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Conversation: 157-016

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Start Date: 6-Dec-1972 4:40 PM

End Date: 6-Dec-1972 5:31 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kennedy, Richard T. (Col.)

Recording Device: Camp David Study Table

157-016.mp3

NARA Description:

On December 6, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Col. Richard T. Kennedy talked on the telephone at Camp David from 4:40 pm to 5:31 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 157-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 157-16

Date: December 6, 1972
Time: 4:40 pm - 5:31 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Col. Richard T. Kennedy.

[See Conversation No. 233-21]
                                     -20-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                              Tape Subject Log
                                (rev. Apr.-08)

                                                     Conversation No. 157-16 (cont’d)

Kennedy’s schedule
     -Sleep

Vietnam negotiations
     -Meetings
          -Timing
     -Henry A. Kissinger’s message on settlement agreement
          -Location
                 -Laurel Lodge
          -Summary
          -Session
                 -Tone
                 -Review of positions
                 -Settlement agreement
                        -Changes
                              -South Vietnam
                 -October 8, 1972 agreement
                        -Concessions
                              -Acceptability
          -US conditions
                 -Le Duc Tho’s position
                        -Changes
                        -Details
                 -Changes
                        -Maintenance
                        -Substance
                        -Previous agreement
                              -Translation of “administrative structure” [re. National
                               Committee of National Reconciliation and Concord
                               [NCNRC]
                              -Demobilization provisions
                                    -Timing
                                    -Nguyen Van Thieu
                                          -Political leverage
                              -North Vietnam-South Vietnam relations
                                    -Renunciation of force
                                          -Thieu
                              -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                                    -October 1972 agreement
                                          -North Vietnamese prisoners in South Vietnam
                               -21-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Apr.-08)

                                               Conversation No. 157-16 (cont’d)

                                        -Linkage to US POWs
                           -Section 8C
                                  -Kissinger’s conversation with Anatoliy F.
                                   Dobrynin
                      -Cease-fire
                           -Timing
                                  -International Commission of Control and
                                   Supervision [ICCS]
                      -Preamble
                           -Compromise
                                  -US and Provisional Revolutionary
                                   Government [PRG] signing
                                  -Government of South Vietnam [GVN] signing
      -US concessions
            -Tho
            -Withdrawal of US civilians
                  -Language
                        -Kennedy’s work with U. Alexis Johnson and Barry J.
                         Shillito
            -Demilitarized Zone [DMZ]
                  -Discussion of modalities
      -Changes
            -Maintenance
                  -Difficulty
            -South Vietnam agreement
-US option
      -Military action
            -Statement
-Dobrynin
      -December 5, 1972 call to Kennedy
      -Note on conditions
            -Tone
            -Soviet Union-North Vietnam relations
                  -US military action
                        -Effect
-Tactics
      -Stalemate
            -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam
      -October 8, 1972 agreement
            -Acceptability to South Vietnam, US
                                -22-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Apr.-08)

                                                Conversation No. 157-16 (cont’d)

                 -Kissinger’s view
                 -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam
     -Stalemate
-US options
     -Breakdown in talks
           -US bombing and mining
                -Cessation
                      -Return of POWs
                -Compared to settlement agreement
                      -South Vietnam’s refusal
                      -POWs
                      -Effect on South Vietnam’s survival
                -Kissinger’s view
                      -The President’s message to Kissinger
                      -US-Soviet Union summit
                            -Cancellation
                                  -US bombing and mining
                      -Announcement
                            -Return of POWs
                                  -US withdrawal
                                  -Cessation of bombing and mining
                      -POWs for military disengagement deal
                            -Timing
                                  -Summer 1973
                                        -Congressional relations
                                                -Cut off of funds
                                                      -Bombing
                -Compared to settlement agreement
                      -Timing
                      -October 8, 1972
                -Kissinger’s view
                      -North Vietnam
                            -Kissinger’s talks with Soviet Union, People’s
                             Republic of China [PRC]
                            -1972 election
                            -Twelve changes
                            -Return of POWs
                                  -Timing
                                        -Summer 1973
                                                -Congressional relations
                       -23-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                Tape Subject Log
                  (rev. Apr.-08)

