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Title:
Enthusiastic reaction of Assembly members to Thieu speech
Date of Creation:
November 4, 1968
Date of Declassification:
May 9, 1990
Type of Document:
Cable
Level of Classification:
NOT GIVEN
Status of Copy:
SANITIZED
Pagination, Illustration:
6 p.
Abstract:
President Thieu spoke for about an hour to the legislators who went to the Palace following Thieu's 2 November 1968 speech to the National Assembly. Thieu spoke in friendly terms, was smiling throughout the meeting and did not seem pessimistic. He expressed gratitude for past US aid but said South Vietnam (SVN) would fight on alone with its other allies if the US were to retire from SVN. He said SVN/US talks had been broken off when Ambassador Bunker had insisted that SVN agree to a separate National Liberation Front (NFLSV) delegation in Paris. He also complained about the short time SVN was given to prepare for the proposed expanded talks, in contrast to the one month North Vietnam (DRV) had required to prepare on the preliminary talks. Vice President Ky spoke for about a half hour and used far stronger language than Thieu, apparently seeing his role as saying what Thieu could not say. He complained that the Americans had ignored SVN's sacrifices and that Ambassodors Berger and Bunker had tried to pressure him and Thieu into signing a joint communique which in effect would have been a surrender to the NFLSV. He also voiced appreciation for past US aid but said that if the US insisted on making all decisions by itself, SVN would have to break its ties with the US and strengthen relations with other allies. He also charged that Johnson's decision was a sell out designed to assure Humphrey's election.
Indexing Terms:
NGUYEN VAN THIEU
NGUYEN CAO KY
NGUYEN CAO THANG
DANG DUC KHOI
NGUYEN VAN NGAI
PHAM NAM SACH
NGUYEN BA LUONG
ELLSWORTH BUNKER
SANDY BERGER
HUBERT HUMPHREY
LYNDON JOHNSON
SOUTH VIETNAMESE REACTION TO US BOMBING HALT
SOUTH VIETNAMESE REACTION TO PARIS PEACE TALKS
SOUTH VIETNAMESE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
PARIS PEACE TALKS
Declassified Documents Reference System Location:
1990-002564
Link to Full Text:
http://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=0410586006