Kissinger Henry. White House Years

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indispensable.Theairporthangarwasfreshlypainted;theCommander’shouse

wherethePresidentwastomeetThieureceivednewfurnitureandafreshcoatof

paint,makingthisNavyofficertheoneunambiguousbeneficiaryoftheMidway

meeting.CarstotransporttheVIPswereflownin,asweresuppliesforastate

luncheon.Allthiswasobservedwithbeadyeyesbythegooneybirds,whoare

nativetothisislandandhav egrowninsolentafterbeingprotectedbytheInterior

Departmentforgenerations.Noonehasyetdiscoveredthemysticbondbetween

thatdismalislandandthesestrangebirds,whichsoarmajesticallybuttakeofflike

lumberingairplanesafteranextendedrun.OnMidway,theonlyislandtheydeign

toinhabit,theysquatarrogantlyinthemiddleoftheroads,producingtrafficjams

toamusethemselves,happyintheknowledgethattheDepartmentofInterior

willseverelypunishanyonewhogiveswaytotheall‐too‐humanimpulseto

deliveraswiftkick. 



Thieu’spositionatMidwaywaslessenviablethantheirs.Fordaysthere

hadbeenreports(notdiscouragedbysomeinourgovernment)thatPresident

Nixonwouldannouncethebeg inning ofthewithdrawalsofUSforcesandthat

thisinturnwouldbeintendedasawarningtoThieutoputhishouseinorder.By

thishiscriticsgenerallymeanttheearlyinstallationofWestern‐styledemocracy,

ifnotacoalitiongovernment.Justhowdemocraticfreedomsmightbeensuredin

acountryoverrunby300,000hostiletroopsandguerrillasthosecriticsrarely

madeclear.Thieuwasexpectedtoaccomplishwithinmonthsandamidstacivil

warwhatnootherSouthEastAsianleaderhadachievedindecadesofpeace.He

wasbeingaskedsimultaneouslytowinawar,adjusthisowndefensestructureto

thewithdrawalofalargeAmericanmilitaryestablishment,andbuilddemocratic

institutionsinacountrythathadnotknownpeaceinagenerationordemocracy

initshistory.Hislegitimacyasanationalist leaderwastobeenha ncedbyreforms

undertakenunderpressurefromthegreatpowerthathadconnivedinthe

overthrowofhispredecessorandtherebyleftthecountrybereftofitscivil

administration.



ItwasapoignantsceneasNguyenVanThieu,forwhosecountry36,000

Americanshadnowdiedbutwhowasnotallowedtovisitthesoilofhispowerful

ally,steppedjauntilydownthestepsofhischarteredPanAmericanplane.Ifelt

sorryforhim.ItwasnothisfaultthathewasthefocusofAmericandomestic

pressures;hewas,afterall,therepresentativeofthemillionsofSouth

VietnamesewhodidnotwanttobeoverrunbytheNorthVietnamesearmy.He

camefromaculturedifferentfromours,operatingbydifferentvalues.Butall

Vietnamesehaveaninnatedignity,producedperhapsbythecruelandbloody

historyoftheirbeautifulland.TheVietnamesehavenot“acceptedtheirfate”as

theWesternmythaboutAsianswouldhaveit;theyhavefoughtforcenturies,

againstoutsidersandagainsteachother,todeterminetheirnationaldestiny.And

difficult,evenobnoxious,astheycanbe,theyhavesurvivedbyamagnificent

refusaltobowtheirneckstoenemyorally.



Thereweretwosessions.ThedecisiveonetookplaceintheCommander’s

refurbishedhouse.ItincludedNixonandme,Thieuandhispersonalassistant.In

theOfficers’Clubtherewasalsoanexperts’meetingdealingmostlywith

economicmattersandchairedbythetwoForeignMinisters.(Itwasapatternthat

cametobefollowedinnearlyallofNixon’smeetingswithforeignleaders.)Thieu

didnotactasasupplicant.Heconductedhimselfwithassurance;hedidnotask

forfavors.Wehadbeenconcernedthattheprojectedtroopwithdrawalwould

produceanawkwardscene.Thieuanticipatedusbyproposingithimself.We

suggestedtheinitiationofprivatecontactswithHanoiatthePresidentiallevel.

