Cambodia.ThereforeItoldyouthatwhenpeaceisrestoredinVietnamthentheobjective
conditions,partly,andoursubjectivedesireonourpart,willcontributetothepeacein
Cambodia.Butpracticallyspeaking,whendiscussingwithouralliesinCambodiaitisnotaseasy
aswhenwediscusswithouralliesinLaos.ButIamfirmlyconvincedthattherestorationof
peaceinVietnamandinLaoswillcreatefavorableconditionsfortherestorationofpeacein
Cambodia,someobjectiveconditionsforthat.Butasfarasweareconcernedwhenwehavea
peaceinVietnamandwhenouralliesinLaoshavepeaceintheircountry,itisillogicalthatwe
stillwantwarinanotherplace.
HanoimayhavehaditstroubleswiththeKhmerRouge,buttherewouldbe
nopossibleCongressionalorpublicsupportforholdingupacease‐fireoverits
ambiguityonCambodia.IhadpressedashardasIcould,formonths,foracease‐
fireinCambodia,tonoavail.Itwasapity.OfallthecountriesinIndochinathe
Cambodiansbehavedmostnoblyandsufferedfortheirpatriotisminthemost
cruelfashion—notleastatthehandofthoseinourcountrywhoprofessedtobe
outragedatourallegedviolationoftheirneutralityandwhothenmovedheaven
andearthtopreventadequatesupportforthemwhenNorthVietnamese
divisionsandtheKhmerRougeweredespoilingthatinnocentcountrylongafter
ourtroopshadleft.
Asweapproachedaconclusiontherewasnolongerinourgroupthat
elationwhichaccompaniedthebreakthroughinOctober.TheDecember
negotiationshadbroughthometoustheabidingmutualhatredofthetwo
Vietnams.Weknewthatabitterstrugg lewithThieustilllayahead.Wehad
learnedhowthinwastheveneerofaffabilityofHanoi’sleadership,whosesingle‐
mindedquestforheg emony,wewerecertain,wouldcontinueafterasettlement.
Butwhileweknewthatpreservingtheagreementwouldinvolvea struggle,we
alsohadconfidenceofbeingabletodoso.Wewerenowbeyondillusion,butnot
beyondasenseofgratefulreliefattheperilwehadsonearlyovercomeandof
hopethatafterallatimeofhealingmightbeaheadofusathome.
Iandmycolleagues—BillSullivan,WinstonLord,JohnNegroponte,David
Engel,andPeterRodman,joinedtowardtheendbyGeorgeAldrich,DeputyLegal
AdviserattheStateDepart ment—workedfifteenhoursaday innegotiating
sessions,reviewingdrafts,briefingtheSouthVietnamese,exchangingcableswith
Washington.(WewerecomfortednotalittlebyDr.KennethRiland,whomthe
ever‐thoughtfulNelsonRockefellerhadsentalongtoministertobackstightwith
tension.)ItwasagreedthatHaigwouldleaveforSaigonwithintwenty‐fourhours
afterwecompletedalltextsinParis.Withinforty‐eighthoursallbombingofthe