Office of the Historian

77. Telegram 139334 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Laos, June 13, 1975, 2321Z.1 2

June 13, 1975, 2321Z

TELEGRAM
Department of State
139334

DRAFTED BY EA/LC: JROSENTHAL/AA/EA:AZGARDINER;A
APPROVED BY EA:P. C. HABIB
[GARBLE] - MR. STEARMAN
DOD/ISA - [GARBLE] CROWE
CIA - MR. SHACKLEY
S/S - JMOFFAT

D132321Z JUN 75

FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE IMMEDIATE

E.O. 11652:GDS
TAGS: PFOR, LA, US

SUBJECT: FUTURE RELATIONS WITH PGNU

REF: A. STATE 133376; B. VIENTIANE 4009; C. VIENTIANE 4218

1.
IN REGARD TO OUR FUTURE RELATIONS WITH PGNU, THE POLICY DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO MAINTAIN A MODEST DIPLOMATIC PRESENCE BUT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER AID PROGRAMS. YOU SHOULD NOT RPT NOT INFORM THE PGNU OF THESE DECISIONS.
2.
WHILE WE OF COURSE WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE ORDERLY TERMINATION OF USAID ON BASIS WE CAN ACCEPT, CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS OFFER VERY LITTLE PROSPECT OF THIS. NOR DOES IT APPEAR THAT THERE IS ANY REALISTIC POSSIBILITY OF GETTING PROPERTY OUT OF THE COUNTRY. WE ASSUME YOU SHARE THIS VIEW. FOR THESE REASONS AND IN LIGHT OF POLICY [Page 2] DECISIONS TO TERMINATE ALL AID TO LAOS, WE BELIEVE YOU SHOULD PLAN TO ABANDON USAID PROPERTY UNDER AUTHORITY GRANTED REF A. WOULD PREFER YOU AVOID BLANKET TRANSFERS WHICH MIGHT APPEAR TO LEGITIMIZE THE TRANSACTION ALTHOUGH FINAL DECISION ON PROCEDURE IS LEFT WITH YOU. YOU SHOULD BEGIN BY TAKING STEPS FOR ALL AID AND NON-ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL TO DEPART LAOS IN AS UNOBTRUSIVE AND URGENT A MANNER AS POSSIBLE. TO THE EXTENT CONSISTENT WITH THIS OBJECTIVE, PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CARRY OR SEND OUT REMAINING ESSENTIAL AID RECORDS. (WHILE WE OF COURSE DO NOT WISH TO TIP OUR HAND TO LAO RE FUTURE OF AID, YOU SHOULD BE AWARE THAT HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HAS JUST VOTED IN OPEN SESSION TO INCLUDE PROHIBITION AGAINST ANY AID TO LAOS AFTER JUNE 30. IF LAO QUESTION YOU ABOUT THIS, YOU SHOULD SAY THIS IS ONE STEP IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND IS BY NO MEANS DEFINITIVE.)
3.
YOU SHOULD ALSO BEGIN TO REDUCE THE MISSION STAFF IMMEDIATELY TO ABSOLUTE MINIMUM EVEN BELOW INITIAL ESTIMATE OF 56 PER REF B. OUR TENTATIVE THINKING IS THAT YOU SHOULD GET DOWN BELOW THIRTY AS PROMPTLY AS POSSIBLE, AND WE ARE DISCUSSING THIS WITH INTERESTED AGENCIES HERE. WOULD APPRECIATE URGENTLY YOUR THINKING AS TO HOW THIS MIGHT BEST BE ACHIEVED.
4.
CONCERNING DISPOSITION OF LAO MAP ASSETS OUTSIDE OF LAOS, WE INTEND TO CONTINUE DELAYING ANY DECISION FOR TIME BEING, AND TO TELL LAO WHEN ASKED THAT REPAIRS ARE STILL UNDERWAY, ETC. WE DO NOT WANT YOU TO LIFT SUSPENSION OF ECONOMIC AID SHIPMENTS AND YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO DO SO WITHOUT PRIOR CONCURRENCE OF WASHINGTON.
5.
WE HAVE DECIDED THAT AMBASSADOR STONE WILL DELAY HIS DEPARTURE PENDING CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF PGNU INTENTIONS AND REACTIONS TO ABOVE.
KISSINGER
  1. Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Presidential Country Files for East Asia and the Pacific, Box 12, Laos, State Department Telegrams, From SECSTATE, Nodis. Drafted by Rosenthal and Gardiner; cleared by Stearman, Crowe, and Shackley; approved by Habib.↩
  2. The Department relayed policy decisions to the Embassy on the U.S. presence in Laos.↩