Thieuagreed,providedhewasinformedaboutanypoliticaldiscussions.Because

thefive‐hourtimedifference withtheEastCoastputthemediaunderpressureto

file,thetwoPresidentssteppedoutsidetheCommander’shouseafteranhour‐

and‐a‐halfdiscussionandPresidentNixonannouncedthefirstAmericantroop

withdrawal.



Nixonwasjubilant.Heconsideredtheannouncementapolit icaltriumph.

Hethoughtitwouldbuyhimthetimenecessaryfordevelopingourstrategy.His

advisers,includingme,sharedhisview.Wewerewrongonbothcounts.Wehad

crossedafatefuldividingline.Thewithdrawalincreasedthedemoralizationof

thosefamilieswhosesonsremainedatrisk.Anditbroughtnorespitefromthe

critics,themajorityofwhombelievedthatsincetheirpressurehadproducedthe

initialdecisiontowithdraw,morepressurecouldspeeduptheprocess,andwho

didnotcare—nay,somewouldhaverejoiced—ifacceleratedwithdrawals

producedacollapse.



ThatJune,formerSecretaryofDefenseClifford,whosixmonthspreviously

hadstatedthattherewasnoUnitedStatesplanforwithdrawals,publishedan

articleinForeignAffairsthatgrandlyurgedtheunilateralwithdrawalof100,000

troopsbytheendof1969,andofallothercombatpersonnelbytheendof1970,

leavingonlylogisticsandairpersonnel.

PresidentNixon,neveronetoyielda

debater’spoint,retortedimpetuouslyatapressconferencethathehopedto

improveonClifford’sschedule.Thoughstrenuouseffortsweremadeto

“interpret”thePresident’sremark,thedamagewasdone;ourinsistenceon

mutualwithdrawalwasbythendrainedofvirtuallyanyplausibility.Our

commitmenttounilateralwithdrawalhadcometobeseen,athome,abroad,and

particularlyinVietnam,asirreversible.Thelastelementsofflexibilitywerelost

whentheDefenseDepartmentbegantoplanitsbudgetonthebasisof

anticipatedtroopreductions;henceforthtointerruptwithdrawalswouldproduce

afinancialshortfallaffectingtheprocurementofnewweapons.



TheNorthVietnamese,ontheotherhand,wereinterestednotinsymbols

butinreality.Theycoollyanalyzedthewithdrawal,weighingitspsychological

benefitstousintermsofenhancedstayingpoweragainstthedeclineinmilitary

effectivenessrepresentedbyashrinkingnumbe rofAmericanforces.Hanoikept

upincessantpressureforthelargestpossiblewithdrawalintheshortestpossible

time.Themoreautomaticourwithdrawal,thelessusefulitwasasabargaining 

weapon;thedemandformutualwithdrawalgrewhollowasourunilateral

withdrawalaccelerated.Andthemorerapidourwithdrawal,thegreaterthe

possibilityofa SouthVietnamesecollapse.ThustheNorthVietnameseconstantly

complainedthatourunreciprocatedwithdrawalswerejust“driblets”orthatwe

werenot“sufficientlyclear”aboutourultimateintentions;theyneverdeviated

fromtheirpositionthatourunilateralstepscreatednoobligationontheirpart.

Withinayeartheyweredemandinganunconditionaldeadline.



