105. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam 1
259404. Deliver literally eyes only to Ambassador Bunker when he arises. For Ambassador and General Abrams from Secretary Rusk.
We are now at a point where we must come back to the North Vietnamese in Paris with a hard proposition on the time of a bombing cessation and the related time of a meeting, which would include the GVN.
We propose the following and wish to have your urgent evaluation of its effects on the political viability of the GVN and what effects it will have, if any, on the military situation and on the morale of our own forces and the ARVN. The GVN is not to be consulted at this time.
This is what we would propose to tell the Hanoi delegation in Paris.
[Page 289]- “1. Bombing and other acts of force against North Vietnam will cease as of a certain time; for example, midnight Friday, Saigon time, October 25.
- 2. A meeting, including the Government of the Republic of Vietnam, will take place within three days from the date of the bombing cessation; for example, at 3:00 p.m., Monday, Paris time, October 28.
- 3. The date of the Paris meeting will be made known at the time of the announcement of the bombing cessation; for example, at 9:00 a.m., Saigon time, Saturday, October 25.”
Of course, our other conditions still hold: that is, our understanding that recce will continue; that North Vietnam will not violate the DMZ, and that General Abrams will have standing orders to respond if such violations take place; and that the cities will not be attacked, and that we intend to respond against North Vietnam in the face of such violation of our understanding.
- Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, A/IM Files: Lot 93 D 82, HARVAN-(Outgoing)-October 1968. Top Secret; Immediate; Nodis/HARVAN Double Plus. Draft text received from the White House, cleared by Read, and approved by Rusk.↩