1.
SV Le Duc Tho waving to press in lounge
0.13

2.
SV PULL BACK Ilyushin 62 on tarmac
0.18

3.
SV Armed guard
0.22

4.
GV Le Duc Tho, Xuan Thuy & Mme Binh out of cars & up aircraft steps & wave
1.17

5.
SV & GV Guard watch as plane taxies (2 shots)
1.25



Initials SGM/0138 SGM/0125



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Le Duc Tho - the North Vietnamese Peace negotiator - left Paris for Hanoi today (Friday 13) after four consecutive days of intensive secret peace talks with President Nixon's national security adviser, Doctor Henry Kissinger.

Mr. Tho will report to his government and the party Central Committee on the discussions - which are believed to have reached a crucial stage.

Talks between Dr. Kissinger and North Vietnamese officials have taken place several times during the past two years, but there has never before been so long a series of talks as in this latest round, and speculation is high that a solution to the Vietnam conflict may be found before the American Presidential elections are held in November.

SYNOPSIS: Le Duc Tho - the North Vietnamese Peace envoy - left Paris on Friday after the longest series of secret talks with Doctor Henry Kissinger - his American opposite number - in more than two years of meetings. The talks - seeking an end to the Vietnam conflict - lasted an unprecedented four days....
With Mr. Tho at the airport were Xuan Thuy, Hanoi's chief negotiator at the Paris Peace Talks, and Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, the Vietcong delegate.... In Hanoi Mr. Tho will report to his government and the party Central committee on the position reached in the talks. So far neither side has revealed any details - but many observers believe discussions are at a crucial stage....Doctor Kissinger, President Nixon's special security adviser, left Paris for Washington on Thursday afternoon, and reported immediately to President Nixon....for his part, all Mr. Tho would tell reporters before leaving was that he would return to Paris. There was no problem about that, he said...

Meanwhile in Vietnam American bombing of Hanoi continued and the Communists stepped up attacks on several fronts.