Theserealitiesdominatedourinternaldeliberations.Lairdhadprepared

fivealternativeschemesfortroopwithdrawalsin1969.Atthelowendwasa

withdrawalof50,000troops,atthehighend,100,000.Inbetweenwerevarious

numbersandcompositionsofforces.Rogerssupportedafigureof85,000;Laird,

consciousoftheviewsoftheJointChiefsofStaff,officiallysupportedthesmallest

figure(50,000)butindicatedprivatelythathewouldnotmindbeingoverruled.As

forthelongerterm,Lairdofferedtimetablesrangingfromeighteentoforty‐two

monthsandceilingsfortheresidualAmericanforce—thosetroopsremaininguntil

Hanoi’sforceswithdrew—rangingfrom260,000to306,000.Inamemorandum

LairdsenttothePresidentonJune2,heoffereda“feasible”timetableofforty‐

twomonths(stretchingourwithdrawaltotheendof1971)andaresidualforceof

260,000.HewarnedthatintheabsenceofNorthVietnamesereciprocity,amore

rapidwithdrawalwouldresultinserioussetbackstothepacificationprogram,a

significantdeclineinalliedmilitarycapacity,andthepossibilityofSouth

Vietnamesecollapse.



Withinthebureaucracytwotrendsquicklydeveloped.Sincethecredit

(asidefromNixon’s)forimplementingtheVietnamizationplanwenttothe

Pentagon,theStateDepartmentcouldreachforashareinthegloryofendingthe

waronlybyredoublingitspoliticalefforts.Thisunleashedafloodofcablesonthe

haplessThieutospeeduptheprocessofpoliticalandeconomicreform.Infact,a

sweepingchangeinthesystemoflandtenurewasputintoeffect.Ouradvocacy,

however,mayhaveweakenedhimbymakinghisratherextensivereformsappear

toresultnotfromhisstrengthandgrowingself‐confidencebutfromAmerican

pressure.OnJuly11ThieuofferedfreeelectionsinwhichtheCommunistscould

participate,supervisedbyamixedelectoralcommissionofVietnamese,including

theCommunists,andabodyofinternationalobservers.SecretaryRogersleaked

someofitsdetailsinaJuly2newsconference,whichledThieu,outofpique,to

delaysendingusanadvancedraftofhisnewprogram.



TheseissuesweretobediscussedatameetingofthePresidentandhis

senioradvisersonthePresidentialyachtSequoiaonJuly7.Rogers,Laird,

Wheeler,AttorneyGeneralMitchell,GeneralRobertCushman(DeputyCIA

Director),andIwerepresent.Intheevent,theprincipaltopicofdiscussionwas

themeaningofanapparentlullinthefighting.DiditresultfromHanoi’s

exhaustion,froma newnegotiatingstrategy,orfromanattemptbyHanoito

achievede‐escalationbytacitunderstandings?Itwassymptomaticofthe

intellectualconfusionoftheperiodthatintherelieffeltwhenamilitarylulleased

bothcasualtiesanddomesticpressures,nooneaskedthequestionwhetherthe

lullmightnotreflectthefactthatourstrategywassucceedingandshould

thereforebecontinued.Instead,therewasunanimitythatweshouldrespondby

areciprocalslowdown.Itwasdecidedtomakeabasicchangeinthebattlefield

ordersforGeneralAbrams.Theexisting“missionstatement”forUSforcesin

SouthEastAsia,inheritedfromtheJohnsonAdministration,declaredthe

ambitiousintentionto“defeat”theenemyand“force”itswithdrawaltoNorth

Vietnam.Thenewmissionstatement(whichwentintoeffectonAugust15)

focusedonproviding“maximumassistance”totheSouthVietnameseto

strengthentheirforces,supportingpacificationefforts,andreducingtheflowof

suppliestotheenemy.Asitturnedout,thePresidentatthelastmomentchanged

hismindandcountermandedthenewinstructions.ButLairdhadalreadyissued

them,andtheystood.Idonotknow whetherthechangedorders—whichwere

quicklyleaked—madeanypracticaldifference.Givenourcommitmentto

withdrawal,theyreflectedourcapabilities,whateverourintentions.



OnJuly30,NixonmadeasurprisestopinSaigononhisaround‐the‐world

trip.HewentthereagainsttheadviceoftheSecretService,andforsecurity

reasonstheSaigonstopwasnotannounceduntilthelastmoment.Nixonwas

whiskedfromtheairporttothePreside ntialPalaceinahelicopterthatseemedto

gostraightupoutofrangeofpossiblesniperfireandthenplummetedlikea

stonebetweenthetreesofThieu’soffices.Ineverlearnedhowoftenthepilots

hadrehearsedthismaneuverorhowitsriskcomparedwiththatofsniperfire.

