47. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the Department of State (Read) to the Presidentʼs Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)1
Washington,
January 26,
1966.
SUBJECT
- U.S. Prisoner Exchange with NLF
The NLF has closed the door on prisoner exchange by reversing its position. It has informed the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that it will not meet with U.S. and ICRC Representatives to discuss prisoner exchange.
Following is the chronology leading up to the present negative NLF position:
- 1.
- December 12, 1965, Ky approved U.S. proposal of exchange, under auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) of prisoner Hai (one of two terrorists who bombed our Embassy) for USOM civilian employee Hertz.2
- 2.
- In response to our request, ICRC sent a representative to Algiers to convey Hertz-Hai exchange proposal to NLF representative Tam.3
- 3.
- January 4, ICRC representative met with Tam for two hours; Tam rejected the Hertz-Hai exchange and countered with proposed meeting under ICRC auspices of NLF, ICRC and USG representatives to discuss “broad prisoner exchange.”
- 4.
- NLF willingness to discuss prisoner exchange with us was confirmed from a private source, Sanford Gottlieb, Washington representative of SANE, who saw Tam in Algiers January 13. Tam told Gottlieb: “The Front is prepared to discuss the exchange of all prisoners, including Mr. Hertz” and if the U.S. wants to discuss prisoner exchange it should contact Tam.
- 5.
- Kyʼs concurrence was sought to the NLF offer to meet with U.S. and ICRC representatives to discuss prisoner exchange. At a meeting with Secretary Rusk on January 15 Ky expressed his concurrence to our proceeding with meeting with NLF on subject of prisoners under ICRC auspices.
- 6.
- January 15, we informed ICRC Geneva of our willingness to meet, preferably at ICRC Geneva Headquarters, with ICRC and NLF representatives to discuss questions relating to U.S. prisoners, including [Page 157] broad prisoner exchange as suggested by NLF representative Tam in Algiers.
- 7.
- January 18, ICRC dispatched its representative to convey our response to Tam in Algiers.
- 8.
- January 19, ICRC representative was received by Tam in Algiers. Tam accepted from ICRC representative an ICRC Geneva letter indicating U.S. willingness to meet with NLF and ICRC representatives, preferably at ICRC Geneva Headquarters, to discuss broad prisoner exchange. Tam told ICRC representative that he must now wait for definitive instructions from the Front which might take up to fifteen days; and requested ICRC representative to handle this matter with the “utmost discretion and secrecy”.
- 9.
- On the evening of January 25 ICRC Geneva received a letter from the NLF representative Tam dated Algiers, January 21, which was two days after his meeting with ICRC representative on January 19 at which Tam stated that he now had to receive definitive instructions from the Front which may take up to fifteen days.
- 10.
- Tamʼs letter of January 21 reflects a complete change of
attitude and is completely negative. It has four main points:
- (1)
- Refers to January 4 meeting between Tam and ICRC representative; states that Tam had said to ICRC representative that NLF would not accept nor even consider a meeting with representatives of the U.S.
- (2)
- Refers to a press release issued by Red Cross of NLF of October 2 and states that according to the press release the NLF is not authorized to entertain any relations with ICRC and therefore NLF representative Tam returned to ICRC the letter which ICRC representative delivered to Tam on January 19 (that letter advised the NLF that the USG was prepared to meet with representatives of the NLF and the ICRC to discuss broad prisoner exchange, as suggested by Tam to the ICRC representative on January 4).
- (3)
- A general statement warning the ICRC to make no announcement on the exchange of letters and indicating that the NLF will deny the entire matter if it becomes public.
- (4)
- States that Tam already indicated to the ICRC representative that the NLF cannot receive visits from the ICRC or accept letters.
Benjamin H.
Read4