DATE: DEC 2CC2
LBJReview
Nil oJj-ffiA
8
SUBJECT: GVN Plans and Preparations for Paris Talks
Ky, who ia no admirer of An'st ma nettled by Thieu'a repeated suggestions that former Information minister Tron Von An be appointed either to the delegation or to kia former Information po3t. Ky cannot understand what Thieu sees in An, but believes Tnieu iri.ll settle temporarily for having General Tran Van Trung of the Psychological Warfare Department curvlate the Information Ministry until Thieu can aeleot his own man.
S'ne_ four.aleo.the -delegation.should Jpcludec general ^officer. Jiae^apparentlif been persuaded that th&^inclitGicn'.of a's^-icrdt oii^thejSV^.delegation would reinforce toiejjbrld's .impression of the ilitarist-ttgime^dnd is* nbJ'tainking of taking fires colonels- with him. Another considera-
Ky is the involvement in shady dealst eopecially through his wife, of Lieutenant General Nguyen Boo Tri, the leading military candidate for the delegation now that Lieutenant General Nguyen Duo Thong has refused to go to Paris, Thieu and Ky both presume the Communists are alao aware of this and would thereforeield day at Tri's expense. However, the four men reached no decision on this matter at theirovember meeting.
substantialfy a'/na .explained itr to .Kyk>verJe>s
details have emerged. The staff which will support Ky in hie role of overall coordinator will consist of aboutersons, including (a) four or even five members of negotiating team, (b) Dang Due Khoi, as head of the Information and Propaganda Section, (c) the head of thed) the headesearch staff, which trill research problems for the delegation and probably be headed by former Opens Arms Sinister ilguyen Xuan Phong, provided he iselegation ma-ber, (e) Colonel Phan Huy Loi, wJu> is one of the three colonels Ky wants to take with him, <f) Colonel Ho Van Loi, former Secretary General of the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee, and (g) Colonel ilguyen Quoc Quynh, Acting Chieff the Joint General Staff, who has been in charge of preparing military position papero under the directions of Lieutenant General Vinh Loc.
B. rw-sfn3jj although he had originallytaff Kkoi said on SO November that practically everyone in South Vietnam with any ezperience in media or the information field in general has beer, asking himosition. Khoi etill plana to have former Vietnam Press Director Nguyen ligoc Linh as his deputy. Nguyen Shan, former Counselor for Political Affairs at the GVN Embassy in Washington, will head up t'te office staff, whilezt Oinh, an information specialist at the GTJ Embassy in Australia, will aoncantrate on handling the foreign press. Khoi said either he or Linh probably will commute with Ky when the latter returns periodically to Saigon.
?. Khoi said he has already written the three most important speeches )Cy plans to deliver in his role as overall
im ofpeech will be to assure tne Vietnamese people that the
delegation will do everything possible to insure that vital
national interests are protected in Paris.
8. ptatjfy.wll-delivar, ^fSexsdeplanittjin Paris:-'After thanking the French for making r, facilities available and hosting the conference, Ky will try to uash the idea the GVN is composed of hardline militarists. He ll will pointout that the GVN wonts peace and has corns to Paris to o everything possible to bringair settlement. He will avoidf such terms as "agression" in describing the war and will instead take the tack tfuzS therear between North 'and South Vietnam, that there crs problems between the two but that if both sides show good will perhaps an honorable peace can e achieved and laterrosperous South Vietnam can reuniterosperous North Vietnam. Khoi said he and Ky are counting on the contrast between tlie hard North Vietnam/ National Liberation Front line and the GVN's moderation to win many friends for South Vietnam.
3. br,ayterllrTivxtj^nwhich-Gixl^siresc^the^earae-is aware, Khoi Went on, thatsome- questions'designed-to -embarrass..hint*
this press conference, Ky plans to disappear into his villa for about ten days to avoid giving the impression he is tryinc to grab headlines. Khoi added that Ky has already issusd strict instructions that there are to be no shopping expeditions or anything similar which might cast the CW representativesad light from the beginning.
10. Khoi said >ui understands Thieu has released ant the official exchange rate of VN$U8O) for the delegation's expenses. Knoi noted the problem of winter clothes aloneerious one. He is solving it for members of his own group by having the GVN Navy make up soms heavy clothing at cost.
Original document.
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