NixontoldThieuthatcontinuedwithdrawalswerenecessarytomaintain

Americanpublicsupport.Healsoarguedthatitwasimportantthatthereductions

appeartobeonasystematictimetableandatourinitiative.Wewereclearlyon

thewayoutofVietnambynegotiationifpossible,byunilateralwithdrawalif

necessary.



<<Contents>>



****



ASecretMeetingwithXuanThuy



nJuneIinitiatedanotherattemptatnegotiations,throughmyoldfriendJean

Sainteny,theformerFrenchDelegate‐GeneralinHanoi.Sainteny’swife,Claude,

hadbeenastudentofmineinthesummerof1953intheInternationalSeminarI

conductedatHarvardforpromisingyoungforeignleaders.Shewasawriterand

historian,asbeautifulasshewasintelligent.AftershemarriedSainteny,Ivisited

themoccasionallyattheirapartmentintheRuedeRivolioverlookingtheTuileries

Gardens.Saintenywasanelegant,highlyinte lligentmanwhoduringtheyears

whentherewasnocontactbetweentheUnitedStatesandHanoihadgivenme

myfirstinsightsintotheVietnamesementality.Hehadspentmuchtimewithme

recountinghisexperiencesinHanoiandgivingmehisassessmentofourVietnam

involvement.LikemanyFrenchmenwhohadservedinIndochinaheconsidered

ourenterprisehopeless—anattitudenotuntingedwithnationalism:Howcould

AmericapresumetosucceedwhereFrancehadfailed?Unlikemanyofhis

compatriots,heunderstoodtheimportanceofanhonorableexitforAmericaand

forotherfreepeoples.Ididnotdoubtthathewouldreportourcontactstohis

government.Thiswasofsecondaryimportance,sincethisknowledgecould

conferonFrancenounilateralbenefit;itwouldsatisfycuriosity,notaffectpolicy.

ItrustedSainteny’shonorandreliabilityindoingwhathehadundertaken.Hewas

trustedbytheNort hVietnameseaswell.Nomorecanbeaskedofan

intermediary.



SoonJune24,IsuggestedtothePresidentthatweinviteSaintenyto

Americatoexploreanewinitiative:“Myreadingofthesituationisthat,inviewof

Hanoi’spresentstateofmind,newovertureswillprobablynotmakemuch

difference.However,Ibelieveweshouldmakeanotheroverturebothforthe

recordandbecauseofthelackofrealmovementintheParisnegotiations.”

SaintenysawthePresidentintheOvalOfficeonJuly15.Sincenooneknewofhis

presenceintheUnitedStates,Ihadtoactasinterpreter.Giventheshakylevelof

myspokenFrench,thissurelydidnothelpanybody’sprecisioninunder standing.

SaintenyindicatedthathewouldbepreparedtovisitHanoionourbehalfand

carryamessage.Alternatively,hesuggesteda meetingbetweenmeandLeDuc

Tho,akeymemberoftheNorthVietnamese



PolitburowhovisitedParisfromtimetotimeandhadparticipatedin

privatetalkswithHarriman. 



Wechosethefirstcourse.AprivateletterfromNixontoHoChiMinhwas

drafted.WeaskedSaintenytodeliveritpersonallytoHanoi.Theletterstressed

ourcommitmenttopeace;itofferedtodiscussHanoi’splanstogetherwithour

own.Inconcluded:



Thetimehascometomoveforwardattheconferencetabletowardanearlyresolution

ofthistragicwar.Youwillfindusforthcomingandopen‐mindedinacommonefforttobring

theblessingsofpeacetothebravepeopleofVietnam.Lethistoryrecordthatatthiscritical

juncture,bothsidesturnedtheirfacetowardpeaceratherthantowardconflictandwar.



