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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-05048 to 363-05054.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-05048 to 363-05054
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Title
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Article about President Thiệu's rejection of the Paris Peace Talks
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Description
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Original title: "thieu", Keever's title: "President Theiu Rebukes LBJ on Attending Paris Peace Talks", Article draft about Thiệu's refusal to attend the Paris Peace Talks, for the Christian Science Monitor, page 1-7
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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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zozo sag
yy nnm
thieu 1 (normass/deepe)
Bombshell
SAIGON, NOVEMBER 2-President Nguyen Van Thieu's sensational refusal
to send a delegation to the next session of the P expanded Paris peace
Es talks--because it would lead to a coalition government in South Vietnam-
was considered here a direct, rera retaliatory rebuke to President Lyndon
Johnson.
"In effect, Thieu said LBJ double-crossed him," one long-time Asia
observer said.. "And Thieu is pretty nearly right."
Sensation
Thieu's bombshell speech seemed taxxix here to indicate that President
Johnson, ignoring Saigon's vehement objections, had given in to the
long-held Communist demand that the National Liberation Front--or the Viet
Cong be allowed to sit as a separate delegation at the peace talks.
Thieu government--and previous Saigon governments-have vowed for years it
would never
gation
The
never agree to official talks with, the National Liberation Liberation
Front because it would lead to a caolit coalition government in South
Vietnam and eventual surrender to the Communists.
==more reuter
1150
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zczc sag
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thieu 2 (normass/deepe)
Hylly Emotional
Thieu's speech before the wo
on television before a joint session
of the two-house legislature
the bombing.
beazaman Setigonish was a bombshell
The
in Saigon already tense during the past two weeks of discussions about halting
Initial indications where that Thieu's speech highly
nationalistic speech brought him a great deal of internal support within
the government, the legislature, the militant anti-Communist Catholic
community and thus far from the Vietnamese armed forces. Syy
initial exception was the dovish militant Buddhists who had been vocalizing
for a bombing halt without conditionsf specifying any conditions from
Hanoi and for an immediate ceasefire. However, as long as Thieu maintains
the support of the armed forces, he is in a strong position to deal with
civil disorders--and only the armed forces can pull off a sety
successful coup d'etat.
Both Americans and Vietnamese officials seemed saddened at the
Washington-Saigon confrontation.
to
"I can see why Johnson did what he did," one American veteran official
here explained.
"But, I can see why Thieu did what he did too,
MX because
pressures."
of his own internal
"This is a very difficult time and time is important,"
a Vietnamese
general said. "President Johnson can be an American patriot-but please Also
let President Thieu be a Vietnamese patriot e
==more reuter
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thieu 3 (normass/deepe)
12
"Please tell President Johnson, he continued,
"to think of the
American who have died here rather than about his friend Humphrey. Americans
and South Vietnamese died to save Vietnam-not to give it away."
Staunchily pro-American diplomats--interested in seeing that the U. S.
and the West is not repeat not defeated in South Vietnam-were extremently
apprehensive about the new turn in the whole
go negotiating set-up in Paris.
"I'm afraid Johnson looks like a sucker so far,"
PRO- American
outspoken diplomat explained.
one
"How else can you classify him with these
victory broadcasts from Hanoi and with the North Vietnamese shage
committing themselves to sit at only one more session of the peace talks.
"Why should Thieu and his government add their names to this b farce.
==more reuter
They are being sold down the river and they know it. This whole thing
stinks like Czeckoslovakia of 1938; people don't like to hear it and say
it
is Fascist--but it is true this time, I'm afraid. Thieu will have a
hard time carrying world opinion with him because of clever Communist
Dap propaganda.
But public opinion is wrong this time because Thieu
is standing up against peace at any price.
morereuter
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2020 sag
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thieu 4 (normass/deepe)
"Everyone knows that Washington has been trying to steamroller Thieu
the Americans we
s silly enough
for the past two weeks," he continued,
"and
to think Thieu would one oave in at the last minute. Well, he didn't.
Whatever you think about Thieu and his crowd, you have to admit they
stood for something--even 1x if it costs them their necks And it well
may. I once thought that Washington would never dump Thieu because
it would be a catastrophic defeat for the Americans. Now, I think
m it is almost inevitable that Washington will remove Thieu and Ky.
"Washington was silly to make these optimistic predictions that Thieu
would send a delegation at the last minute. Washington had no repeat no
mandate to speak for either Saigon or Hanoi-and it has got itself in a
terrible fix by trying to speak for both of them."
