Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume IV, Vietnam, 1966

276. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State¹

Saigon, October 19, 1966, 1230Z.

8835. Ref: Saigon 7630.² Subject: GVN national reconciliation program.

1. Thieu and Ky informed me today that they are prepared to go ahead with national reconciliation program as discussed at our October 3 meeting.³ They will make a general reference to the program at Manila and will follow up with a proclamation on November 1.

2. They are in agreement with us on need to expand Chieu Hoi program and to make a concerted effort to win over VC cadre at all levels. General Tri, Minister of Information and Chieu Hoi, is now actively engaged in working out program and will be coordinating closely with US agencies.⁴

3. Thieu reiterated GVN view that they cannot deal with VC as a political entity, but only as an internal security problem involving individuals or groups who will be given opportunity to return to the fold. In regard to the amnesty, he said, the VC will comprise two groups: those who may wish to return to NVN, and those who may wish to stay. The latter will be handled through national reconciliation program.

Lodge

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Exdis. Repeated to Canberra and Wellington and passed to the White House, DOD, and CIA.
2. Document 258.
3. See Document 258.
4. Lodge outlined his view of the components of such a program in telegram 8958, October 20. Kissinger outlined a program of national reconciliation in a 9-page paper prepared with Daniel Davidson of FE and forwarded to Lodge on October 19. Frank Sieverts of S/S forwarded a copy to Katzenbach on November 1 under cover of a memorandum stating that it was the “key memorandum” for a proposal for national reconciliation on which William Bundy and Harriman were working. (Both in Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S)