ButtheNorthVietnamesewerenottobemoved;theyrefusedeventogive

Saintenyavisa.TheletterwashandedovertoHanoi’srepresentativeinParis,Mai

VanBo.Determinedtotryforabreakthrough,weaskedSaintenytoarrangefor

metomeetNorthVietnamese negotiators.



AttheendofJuly,IaccompaniedthePresidentonhisaround‐the‐world

trip,beginningwiththeApollo11splashdownandvisitingSoutheastAsia,India,

Pakistan,andRomania.IsplitofffromthePresident’spartytovisitParisand

BrusselswhilethePresidentflewhome.Mysecretmeetingwasscheduledfor

Sainteny’sapartmentonAugust4. LeDucThohavingleftParis,myinterlocutor

wastobeXuanThuy,Hanoi’splenipotentiaryattheplenarypeacetalks.This,asI

learnedlater,guaranteedthatlittlewouldbesaidotherthanthestockformulas

thathadcometodominatethoseplenarysessions.ForXuanThuywasnota

policymakerbutafunctionary.RepresentingtheForeignMinistryandnotthe

CommunistParty,hehadbeensentbyHanoitoreadtheofficiallineatthepublic

sessions.Tiny,withaBuddhafaceandasharpmind,perpetuallysmilingeven

whensayingthemostoutrageousthings,hehadnoauthoritytonegoti ate.Hisjob

waspsychologicalwarfare.WhenHanoiwantedserioustalks,its“SpecialAdviser”

toitsParisdelegation,LeDucTho,wouldarrivefromNorthVietnam.He,too,

couldbedescribedasflexibleonlybythewildestflightoffancy.Buthe,atlEast,

hadauthority,andintheenditwashewhoconcludedthenegotiations.



ThepretextformyvisittoPariswastobriefPresidentGeorgesPompidou

andPrimeMinisterJacquesChaban‐DelmasaboutPresidentNixon’sworldtrip.

LateintheafternoonofAugust4,IlefttheAmericanEmbassyontheexcuseof

goingsight‐seeing,andtogetherwithmypersonalassistant,AnthonyLake,and

ourmilitaryattachéinParis,GeneralVernonWalters,wenttoSainteny’s

apartmentnotfarawayontheRuedeRivoli.AtthattimeIwasnotcoveredby

journalists;reachingSainteny’sapartment‐unobservedwasnogreattrick.General

Walterswaspresentbecauseofhisgeniusasaninterpreterandbecausehewas

fullytrustedbybothPresidentNixonandme.(Hewastosetupallmyearly

negotiatingtripstoParis,aswellassomecontacttherewiththeChinese,with

infallibleprecision,imagination,anddiscretion.)Waltersspokeninelanguages

fluently.Hisskillatinterpretingwasphenomenal;hewasalsoagreatactorable

torendernotonlythewordsbuttheintonationandattitudeofthespeaker.A

fineflairforthedramaticensuredthatthetranslationerredifatallonthesideof

improvingontheoriginal,butthespeaker’scomposurewasnoteasedbythefact

thatWalters’smemorywassoretentivethatherefusedtotakenotes.The

meetingwithXuanThuylastedthreeandahalfhours,partlybecauseitrequired

doubletranslation.IspokeinEnglish,translatedintoFrenchbyWalters,andthen

XuanThuy’sinterpreterrenderedthisintoVietnamese.WhenXuanThuyspoke,

hisinterpreterwentfromVietnameseintoEnglish.



Ihadanticipatedthemeetingwithsomenervousness.Thiswouldbethe

firstnegotiationinwhichIparticipatedasaprincipal.Itwouldbemyfirstmeeting

withtheelusiveNorthVietnamese,whomIhadpursuedwithoutsuccessfora

wholesummeronbehalfofPresidentJohnson. Istillhalfbelievedthatrapid

progresswouldbemadeifwecouldconvincethemofoursincerity.My

colleaguesandIarrivedatSainteny’sapartmentahalfhourbeforethescheduled

time.Saintenyusheredusintohislivingroomandshoweduswherethe

refreshmentswerelocated.Hisapartmentcontainedsomevaluableartifactsfrom

hisdaysinVietnam.“Ihopeifyoudisagreeyouwillnotthrowthecrockeryat

eachother,”saidSaintenydrylyandexcusedhimself.



