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    "label": "April 16, 1975 - Cabinet Meeting",
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    "title": "April 16, 1975 - Cabinet Meeting",
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    "collections": [
        "Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)",
        "Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Cambodia",
        "Vietnam (Republic)",
        "Cabinet meetings",
        "Foreign aid",
        "Vietnam War, 1961-1975"
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    "ocrText": "File scanned from the National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Conversation Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nMEMORANDUM\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCABINET MEETING\nDATE & TIME:\nWednesday - April 16, 1975\n2:30 p.m.\nPLACE:\nThe Cabinet Room\nThe White House\nPresident: There are several items to discuss. The one that is of\noverriding importance is Southeast Asia. Henry?\nKissinger: Let me summarize where we are, the thoughts behind\nyour speech to the Congress last Thursday, and where we go.\nYou know what is happening in South Vietnam now. We believe that the cuts\nin supplies being provided to the South Vietnamese and the upheavals in\nthe United States, and so on, led to a North Vietnamese decision to go all\nout, in flagrant violation of the Paris Accords. Until January, our\nintelligence did not indicate this was to be an all-out push. This is a\ncase where American domestic actions influenced a foreign government.\nIn the face of his situation, Thieu ordered a retreat into more defensible\nenclaves. The retreat was carried out badly and led to these tragic\nconsequences.\nThe one question now being asked is how the United States will conduct\nitself now after 15 years of support -- after even [in 1963] overthrowing\na government that was suspected of wanting to deal with the North. If\nthe President had opted just for humanitarian assistance, he would have\nhad to do it in the knowledge that it would have created panic and negated\nour real commitment to the people who relied on us. The President\nopted for both economic and military aid, because it was the best course\nto take regardless of the outcome -- whether it is an evacuation,\nstabilization of the military situation, or a negotiation which gives\nthem at least a modicum of opportunity to have a say about their own\nfate. The only figure of any viability was Weyand's figure. The $300\nmillion figure, if we had simply made the same request, would have\nbeen met with the argument that it was the same as before the tragedy\nFORD\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5\nCONFIDENTAL\nNOC Memo. 11/24/98, State Dept. Guidelines\nLIBRARY & BRARY RALE 33\nBy\n1 NARA, Date 1/20/00\nTYINNICLINOD\n- 2 -\nand thus was clearly inadequate. The issue in the Senate appropriation\nwas not the amount but the concept. It is a matter of consequence to us\nand the world how we manage our exit.\nWhat is the impact on the world situation? It is often said that those\nwho say this affects us are producing the effect; they don't read the\ncables. It has a profound impact on others' perceptions of our judgment,\nour constancy, and the wisdom of the United States. Leaders who hardly\nknow Indochina are asking what it means.\nThere is nothing we can do about the past, but it is important how we\nreact to this. Will we withdraw? Will we give up our commitments\nand our leadership? The worst mistake we could make now is to say we\nare undertaking a global reassessment. What we are seeing in Vietnam\nare special circumstances of a commitment that was perhaps unwisely\nentered into, circumstances of executive weakness here, and so on,\nnone of which could be predicted. To generalize from this would be\ndisastrous in all areas. There can be a domino effect not related to\nVietnam but to our competence in foreign policy. We must conduct\nour foreign policy with confidence and assurance, reiterating our commit-\nments.