107. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon1
Washington, August 7, 1969.
SUBJECT
- General Wheeler’s Assessment of the Soviet Role in The Paris Negotiations
Attached is General Wheeler’s assessment of the Soviet role in the Paris negotiations2 which was sent to me by Mel Laird during your trip.
General Wheeler makes the following points:
- —The premise for total cessation of hostile acts against North Vietnam has been violated.
- —The Soviet Union has relaxed pressure on North Vietnam.
- —Without support given by the Soviet Union, the North Vietnamese military effort would collapse within a few months.
- —Immediate diplomatic action should be directed at the Soviet Union to press the North Vietnamese to pursue meaningful negotiations.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 138, Vietnam Country Files, Vol. IX, 8/1/69–8/31/69. Secret; Sensitive. The following handwritten note appears on the memorandum: “ret 8/20 Pres has not seen.” On August 12 Kissinger sent Laird a short memorandum that read: “I have shown both your memorandum and the attachment to the President, who agrees with your assessment that General Wheeler has written an illuminating and important report.” (Ibid.)↩
- Attached but not printed was CM–4433–69, a July 14 memorandum from Wheeler to Laird.↩