Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume IX, Vietnam, October 1972–January 1973

226. Message From the Air Attaché at the Embassy in France (Guay) to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)¹

Paris, December 27, 1972, 1347Z.

Customer called at 9:30 am Paris time and requested an appointment at 12:00 pm. I agreed and met him at the usual place. He handed me the following message:

Quote:

The view of the D.R.V.N. side regarding the resumption of the meetings of representatives and experts of the two sides has been clearly stated in the message of December 26, 1972 and presented during the meetings of representatives and experts on December 20 and 23, 1972.²

However, up to the present time, the United States has continued to carry out most barbarous air attacks against the capital city of Hanoi, the port city of Haiphong and several other populated areas all over North Viet Nam. Once more, the D.R.V.N. side vigorously protests against the very serious and criminal U.S. escalation of the war against the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam. In these circumstances, the D.R.V.N. side cannot participate in the meeting of representatives and experts that the U.S. side has proposed for December 27, 1972, and is obliged to postpone the meeting until another date.

As has been pointed out in the D.R.V.N. message of December 26, 1972, when the situation existing before December 18, 1972 has been restored, the meetings of representatives and experts will be resumed to discuss the protocols, and private meeting of Special Adviser Le Duc Tho and Minister Xuan Thuy with Dr. Kissinger will take place on January 8, 1973.

It depends entirely on the United States whether the negotiations will be resumed or not.

End quote.

Comments: Since I knew that they were on the hook for a meeting this pm and had not made their intentions known I advised Ambassador Porter of the above. Should we not add today’s date to the opening sentence of the message transmitted by your 270440Z?³ At conclusion of my reading customer’s message I informed him of the fact that I would have something for him at 10:00 pm this evening. He agreed to meet at the time, but requested that I reconfirm later on today. Have just heard over French radio announcement that the North Vietnamese delegation in Paris will not participate in the technical discussions scheduled for today. They (NVA del) have stated they will not resume the technical discussions until the U.S. terminated its bombardment of North Vietnam. End message.

Warm regards.

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 865, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam, Camp David Memcons, December 1972 [1 of 3]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.
2. See footnote 2, Document 215; footnote 2, Document 221; and Document 224.
3. Not printed. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 865, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam, Camp David Memcons, December 1972 [1 of 3])