\nare\nThe basic foreign policy of this country is sound. Our alliances good,\nour relations with the Soviet Union are okay. In energy, food, raw\nmaterials, we still have the decisive voice. Our problem is getting\nthe authority to do what is needed. If we can get the moral authority\nthat is required, we can have a year and a half of foreign policy achieve-\nments. So long as faith in the United States -- that means faith in\nourselves -- remains, we can overcome. We have had a setback but\nwe can overcome it and have a productive period of foreign policy.\nPresident: Jim, would you update us on the military situation?\nSchlesinger: Last Friday night we executed Eagle Pull in Cambodia. It\nwent smoothly. It was delayed chiefly because of the surprising decision\nof most of the GKR -- even those on the death list not to leave. Eagle\nPull has been planned since 1970. Had there been an attack, we would\nhave returned the fire. The President has that legal authority under the\nConstitution. The behavior of the Cambodians has been very brave.\nIn Vietnam, the North Vietnamese keep charging this is a civil war -- that\nthey have no forces in the South, and so on. For these reasons\ndecide not to assault Saigon directly, but they probably will try to they matroyD\nthe GVN army. It is fighting well but it is in a weaker position.\nGE\nLIBRARY\nCONFIDENTIAL\nCONFIDENTIAL\n- 3 -\nPresident: Thanks, Jim. Most of you know what I said last Thursday.\nWe have been trying to get the military and economic aid and authority\nto evacuate South Vietnamese. Congress thus far has shown no meaning-\nful cooperation. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has proposed\na $200 million emergency fund for a not very flexible interpretation,\nwith other provisions that are not very helpful. My judgment is that\namount is as bad as nothing. I intend to stick to my request in dollars\nand authority. If the Congress sticks to its indicated attitude, it could\nlead to dire circumstances. We must be consistent. We asked for the\nright program. I hope the Congress comes through.\nBut I want no one here to talk about evacuation. That is a codeword in\nSaigon for a bug-out. It is my hope that we can get the dollars and the\nauthority, to stabilize the situation and hopefully get negotiations started.\nI want to thank Henry and Jim for their efforts. It hasn't been easy but\nthey are carrying out the right policy and I think history will demonstrate\nthe wisdom of our course.\nKissinger: I want to read to you the letter we received from Sirik Matak,\none of the Cambodian leaders, to our Ambassador when our Ambassador\ninvited him to leave with the evacuation: \"Dear Excellency and Friend,\nI thank you very sincerely for your letter and for your offer to transport\nme towards freedom. I cannot, alas, leave in such a cowardly fashion.\nAs for you, and in particular for your great country, I never believed\nfor a moment that you would have this sentiment of abandoning a people\nwhich has chosen liberty. You have refused us your protection, and we\ncan do nothing about it.\n\"You leave, and my wish is that you and your country will find happiness under\nthis sky. But, mark it well, that if I shall die here on the spot and in my\ncountry that I love, it is too bad, because we all are born and must die\none day I have only committed this mistake of believing in you, the\nAmericans\nButz: What will we do about Cambodian aid after the government falls?\nPresident: I think it is wrong for the United States to give to the Communists\nhumanitarian aid which makes it easier for them to overcome our friends.\nThat is especially true in Vietnam. It eases their problems as they over-\nwhelm our friends. So for now, I would limit our aid to our friends.\nFORD\nGONEIDENTIAL\n& LIBRARY RALD 30\nCONFIDENTIAL\n- 4 -\nKissinger: In South Vietnam there is no question. The Soviets and\nChinese, having supplied the ammunition, can also supply the rice.\nIn Cambodia, if Sihanouk comes in, aid may help him, but we should\nwait and see. The war for the past three months was against not the\nGKR but Sihanouk.\nSchlesinger: I think there are higher priority areas for the funds.\nPresident: Turning to domestic affairs, let's turn to consumer protection\nlegislation. A Consumer Protection Agency would be on the back of the\nDepartments constantly.