REACTIONS OF THE GVN AND VICE PRESIDENT KY CONCERNING THE PROPOSED BOMBING HALT

Created: 10/18/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCELffi-IAR i*

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MEMORANDUM FOR: The Honorable Walt W. Roslow

Special Assistant to the President

The Honorable Dean Rusk Secretary of State

of the GVN and Vice President Ky Concerning the Proposed Bombing Halt

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talks. It was, Ky argued, necessary to extract whateverThieu deemed essential now, since his leverage after the bombing stopped would otfviouslv.be lfasj Ky also"qaest!or.ed whether Thieu could agree politically to the bombing halt without being able to state publicly that the DRV had offered some con-cessions insaid he would aakAmbassador nlinker to return and would raise the NLF issue with him.

the past two days Ky has sought toolicypreserve theames r_ identity'^ without jeopardizingvitaljies to the U. S. or giving comfort to the DRV. Ky

Is uncertajnjprv.er__whalphas.motlvattd fr|dentatests he trying to carve his niche in history at the expensehe GVN? Is he trying to pull off the ru*ar-miracle, which.rts.Ky.-gets*Eixrn_WashInKton, will be needed to stave off defeat_for r, Hu

Or isearching for ane peace? Given political realities, Ky wonders whether this isadif.-pn^foo closely toashington leadership^

also believes that the timingombing halton the heels of the spurious coup attempt ispeople believe that the Americans floated the coupdivide the GVN and point up to Thieu how dependent he issupport so that Thieu could not effectively opposeAmerican initiative. Ky believes that the rumors nowhave caused near panic among many of the

e. Ky hopes to see Thieu again and offer other suggestions which he has not yet firmed up. Ky believes that, this is the time for him and Thieu to jojnr_ugiigo^crr.rr.ent of national reconciliation. Both should appear on TV together, Thieu to

lounce the halt and Ky to say that the DRVignificant quid pro quo. If he cannot say this, the government will be in trouble, with many believing that it is selling out to the Americans.

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f. Ky is ready to stand by Thieu if Thieuenuine reconciliation, but Kv tmth^tf EEsBsV Ky 13

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what unilateral steps he might take if Thieu does not meet him halfway, but emphasized that he will do nothing to endanger chances for peace or strain relation* withallies.^One possibility he is considering, if. stops the bombing without the GVN's agreement, is thea.^VN statement reservingJhji^gbJ*_to^

agamst*NoTihn^thc GVN

Ky would like tohance to discuss these important issues alone with Ambassador Bunker or Ambassador Berger.

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This report was given to and discussed with Ambassador Bunker and Berber. They agreed the report should be sent

to the White House and the Secretary of St.

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Original document.

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