US embassy cable - 04HANOI1729

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 001729 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND PM 
 
DOD FOR DPMO 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PREL, MARR, VM 
SUBJECT: DASD JENNINGS' MEETINGS WITH SENIOR GVN OFFICIALS 
 
1.  (U)  Summary.  In meetings with a range of GVN leaders 
in Hanoi and HCMC, DASD Jennings and staff reached agreement 
on the archival research initiative; assessed positively the 
utility of continuing the wartime leaders interview 
initiative; reiterated USG priority for underwater recovery 
operations, with technical details to be worked out by both 
sides in the coming months; and received authorization to 
visit the Central Highlands to explore recovery operations 
there.  He presented additional USG information on missing 
PAVN soldiers.  GVN officials reiterated strong support for 
continued and enhanced cooperation on MIAs, and indicated 
clearly that they would look favorably on requests for new 
recovery operations in the Central Highlands.  End Summary. 
 
Hanoi/HCMC schedule 
------------------- 
 
2.  (U)  DASD Jerry Jennings and staff held a series of 
separate meetings in Hanoi June 14 and 15 with senior GVN 
leaders, including: 
--  Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung; 
--  Deputy Foreign Minister Le Van Bang; 
--  Deputy Minister of Defense Colonel General Nguyen Huy 
Hieu; 
--  Vice Minister of Public Security Lt. General Nguyen Van 
Huong; 
--  Assistant Foreign Minister Nguyen Duc Hung; 
--  Vice Chairperson of the National Assembly's Foreign 
Affairs Committee Ton Nu Thi Ninh; and, 
--  National Deputy Chairman of Vietnam Veterans Association 
Tran Hanh. 
 
3.  (U)  DASD Jennings met with the following officials in 
HCMC on June 16: 
--  Brigadier General Nguyen Van Be, Deputy Commander of 
Military Region (MR) 7; 
--  Senior Colonel Vu Ngoc Tuyen, Commander of the 125th 
Navy Brigade; 
--  Ambassador Ha Van Lau, former Vice Minister of Foreign 
Affairs; and, 
--  Dr. Nguyen Thien Nhan, First Vice Chairman of the HCMC 
People's Committee. 
 
4.  (U)  DASD Jennings' delegation consisted of: 
-- Ms. Melinda Cooke, senior policy director for POW/Missing 
Personnel Office (DPMO), DOD; 
--  LtCol. Phuong Pierson, policy advisor, DPMO; 
--  Gary Sydow, director of research and analysis for DPMO; 
--  SFC Gary Grisdale, ADMIN NCO, DPMO; 
--  Ronald Ward, interpreter, Joint POW/MIA Accounting 
Command, PACOM. 
A/DCM Bellard and Navy/Marine Attache Etnyre accompanied on 
calls with the senior GVN officials in Hanoi. 
 
USG Message 
----------- 
 
5.  (U)  DASD Jennings' main message focused on: 
-- Archival research initiative:  while expressing his 
personal opinion that no GVN officials were deliberately 
withholding information from their files, DASD Jennings 
noted that often officials may not know exactly what is in 
their files, and therefore a thorough review of files from 
the central to the local levels was an important next step. 
After negotiations with VNOSMP staff, the two sides on June 
15 reached agreement on this project, which will not only 
permit access to MOD files related to POW/MIAs at all levels 
but leave open the possibility of access to files of the 
Office of the Prime Minister, MFA, and MPS, should leads 
develop to those organizations; 
--  Wartime leaders initiative:  DASD Jennings reiterated 
the importance of continuing this initiative and welcomed 
senior GVN support for this project, as had been signaled 
clearly two years ago by General Vo Nguyen Giap himself. 
DASD Jennings conducted two such interviews during this 
visit (septel); 
--  Underwater recovery initiative:  DASD Jennings noted the 
importance of this effort not only to recovering US remains 
but also in helping the GVN identify crash sites of 
Vietnamese planes, which could possibly lead to the recovery 
of Vietnamese KIAs.  Vietnam had also lost planes over 
water, and the US would be willing to share technology and 
information.  He noted that technical talks, led on the US 
side by PACOM under Admiral Fargo, were continuing, and he 
expressed confidence in reaching agreement by year's end. 
He noted, however, that the Vietnamese vessels he had 
visited did not/not have sufficient deck space for major 
recovery operations.  He reminded his GVN interlocutors that 
the two sides had conducted four earlier joint underwater 
recovery operations, once with success (two sets of 
remains), and highlighted the importance of moving forward 
on this cooperation; 
--  Central Highlands:  Noting that our teams had not had 
access to this area since 2002, DASD Jennings requested 
permission to resume operations there.  VMPS Huong welcomed 
DASD Jennings to go anywhere in this area anytime he liked, 
"even tomorrow."  Vice DefMin Hieu, however, cited some 
security concerns due to the remote locations.  DASD 
Jennings indicated that he would like to make a first visit 
in late July before the four-nation conference in Siem Reap. 
 