\n[Jim Cannon, Virginia Knauer, and A1 an Greenspan spoke. ]\nRALD w P. FORD ABRART\nCONFIDENTIAL\n/\nCabint mtg\napr 16'75\nP\nShoemal itns to discuss. One of oversiting importance 505A\nK\nLet me Humanize when an are, c Chts enhabind your\nspeech, turbaeur yo,\nDeching supplies, withouts in Us, etc led to NVN\ndrain to go all ant, in flay. midation of accurts In\nJan, intil chil art indicate this was to the m allant\npush. This is a case where us a tris\nd foreign just. Treatment was emilant ladly + leh\n& there trayie come persons\nOn 3 is how NS will cm hit stay have after\n15 yes of support been oregithing a gast suspected\nof creating Indeal w/c North, 2fts Pus had opted just\nfor human assist hn wome l have bad to in morking\net send have enated anic, & wighted am und\ncratement pink who which us. Popted for event mil\nand because it c best course cigarlless of outserve eroc,\nstatutize, a eight w/ot hast a madicin of oppor\nto huea hay about their fate. The only figine of any\nembility WB crizond frigue c 300 vinl world have\nnet - expirant that it c some do byou C G. apply t thus\ncharges The issues in Sm approp am into amt\nhate emayet. to wenther of consequence & world\nhave me manage am init.\nWhate injust on and sit. Often savid that those who\nbay this appects uslan proching you it don't reale calles-\nIt hasa proform enjoy t on other program of arms\njertzement, constomery, - crisdom of US, headers who\nhardly known Andochion are asking what it\nGoldry.\n1° R. FORD LIBRARY\n(,\nEwithing am sands about past, hrt it ingestant how\nwe react the Will are cr/ohem, give vy an evatuate\n+ am lost instathe ve could who is\nto my are imbutating a global versessment What\nwe and sering in UN are sprial crainstines which\nof crituat perhaps immathy internal on Axec erthay\nwenhing, Rtr nm of which could 4 foundrited\nto genlize from this would be disastrons in escas\nall anto, There can ha downing effe t int related\nto VN but to am competence in FP. are not undert\non FP tan w/ confirmed whing am\nbrothers The basic FPis soml. allimas good,\nSV Watness K. In hurgy, food, emm nextured\nand still have decisive voiu. o me your is gating\nC anthing I do what is medids Eferecampt\nmm upmind, we can have & 11/2 yes of good\nFda charements. So lmgas farth in us - that memo\nSmith emonies, and ' an overcome. we\nhave had asetbak but me can outsome it have\nor productive prival FP\nP\nIn 1 you update No on nut int.\nS\nLost Fentry injut, am executive Eegle pull in Camhelin.\nWent smoothly- - drimped Unity because of c surpising\ndiasion of nost of GKR-lrman death hot- not\nto liame- E.P. planned since 1970, Hnd there here\nam attach me would have returned from The Prio\nhas that legal anth under Const. Behavir\nof Combrolions has been my brave.\n(2 left soven for minit\nFORD it GERALD LIBRARY\n3\nNUN hops changery This is crime was that thing have\nno forces inc Smith, its For their vasors they may\ndecide wrt of assust Surger dwith, but they purt\nwill try x distory GUN any. It fighting will and\nit is work.\nP\nThunks, Jim. West of you know what Isuid\nlast Uns, we have him Trings get meet, been\nand f anthority Is wormats Civil thos /on has\nA\nthom we manufand emp. SFRC has beford\n200 been from for wt very pelplete\nw/o providers not any My juryant\nis and ant as bad us withing destribed 6 Flrth\n& my engealst into & anythments. He ing this\nto international artituals, it cauld had to line winn -\nHas, use inst be crosistent. we other for c\nFright purg. & hope c eng your Cruss them But I\nwont and one here to Talk about erove, Thank a\ncrehword in Suryon for bonyont. St my hypeane\ncan get C $ & without I stabilings X hopertally\nget wight standed, West to amb Herry + you\nfor their uports. Hosert here lasy but this are\ncarrying ant right pating + I think theating will\ndiverstrate c wishin of are crime\nK\nReads Sirik Anutak letter\nButy\nWhat will and do about Cambertian and often c gout pulls-\nP\nIthis it my forus & give to Creats humantain and\nwhich indes it cardier pather to avercome am fixends. that\nis up time in VN. It lasto thin polo as they overwhehmom\nfind So for amv I would init am and to am friends,\n{\nh Litters for 4\nEquipt muleging\n4\nK\nIn SUN them no quistion, sux PRC have supplied -\nammo canabo supply his, In if Sohmoth\nembin, and my halpbin, but me shall writ & Lee,\nThe won for c prots was was agoist wit GRR has Sharmark\nS\nIthinh there ane higher permity anas forc fromals,\nP\nThing to denetic affinio, lets turn to\ntoyor. a CPA would he an c birth of c Syst constructly\nJim Cammer\nVirginia Known\nalam Gunspan\nFORD JBRAR"
}