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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-04139 to 363-04143.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-04139 to 363-04143
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Title
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Article about the Vietnamese perspective on peace negotiations
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Description
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Original title: "concern", Keever's title: "Rice-Roots Level Peace Talks with Communists is Iffy." Article draft about the difficulties of peace talks between South Vietnam and the Việt Cộng/North Vietnam. Written for the Christian Science Monitor
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AI Usage Disclosure
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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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gozo sag
yy 1jp
concern 1 (normass/deepe)
BIEN HOA, SOUTH VIETNAM, APRIL 22-The pragmatic problems of
establishing
a negotiated,
rice-roots level peace with the Communists
is shaping up as a major concern here.
Informed sources here indicate the lower-level problems in the
provinces of a negotiated peace settlement between belligerents in South
the formation
Vietnam revolve around two main points: politically,
of a coalition government between the anti-Communist and pro-Communist
factions at the central, provincial and village levels,
and on second,
rather
the military disposition of Communist forces-especially the North Vietname
who are currently intermingled individually with local Viet Cong,
than operating in separate units.
==more reuter
zczc sag
ᎩᎩ ljp
concern 2 (normass/deepe)
"At my level, we are unprepared for a ceasefire,"
one informed
source said in Bien Hoa, the headquarters city responsible for military
and political control of the eleven provinces around Saigon.
"There's no plan as to our modus vivendi (ital) if there's not a
war,"
if there were a ceasefire
he continued. "In the government areas,
by negotiations, we could move out on a grand scale, opening roads,
building schools and bridges. That's not a massive problem and at higher
levels, this has been analyzed I'm sure. If there were simply a ceasefire
without a coalition government, every day of the ceasefire would work
to the advantage of the Allies. We are far better able to organize the
population and get them involved than the Viet Cong.
==more reuter
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- Page 2
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2020 sag
Jy 1jp
concern 3 (normass/deepe)
"We're counting on the pragmatic makeup of the Vietnamese people,"
he said. "I've down some roads and seen the tv antennas sticking out of
These people aren't about to choose freely a monastic,
So, the Communists must continue to fight
thatch-roofed houses.
communistic existence.
while talking or the people will be wooed away from them by the Allies."
But,
the sources believe, if there were a cab coalition government
as well as a ceasefire by negotiation between the belligerents,
would be un-workable in the provinces.
==more reuter
the situation
2020 sag
yy ljp
concern 4 (normass/deepe)
"The people who propose a coalition government misunderstand one
thing," an informed source explained. "These people--like Bobby Kennedy--
d
are swayed by what they consider the fact that most of the
National Liberation Front is non-Communist,
so a coalition government
to the nxnnninn those them are those people fighing for fighting for a
better government. As a position, this is possible--maybe as many as
is non-Communist.
ninety five per cent of the NLF
"But, what they forget--the big obstacle--is the NLF leadership.
The leadership is Communists and it's the leadership, not the followers,
who will go into a coalition government, and that is just like asking the
The Allies can eventually
Vietnamese government in Saigon to commit suicide.
have most of the NLF members in the government--but the NLF per sef can't
be admitted because it is directly controlled by Communists for Communist
purposes and Communism is incompatible with the government these people
have or any form there will be."
more reuter
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- Page 3
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zcze sag
yy ljp
concern 5 (normass/deepe)
The source said that Vietnamese in responsible positions see no
basis of negotiations and often point out to American officials that the
Vietnamese government is not strong enough at this time to participate in
a coalition government. They see that if the Communists get their foot
in the door, they could seize control, he said.
Another source explained that "it will be extremely difficult to set
Communist-dominated areas. The
up a coalition government in the
If the Commun
Vietnamese government could not hold any political-psychological presence
in those villages under t Communist control.
Communists control the villages now and there's a ceasefire,
they'll control them even more tightly."
repeat not see the agreement
to be decided
then
Most informed sources do not
on a ceasefire as one of the first items
should negotiations begin.
at the conference table,
zC2c sag
ᎩᎩ ljp
==more reuter
concern 6 (normass/deepe)
On the military side in the provinces around Saigon, roughly fifty
per cent of the local Viet Cong order of battle strength is composed of
North Vietnamese troops serving as battlefield replacem replacements,
finetly dift
trend from the provinces along
many whole units are of North Vietnamese
reliable sources report. This is a
the demilitarized zone where
origing both for troops and officers.
"I don't see how the diplomats can spin out the Viet Cong and the
"The
one source explained.
North Vietnamese from these units here,"
Communist units will hole up after peace in secret base areas and without
neutral inspection--which they've never allowed before--it will be very
We'd know sooner or
difficult to e enforce that side of any settlement.
the units had been sent back home or disarmed
later from agent's reports if
Verify.
t
but that's circumstanial evidence only and it would take awhile to wiki
MORE Reut
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zczc sag
ᎩᎩ ljp
concern 7 (normass/deepe)
The exact impact in the provinces of President Lyndon Johnson's
peace offensive and Hanoi's tenuous acceptance has not been fully
ascertained at all levels. The American Embassy officials are known to be
amassing somepolitical information along these lines, but the surveys
are still underway and would be classified for general consumption.
view is that while the si senior leader Vietnamese leadership in the
provinces have become more determn determined to continue fighting against
the Communists, some sources fear that low-level Vietnamese soldiers and
government officials in isolated outposts and district towns me might
seek an "accommodation"
with the Communists,
==more reuter
thus giving up the fight.
zczc sag
Jy 1jp
concern 8 (normass/deepe)
Senior Allied commanders are known to be "worried about the
impact of that statement (by President Johnson). The enemy says this
is an American sell-out.
The Americans were driving the South Vietnamese
to fight from the beginning and now the Americans are quitting. I believe
this will require positive psychological expat explanations by the Vietnamese
government-targeted at their own people--saying the Allies are standing
firm together, that there's no intention to compromise the sovereign
sovern sovereignty of South Vietnam th
and that we're to together in
our objectives to maintan maintain South Vietnam as an independent nation. P
I don't know hot to br how to big bridge this political gap--this big
chasm butt's up to diplomatis and they should think of something."
more reuter
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- Page 5
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2020 sag
yy ljp
concern 9 (normass/deepe)
(Hanks We will send you three or four more pieces this week.
it remains this max quiet on all fronts this week, what do you think
R.
about a ter four day field trip to the Mekong Delta next week,
mentioned in my long memo? Regards Bev).
ond router
If
as I
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Date
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1968, Apr. 22
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Subject
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Vietnam (Republic); Mặt trận dân tộc giải phóng miền nam Việt Nam; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Peace; Vietnam--Foreign relations--United States; Vietnam (Democratic Republic)
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Location
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Biên Hòa, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.9574; 106.8427
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B10, F15
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Format
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dispatches
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