6.  (U)  Additionally, DASD Jennings presented US 
documentation about PAVN losses and possible recovery 
opportunities to DPM Dung, Vice DefMin Hieu, and VFM Bang, 
all of whom welcomed this latest assistance from the USG. 
He also described the upcoming conference in Siem Reap 
involving MIA officials from the U.S., Cambodia, Vietnam, 
and Laos, to exchange experiences and to look for ways to 
enhance cooperation.  GVN interlocutors indicated their 
willingness to participate, as in 2003.  DASD Jennings also 
noted the important occasions he will have in August 2004 
when speaking to US veterans groups like the American Legion 
to highlight Vietnamese cooperation on MIAs, especially the 
new agreement on archival research. 
 
GVN responses 
------------- 
 
7.  (U)  DPM Dung expressed GVN appreciation for USG 
cooperation, particularly the latest information presented 
about PAVN losses.  He reiterated the consistent policy of 
the GVN to treat the search for MIAs as a "humanitarian 
issue," and the GVN's willingness to do "everything in its 
power" to ensure effective cooperation.  He noted that, 
"frankly, we do not want US remains left in Vietnam."  He 
wished success for the new archival research initiative.  He 
urged use of a Vietnamese Navy ship for underwater recovery, 
with possible additional US equipment.  He called for more 
US assistance, also on a humanitarian basis, on unexploded 
ordinance and for victims of Agent Orange, including clean 
up of some major sites near Danang and Thanh Hoa. 
 
8.  (U)  VFM Bang voiced support for the major initiatives, 
while noting that the Vietnamese Army did not want a US Navy 
vessel to conduct the underwater recovery operations, 
preferring a Vietnamese vessel or a third country vessel. 
He promised that the GVN wanted to "work with you better," 
while admitting that this was a "sensitive time," 
particularly due to US elections.  He promised that the MFA 
would continue to "push the envelope" to achieve even 
greater cooperation on MIAs. 
 
9.  (U)  VMPS Huong noted that MPS had been involved in MIA 
searches for 14 years now and that this "final stage" was 
the "most difficult."  He reiterated GVN policy to 
"cooperate fully."  He expressed support for DASD Jennings' 
initiatives, while pointing to MPS' earlier archival 
searches, the results of which had already been transferred 
to MOD and then to the U.S.  He noted that using a 
Vietnamese vessel equipped with US technology in the South 
China Seas was "better" because it had "no implications for 
any other country."  He promised to "create favorable 
conditions" for DASD Jennings' visit to the Central 
Highlands, "even tomorrow," and said the GVN was "ready" to 
facilitate once the two sides agreed on the location, 
timing, etc. 
 
10.  (U)  Vice DefMin Hieu promised that the GVN and MOD 
would do the "utmost" to resolve the MIA issue, while urging 
the USG "take responsibility" to "lessen suffering" caused 
by unexploded ordinance and Agent Orange.  He expressed 
appreciation for USG goodwill in presenting additional 
information about PAVN losses.  He insisted that Vietnamese 
ships were adequate for underwater recovery operations, but 
welcomed possible additional US-provided equipment, such as 
had been provided for UXO searches.  He promised MOD support 
for visits to the Central Highlands, while noting that these 
would have to be planned on a step-by-step basis given 
"safety" considerations; remote locations and lack of 
medical evacuation options could make such efforts 
"dangerous." 
 
11.  (U)  DASD Jennings briefed officials in HCMC on his 
meetings in Hanoi, and they pledged continued cooperation 
with his four major initiatives.  Brigadier General Be 
gratefully accepted US archival materials on Vietnamese 
wartime losses from DASD Jennings, noting that such 
information had led to the recovery of significant numbers 
of Vietnamese KIAs in the past.  Senior Colonel Tuyen noted 
that his command was still awaiting the necessary GVN 
permissions it needed to provide a vessel for underwater 
search and recovery operations, but promised to work closely 
with DASD Jennings in resolving any technical issues and 
identifying an appropriate Vietnamese vessel.  He reaffirmed 
the invitation for US Navy technical experts to view his 
sailors in action, and appreciated DASD Jennings' offer to 
follow up on the status of technical assessment reports. 
Dr. Nhan noted that the agreement on archival research 
reflected a high degree of mutual trust between the two 
governments. 
 
12.  (U)  Comment:  While not explicitly authorizing 
resumption of recovery operations by JPAC teams in the 
Central Highlands -- in contrast to a clear blessing for a 
visit by DASD Jennings -- GVN officials gave clear 
indications that they would likely look favorably on at 
least some specific requests for such operations on a case 
by case basis.  End comment. 
 
13.  (U)  This message has been cleared by DASD Jennings' 
staff. 
PORTER