"Why shouthamañou and his government add-
more Renter
1200
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zcze sag
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✓ ( norma
thieu (normass/deepe)
Significant
The three immediate implications of Thieu's speech are:
AS. A
the
In fact,
1. In what must be considered another major victory for Hanoi,
American-South Vietnamese alliance is more strained now than at any time
since the American commitment of combat troops in early 1965.
it is a major confrontation to the point ofmeingimu
is now half split half-way open.
now up to Washington, which has the trump cards of being able to cut
unilateral
xxx the vast American economic aid or to order a premature withdrawal
the alliance
Whether a fie full split comes is
of American combat forces. Even more, XXIX Western diplomats who
predicted the U. S. could never withdraw support from the elected and
constitutional goxom Saigon government-which President Johnson
urged to be created--are now predici predicting that Washington wiiix will
x inspire a geu- coup d'etat against Thieu. The dovish, left-wing
militant Buddhists--who have toppled several governments in the past-are
rapidly spreading rumena alam destructive rumors that
coup is in the making to topple Thieu and his government,
will resign.
Theminin
a camp
or that Thieu
hmmm These lefi leftists leftists are clearly
pushing to the forefront General Duong Van Minh, the leader of the first
military junta whom American officials advocated returning from four
years of exile beginning in early October.
"If we have to fight both the Communists and the Americans,
finished," one Vietnamese ultra-nationalist said.
goes, it is an American defeat too."
then we are
"But remember, is Thieu
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Zozo sag
ᎩᎩ Krma
us (no
thieu
(normass/deepe)
His Cards
2.
Thieu government
homashyogam has played feed "very
LIKE A CUNNiNg old fox
cleverly observers agree.
and 1 is clearly gambling
on the election of Richard Nixon for president.
Word has been filtering
back here from official and unofficial Vietnamese delegations, who
Hmmm profess to have seen Nixon aides, that i when the GOP
position.
candidat candidate wins the Presidential election, he'll back Thieu's firm
Whether true or not, Thieu and other senior government officials
have been known to believe that Hanoi would attempt to wring concessions
from President Johnson at the imam eleventh hour before the election--
and the Saigon government has little to lay lose by gambling that
tougher
inistery
are ex a less conciliatory American president will be smx elected
next week.
If Nixon loses, Thieu has left other options open. Despite
his bombshell announcement about not repeat not sending the delegation to
the next session--he did not repeat not say he would not send one to the
WHCH
second or third sessions,
won Hanoi has conveniently left it open th
will
might not whether or not rpeat not it would attend.
==more reuter
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zozo sag
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thieu (normass/deepe)
Also, Thieu's cantinans speech, while highly emotional and
nationalistic,
N
does not repeat not carry any other insurmountable conditions
for Hanoi. And, some face-saving arrangement can be worked out,
such as
merging the Allied delegation the South Vietnamese-American delegation,
with Saigon being chairman, and merging the Hanoi-NLF delegation. The
latter would take another concession from Hanoi--which it would likely,
table
OR, EVEN A TRAngular Conference,
resist making.
mstead. A Square one might be Agrabble to all, Some SAC
3. In the view of the Thieu government,
the Paris peace talks
can proceed in a meaningful manner with the Saigon delegation since the
Bilateral
first substantive item on the ad agenda would still be the American-Hanoi
Simultane
discussion on bilateral troop withdrawals. The only thing the South Vietnaffe
two Southern belligerents--the Saigon government and the NFL NLF-
would be neede To needed for would be to approve the four-way ceasefire
while the foreign troops withdrew. Even the troop withdrawals, however,
Once this is decided, then Hanoi and
can be effected without a ceasefire.
the Americans would walk out of the conference anyway,
Nose-to- NOSE WH
the argument goes,
a nd Saigon would be faning the NLF--which it has nothing to talk about since
N
the only topics of discussion would be Viet Cong inclusion into the gav
coalition government. This Saigon refuses to accept. Instead,
Saigon
has given the Viet Cong another alternative-again at President Johnson's
insistence--the "- "one-man,, one-vote" principle whereby if they lay down
their weapons,
they can express their political views at
the ballot box.
A
125
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Date
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1968, Nov. 2
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Subject
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Nguyễn, Văn Thiệu, 1923-2001; United States--Relations--Vietnam (Republic); Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Peace; Peace treaties; Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
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Location
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Saigon, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.8231; 106.6311
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B10, F39
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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