XuanThuyandMaiVanBoarrivedexactlyontime.Wewereseatedon

sofasfacingoneanother,theAmericangroupwithitsbacktotheRuedeRivoli,

leavingtheviewoftheTuileriesGardenstotheVietnamese.Asinallmylater

meetings,Iwasimpressedbytheirdignityandquietself‐assurance.Herewasa

groupofmenwhohadmadeviolenceandguerrillawartheirprofession;their

contactwiththeoutsideworldhadbeensporadicandshapedbythe

requirementsoftheirmanystruggles.Butinmeeting withtherepresentativeof

thestrongestpoweronearth,theyweresubtle,disciplined,andinfinitelypatient.

Exceptforoneoccasion—when,carriedawaybytheearlysuccessofthespring

offensiveof1972,theyturnedinsolent—theywerealwayscourteous;theynever

showedanyundueeagerness;theyneverpermittedthemselvestoappearrattled.

Theywerespecialistsinpoliticalwarfare,determinedtomoveonlyattheirown

pace,nottobeseducedbycharmorgoadedbyimpatience.Theypocketed

Americanconcessionsastheirdue,admitting noobligationtoreciprocate

moderation.Theysawcompromiseasaconfessionofweakness.Theywere

impressedonlybytheirownassessme ntofHanoi’sself‐interest.Theya dmittedof

noself‐doubt;theycouldnevergrant—evento themselves—thattheyhadbeen

swayed,orevenaffected,byourarguments.TheirgoalwastotalpowerinSouth

Vietnam,oratleastasolutioninwhichtheiropponentsweresodemoralizedthat

theywouldbeeasytodestroyinthenextround.Theydeviatedfromtheirquest

forvictoryonlyafterthecollapseoftheirEasteroffensivein1972leftthemtotally

exhausted.



Afterexchangingpleasantries,mostlyaboutmyabortiveeffortstomee t

MaiVanBoin1967,Iturnedtothepurposeofthemeeting.Iexpressedmy

respectforthecourageandthesufferingoftheVietnamesepeople.TheUnited

Statessincerelysoughtasettlementcompatiblewiththeself‐respectofboth

sides.ThefactremainedthatbyNovember1thenegotiationswhichhadbegun

withthebombinghaltwouldbeayearold. Inthatperiod,theUnitedStateshad

madeaseriesofsignificantunreciprocatedgestures:Wehadstoppedsending

reinforcements,wehadannouncedtheunilateralwithdrawalof25,000men,and

wehadpromisedfurtherwithdrawals.Wehadofferedtoaccepttheresultsof

internationallysupervisedfreeelectionsinwhichtheNLFcouldparticipate.There

hadbeennoresponse.I wasinParis,Isaid,tosuggestfromthehighestpossible

levelandingreatearnestnessthatwemakeamajorefforttosettletheconflictby

thetimethenegotiationwasoneyearold—thatistosay,byNovember1.We

werepreparedtodiscusstheTenPointsoftheNLF,butwecouldnotacceptthe

propositionthatliketheTenCommandmentstheyweregraveninstoneandnot

subjecttonegotiation.Itwasinthelongtermintolerableforustobetreatedat

everymeetinglikeschoolboystakinganexaminationintheadequacyofour

understandingofHanoi’sformalposition.



Iproposedintensifiednegotiationsandanefforttofindcommonground

betweentheNLF’sTenPointsandNixon’sEightPointsofMay14.Specifically,the

UnitedStateswaspreparedtowithdrawallitsforces,withoutexception,aspart

ofaprogramofmutualwithdrawal.Wewerereadytoaccepttheoutcomeofany

freepoliticalprocess.Weunderstoodthatneithersidecouldbeexpectedtogive

upattheconferencetablewhathadnotbeenconcededonthebattlefield;we

believedthatafairprocessmustregisteranexistingbalanceofpoliticaland

militaryforces.Aswewerenotaskingforthedisbanding oftheCommunistside,

weshouldnotbeaskedtodisbandthenon‐Communistpoliticalgro upings.

