingbeforeoneoftheHouses of

Congress.Insuchanatmosphere,itwasinconceivablethatCongresswould

permitustokeeptroopsinIndochinawhenacease‐firehadalreadybeen

achieved,nomatterwhatHanoididaboutitsforces.Thedecisiontoproposea

standstillcease‐firein1970thusimpliedthesolutionof1972.ThatNorth

VietnameseforceswouldremainintheSouthwasimplicitinthestandstill

proposal;nonegotiationwouldbeabletoremovethemifwehadnotbeenable

toexpelthembyforceofarms.Butbeforewecouldmakeourformalproposal

theNorthVietnamesewereheardfromagain.



<<Contents>>



****



MadameBinh’sEightPoints



stheCambodianoperationcametoanend,Ihadsentamessagetothe

NorthVietnameseonJuly5throughGeneralWalters,suggestingameeting

withLeDucThoforanyweekendafterJuly25.Characteristically,Hanoididnot

replyuntilAugust18,sixweekslater,whenitproposedameetingwithXuanThuy

forAugust29.Thistimewedidnotrepeatthedemonstrationofeagernessofthe

previousFebruary.ThemeetingfinallytookplaceonSeptember7,aweekafter

wehadsurvivedtheMcGovern‐Hatfieldamendment.



IwenttoParissecretlybythenowfamiliarroute.IflewfromAndrewsAir

ForceBasetothemilitarybaseinAvordnearBourgesincentralFrance.Mychief

aidesnowwereWinstonLord,whonevermissedameetingafterthatandwho

tookchargeofmypreparations,andDickSmyser,theVietnamexpertonmystaff.

AFrenchpresidentialjettookmypartytoVillacoublayAirport,whereGeneral

Walterstookusinhand.Afteranightinhisapartment,whereIwasintroducedto

hismaidasGeneralKirschman(mycolleagueshadtheirowncodenames),we

wenttoseeourVietnameseinterlocutorsinthefamiliarsimplehouseat11rue

DarthéinChoisy‐le‐RoiattheoutskirtsofParis.



XuanThuygreetedus,hisBuddhafacesuffusedbysmiles,alongwiththe

familiarcastofcharacters:MaiVanBo,theNorthVietnameseDelegate‐General

inParis;twootherassistants;andtheinterpreter,whohadbecomeextremely

skilledatdeliveringthesamestandardspeechwiththesameintonationand

emphasisonexactlythesamephrasesforthreeyears—whichhadtheeffectof

nearlyunderminingmysanity.



IhadtoldNixonthatasaresultofCambodiaIexpectedlittlebut

vituperationatthisfirstmeeting;progresswasevenlesslikelybecauseXuanThuy

wasmyoppositenumber.IfHanoiwantedserioustalkstheywouldbeconducted

byLeDucTho,whowasamemberofthePolitburo.Buttherewasno

vituperation;Cambodia wasbarelymentioned;IwasabletoreporttoNixonlater

that“theatmospherewasthefriendliestofanyofthesesessions—indeedofany

sessionwiththeVietnamese.”Theyseemedtodroptheirdemandforasix

months’withdrawaltimetable(thisturnedouttobeanillusion).Theyrepeatedly

indicatedtheirdesireforadditionalmeetings.XuanThuyevenpermittedmeto

explainourproposalofmixedelectoralcommissionstosuperviseelections.Inthe

never‐neverlandofVietnamnegotiations,havingnegotiatorsfromHanoilistento

aproposalfromuswasconsideredprogress;Idrewfromitthenaiveconclusion

thatXuanThuymightgosofarastoconsiderit.



Butnothinghadreallychanged;notthespeech,norXuanThuy’s

instructions.Inthisphasewhenthenegotiationsweresporadic,thefirstsession

inaserieswasalwaysthefriendliest.(Lateron,whenHanoigotdowntoserious

bargaining,theoppositeapplied;theopeningpositionwasinvariablytough.)The

NorthVietnamesenegotiatorsuseditasacome‐ontoencourageustoputthe

largestpossiblenumberofconcessionsonthetable.Thesewouldthenbecome

thestartingpointforthenextroundoftalks.



Imadeacarefullypreparedopeningstatementthatsufferedfromthe

professionaldeformationofallnegotiatorswhoaretemptedtobelievethat

impassesyieldtoeloquence.IexplainedtoXuanThuy,asIhadpreviouslyto

Nixonandinmuchthesamelanguage,thatwewereapproachingaforkinthe

road:



Iaskyouonceagaintotakethepathofnegotiationwithus.Itisconsistentwiththeself‐

respectandtheobjectivesofbothsides.Werecognizethedepthofyoursuspicionsbutthey

willnotfadeastimegoesonandthestrugglepersists.Thisisthenatureofwar.



Wearenearingthetimewhenthechancesforanegotiatedsettlementwillpass.Aftera

certainpointyouwillhaveineffectcommittedyourselvestoatestofarms.Idonotwantto

predicthowthistestagainstastrengthenedSouthVietnam,supportedbyus,willendnorhow

longitwilllast.ButyoumustrecognizethatitwillmakeanysettlementwiththeUnitedStates

increasinglydifficult.



Letusthereforemovetowardanegotiatedsettlementwhilethereisstilltime.



Ithenintroducedtwochangesinourposition,one important,theother

cosmetic.ThesignificantconcessionwastomakeclearthattheAmerican

withdrawalafterthewarwouldbecomplete;noresidualforces,bases,or

adviserswouldbeleftbehind.Cosmetically,Ibroughtourprivatepositioninto

linewithourpublicone.InAprilIhadgivenLeDucThoasixteen‐month

withdrawalschedule;sincewehadalreadypubliclyofferedtowithdrawwithina

yearInowgaveXuanThuyascheduleoftwelvemonths.(Wewerestilltalkingin

thecontextofmutualwithdrawal.)Iproposedfreeelectionssupervisedbya

mixedelectoralcommissioncomposedofrepresentativesofSaigon,the

Communists,andneutrals.Wedidnotseektodeterminetheiroutcomein

advance:“wehavenointentionofinterferingwiththepoliticalevolution

producedbytheprocessagreeduponhere.”Internationalobserverswouldoffer

additionalguarantees.



Theseproposalswerenotwithouttheirweirdquality.Giventhedomestic

pressuresforunilateralwithdrawal,whichwereacceleratingbythemonth,we

weretellingtheNorthVietnamesethattheyhadbetteragreetomutual

withdrawalnowlestwepunishthembywithdrawingunilaterallylater.Andwe