NEW YORK: President Johnson announced last night [Oct 31] that all US air, naval and artillery bombardment of North Viet-Nam would be halted from 1300 GMT today — four days before the US Presidential elections and after weeks of rumours that a bombing stop was imminent. The decision took effect on schedule.

In Paris, the spokesman of the North Viet-Namese delegation to preliminary peace talks commented this evening that the cessation of American bombing constituted a “great victory of the people’s forces of North Viet-Nam in the struggle carried out against the American war of destruction”. The spokesman made the comment while handing out a communique to the Pressmen.

In his dramatic announcement, in a late night television broadcast, the US President further said that representatives of the South Viet-Namese National Liberation Front (Viet-Cong) and the Saigon Government would also join the next weekly session of the Paris preliminary peace talks on Nov 6. He underlined, however, that this did not imply any recognition of the Front.

He also left the question about their status at these talks vague. It is believed that each side would interpret the way it wants to the presence of the other party. — Correspondent

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2018