93. Telegram 35242 From the Embassy in France to the Department of State, November 29, 1976, 1805Z.1 2
November
29, 1976, 1805Z
OP IMMED
DE RUFNPS #5242 3341820
O 291805Z NOV 76
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO SECSTATE
WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7481
PARIS 35242
E.O. 11652: XGDS-3
TAGS: PFOR VN US
SUBJ: US-VIETNAMESE RELATIONS: A FURTHER MEETING
REF: STATE
290657
- 1.
- EMBOFF SAW SRV FIRST SECRETARY DO THANH AT 1600 LOCAL TIME AND RAISED THE THREE SUBJECTS IN REFTEL. DO THANH TOOK CAREFUL NOTES. HE SAID HE WOULD FORWARD OUR THREE ORAL POINTS TO HANOI AND HOPED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A REPLY FROM HANOI BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
- 2.
- FURTHER MEETING ON DECEMBER 20. DO THANH SAID THAT HE WAS NOT SURE WHETHER HIS GOVERNMENT WOULD AGREE TO A MEETING AT THIS TIME. THEIR PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS (THOSE AT THE TIME OF THE NOVEMBER 12 MEETING) PERMITTED THEM TO MOVE TO A SECOND MEETING WITHOUT CONFIRMATION BY HANOI AND HE HAD THEN EXPECTED TO CALL ON EMBOFF WEEK OF NOVEMBER 15. WITH THE US VETO OF VIETNAMESE UN MEMBERSHIP, THESE INSTRUCTIONS HAD BEEN CHANGED. HE WOULD INFORM HANOI OF OUR PROPOSAL FOR A NEW MEETING, BUT HE COULD NOT ASSURE US THAT THE RESPONSE WOULD BE FAVORABLE. DO THANH SAID HIS GOVERNMENT AND HE PERSONALLY CONSIDERED THE US JUSTIFICATION FOR VETOING VIETNAMESE MEMBERSHIP TO BE UNCONVINCING, AND HE NOTED THAT THE VOTE IN THE UNGA AS WELL AS SECURITY COUNCIL SEEMED TO SUPPORT THE VIETNAMESE POINT OF VIEW. IN ADDITION, DO THANH NOTED THE US INCONSISTENCY IN REJECTING HANOI’S MEMBERSHIP IN 1975 BECAUSE OF THE SOUTH KOREAN QUESTION AND THEN ADOPTING THE ARGUMENT THAT THE SRV WAS NOT “HUMANITARIAN” IN 1976. THIRDLY HIS GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED MEMBERSHIP IN THE UN TO BE SO MUCH ORE IMPORTANT THAN THE MIA QUESTION; THE US RESPONSE WAS [Page 2] INCOMMENSURATE WITH ITS GRIEVANCE. DO THANH SAID THAT HIS GOVERNMENT THOUGH THAT THE US VETO WAS AN UNFRIENDLY ACTION WHICH PARALYZED EFFORTS TOWARDS THE NORMALIZATIONS OF RELATIONS.
- 3.
- TUCKER GOULGELMANN. EMBOFF TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THIS FIRST MEETING WITH DO THANH SINCE NOVEMBER 12 TO PASS WRITTEN NAME OF TUCKER GOUGLEMANN IDENTIFIED AS AN ADULT AMERICAN REMAINING IN VIETNAM.
- 4.
- REPATRIATION OF REMAINS. DO
THANH DID NOT DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE REASON FOR NOT
HAVING BEEN IN CONTACT WITH US CONCERNING THE REPATRIATION OF THE
REMAINS OF THE 12 SERVICEMEN ON THE SEPTEMBER 6 LIST. HE IMPLIED,
HOWEVER, THAT THIS WAS ONE OF THE SUBJECTS ON WHICH HE EXPECTED TO
BE IN CONTACT WITH US PRIOR TO HANOI’S ORDER TO STAND DOWN CONTACTS
BECAUSE OF US VOTE. EMBOFF NOTED WE WOULD PREPARE TO MAKE THE
NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS “AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,” AND DO THANH’S EXPRESSION INDICATED
HE DOUBTED HANOI WOULD MOVE VERY SOON.
RUSH
- Source: Ford Library, National Security Adviser, Kissinger-Scowcroft West Wing Office Files, 1969–1977, General Subject Files, Box 34, Vietnam War, Camp David Files (3), 12/12/75–12/15/76. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Telegram 290657 to Paris, November 27, is Document 92.↩
- A report on the November 29 meeting between Vietnamese and Embassy officials in Paris.↩