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Conversation: 034-069

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Start Date: 13-Dec-1972 8:55 PM

End Date: 13-Dec-1972 9:07 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haig, Alexander M., Jr.

Recording Device: White House Telephone

034-069.mp3

NARA Description:

On December 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 8:55 pm to 9:07 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 034-069 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 34-69

Date: December 13, 1972
Time: 8:55 pm - 9:07 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       Vietnam negotiations
            -Henry A. Kissinger’s arrival
                                -55-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. Dec.-07)

                                                  Conversation No. 34-69 (cont’d)

      -Haig’s meeting
      -Communication breakdown
-Kissinger’s memorandum
      -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s trip
            -Purpose
                  -Compared to the President’s possible television [TV] statement
                  -Nguyen Van Thieu
      -The President’s view
-US military action
      -Options
      -Agnew
      -Option Two
            -Resumption of talks in Paris
                  -Timing
                        -January 1973
            -Possible public relations [PR] effort
                  -Deceit charges
                  -Negotiation record
                        -Peace issue
      -Effectiveness
      -Option One
            -Agnew’s trip
                  -Appearance
-North Vietnamese stance
      -Nguyen Van Thieu
      -Congress
      -Delays
-US military action
      -Melvin Laird, William P. Rogers
-Pressure on Thieu
-US public opinion
      -The President’s previous decisions
      -Thieu
-Pressure on Thieu
      -Agnew’s trip
-Option One
      -US military action
            -Timing
                  -Agnew’s trip
                        -Thieu
                                -56-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. Dec.-07)

                                                  Conversation No. 34-69 (cont’d)

-PR
      -Haig’s conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler
      -Ziegler’s possible briefing
      -Kissinger’s schedule
            -Mexico
      -Ziegler’s possible briefing
            -North Vietnamese reneging, lack of goodwill
            -Communications
            -US military action
            -Peace with honor
-US military action
      -Timing
            -Congress
            -Kissinger
            -Reseeding mines
                  -Reconnaissance
            -Bombing
            -PR
-Tricia Nixon Cox and Edward R. F. Cox
      -Trip to Soviet Union
            -Possible cancellation
-US military action
      -Duration
      -Bargaining position
      -Prisoners of War [POWs]
            -Congress
                  -Cut off of funds
            -Kissinger
-Haig’s forthcoming conversation with Kissinger
      -Tone
      -People’s Republic of China [PRC], Soviet Union initiatives
      -Laird
      -Rogers
-US military action
      -Rogers
      -Laird
            -Defense budget
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
      -Public notification
      -Rogers, Laird, Richard M. Helms, Agnew
                                             -57-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Dec.-07)

                                                             Conversation No. 34-69 (cont’d)

             -The President’s schedule
                  -Kissinger