COMMENTS OF NORTH VIETNAMESE OFFICIAL (DELETED) CONCERNING THE PENDING RELEASE

Created: 9/12/1972

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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SUBJECT: Comments of North Vietnamese Official

Concerning the Pending Release In Ita.no! of Three American Prisoners of War

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eptember,

made the following comments concerning the North Vietnamese intent to release three American prisoners of war (POWs),

A. The Nortli Vietnamese announcement to release the three Americans was done for no reason other thanumanitarian gesture on the occasion o( the North Vietnamese National Day, It is not the result of, nor does it have anything to do with, private talks as. has claimed.

B. At ;he last release of POWs,. used the issue for propaganda and to distort the news. When the POWs were released'm Vientiane,. Instructed its embassy tothe POWs at onco. Tho POWs wore then taken to. for several months of brainwashing.

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Then, when the U. S. finallyress conference for the POWs, theytory which was unfavorable to North Vietnam and said that they were ill-treated by the North Vietnamese. Some of the POWs were used again as tools In the war. Thus, the whole thing came to nothing. That Is why the other day Cora Weiss and others of the Committee of Liaison with Families of Servicemen Detained ln North Vietnam specified that this release Is for no otherumanitarian reason. It has been declared precisely that the U. S. Government no longer has the right to take advantage of the POWs ln order to distort facts and to use them again In the war. The Committee has warned Nixon not to do it again and Xuan Thuy also has made mention of it.

C. The POWs will be turned over to Cora Weiss, David Dillenger, representatives of the Committee of Liaison with Families of Servicemen Detained in NorthVietnam and representatives of other American They areroup of five people to gu to Hanoi and. If nothing happens, they will be going oneptember. (Headquarters Comment:

a "Mrs. Showplne" was mentioned as one who will probably go to North Vietnam to receive the POWs. She was not otherwise identified,n Hanoi, the POWsurned "over to them on one conditionhat they escort them to. and personally take them directly to their families and not to. Government. The North Vietnamese insist that. Government not Interfere or arrest anybody.

hat the ^bborn Ameri

cans

will dohis situation. They had thebowuP

outfterwards seek out Wei. and Ddlenger in order to offer their help in

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if the Committee needed any financial aid for the trip.

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POW release in itself indirectly helpsVietnamese cause because Nixon has beenhas declared that he will leave his Army inunt'il the POWs are released. He keepsargument that if he pulled out his troops, whothe return of the POWs? He only says thatto create curiosity and suspicion ao thatnot support the North Vietnamese. But now, threeare being released as proof that ho Is wrong,will malce people protest more against Nixon forPOW issue to advance the war.

turning over the three POWa to Weiss,those American organizations, the Northturning them over to the American people. TheEdward Kennedy was informed of this release does

not mean that he has anything to do with it nor does it mean that it was done through him. The POWs are officially being turned over to the American people.

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CLASSIFIED BJ^ffCORDED REPORTINfJ^FICER. EXEMPT FROMMgWrASSIFICATIONSCurfrjLE OF E. O. IMPOSSIBIjgllc) DETERMINE DATE

Original document.

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