Successfulnegotiationsrequiredthateachsiderecognizethatitsopponentcould

notbedefeatedwithoutitsnoticingit.OnbehalfofthePresident,Iprop osedthat

weopenaspecialchannelofcontact.Ifthenegotiationsprovedserious,the

Presidentwaspreparedtoadjustmilitaryoperationstofacilitateanagreement.

Atthesametime,ifbyNovember1noprogresshadbeenmade,theUnited

Stateswouldhavetoconsiderstepsofgraveconsequence.[

Nixonmadethesame

pointtovarioushostgovernmentsonhisglobaltrip,andtovariousleadersonStatevisitsto

Washington,intheexpectationthatthesewarningswouldfilterbacktoHanoi.Theydid.Butno

plansyetexistedtoimplementthethreatifnoprogressresulted.

]



XuanThuylistenedimpassivelywithoutasmuchashintingthathehad

heardachangeintheAmericanposition.Ihadinfactpresentedthemost

comprehensiveAmericanpeac eplanyet.Ihadgonebeyondthemostdovish

positionthenbeingadvocatedwithintheWashingtonbureaucracybyofferingthe

totalwithdrawalofallAmericantroopswithnoprovisionwhateverforresidual

forces.Ihadproposedde‐escalationofmilitaryoperations.AswastheNorth

Vietnamesecustom,heaskedafewclarifyingquestions,especiallyaboutthe

proceduresforintensifiednegotiations,andlaunchedhimselfintoalong

monologue.HefirstrecountedtheepicofVietnam’sstruggleforindependence

throughthecenturies.Iwastohearthistalemanymoretimesoverthenextfour

years.Itbecamearitual,likesayinggrace—exceptthatittookmuchlonger.The

heroicsagaofhowtheVietnamesedefeatedallforeignerswasimpressive,even

moving,althoughafterconstantrepetitionovermanyyearsthislitanycameto

testmyself‐control.Turningtosubstanceafteraboutforty‐fiveminutes,Xuan

ThuydeniedthattheTenPointswere,asIhadsaid,theTenCommandments;

theywere,however,theonly“logicalandrealisticbasisforsettlingthewar”—a

distinctionmyOccidentalmindlackedthesubtletytograsp.



AccordingtoXuanThuythereweretwoproblems,themilitaryandthe

political.ThemilitarysolutionwasthecompletewithdrawalofUnitedStatesand

whattheNorthVietnamesecalled“satellite”forces(troopscontributedbyallied

countries).TheUnitedStateshadbeenveryimpreciseonthatsubject,hesaid—

meaningthatwehadnotgivenanunconditionalschedulefortheirremoval.The

politicalsolutionrequiredtheremovalofThieu,Ky,andHuong(thePresident,the

VicePresidentandthePrimeMinisterofourally)andtheestablishmentofa

coalitiongovernmentcomposedoftheCommunistProvisionalRevolutionary

Government[

The“ProvisionalRevolutionaryGovernment,”orPRG,wasafterJune1969the

designationoftheNationalLiberationFront.]andtheremnantsoftheSaigon

administrationaslongastheystoodfor“peace,independenceandneutrality.”

Thetwoissues,militaryandpolitical,werelinked,saidXuanThuy;onecouldnot

besolvedwithouttheother.Inotherwords,notevenaunilateralUnitedStates

withdrawalwouldendthewarorsecurethereleaseofourprisoners.



HanoithuscontinuedtoinsistthattheUnitedStatesestablishanew

governmentunderconditionsinwhichthenon‐Communistsidewouldbemade

impotentbythewithdrawaloftheAmericanforcesanddemoralizedbythe

removalofitslea dership.IftheUnitedStateshadtheeffronterytowithdraw

withoutbringingaboutsuchapoliticalupheaval,thewarwouldgoonandour

prisonerswouldremain.Overtheyearswemovedfrompositiontoposition,from