                                       Conversation No. 157-16 (cont’d)

         -North Vietnam
               -Blame
         -POWs
         -South Vietnam
         -Congressional relations
               -Cut off of aid to South Vietnam
         -US public opinion
               -Press relations
         -Duration
               -Summer 1973
                     -Effect
                            -US-Soviet Union and US-PRC relations
                                  -US-Soviet Union summit
                            -Congressional relations
                                  -Budget
                                         -Aid to South Vietnam
                                         -Bombing and mining
                            -POWs
                                  -Emotion of issue
         -Compared to settlement agreement
               -POWs for withdrawal and cut off of aid to South Vietnam
         -Return of POWs
         -Duration
               -Summer 1973
   -Compared to continuation of talks
         -Instructions for Kissinger
               -Ultimatum
               -US conditions
   -Kissinger’s return from Paris
         -US bombing
   -US bombing
         -Announcement
   -Announcement
         -North Vietnam’s possible reply
               -POWs
               -Cease-fire
               -US reply
                     -Coalition government
   -US bombing, mining for POWs
         -Kissinger’s December 5, 1972 message
                           -24-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                   Tape Subject Log
                     (rev. Apr.-08)

                                            Conversation No. 157-16 (cont’d)

            -Congressional relations
      -Compared to settlement agreement
            -Acceptability to South Vietnam, US
                  -Bilateral deal
            -Effect on South Vietnam’s survival
            -POWs for withdrawal, cessation of bombing, mining
                  -Thieu’s position
                  -North Vietnam’s position
                         -Kissinger’s view
                               -Cut off of military and economic aid to South
                                Vietnam
            -Bilateral deal
                  -Thieu’s position
                         -The President’s meetings [with Nguyen Phu Duc
                          and Tran Kim Phuong]
                  -US aid to South Vietnam
-Ultimatum
      -Kissinger’s balance
-Recap of arguments
      -Tho
      -Breakdown in talks
            -Reasons
                  -North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam
                  -Translation of “administrative structure” re NCNRC
                         -Kissinger’s backgrounder
                         -US-Soviet Union relations
                               -Berlin
                         -Coalition government
                               -Compared to administrative structure to run
                                elections
            -Compared to settlement agreement
                  -October 26, 1972 agreement
                  -Tho
                  -GVN
                  -October 8, 1972 agreement
                  -GVN’s survival
                         -North Vietnam, Vietcong [VC]
            -Stalemate
                  -Blame on North Vietnam
                         -US public opinion
                                -25-

     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Apr.-08)

                                                 Conversation No. 157-16 (cont’d)

                                   -Withdrawal
                  -Kissinger’s view
           -Settlement agreement
                  -Contingency planning
                        -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
                        -Timing
                        -Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Tactics
      -The President’s recommendations for settlement agreement
             -South Vietnam
             -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam
                   -Breakdown in talks
             -Conditions
                   -Record
             -South Vietnam
                   -Bilateral deal
                   -US aid
                         -Congressional relations
             -Breakdown in talks
                   -Kissinger’s view
                   -US option
                         -Bombing
                                -Congressional relations
                                     -Aid to South Vietnam
                                     -Military costs
-Dobrynin
      -Hanoi
             -Kissinger
-Continuation of meetings
      -Settlement agreement
             -Conditions
                   -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam
      -Kissinger’s press relations
-Breakdown in talks
      -US bombing
             -Rate
             -Announcement
                   -Necessity
                         -Mining
                         -Cambodia
                                 -26-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. Apr.-08)

                                                  Conversation No. 157-16 (cont’d)

             -Public relations [PR]
             -Announcement
                   -Presidential speech on TV
-Continuation of meetings
-Bilateral deal
      -US bombing and mining
             -Cessation
                   -POWs
      -Cut off of aid to South Vietnam
             -Effect on South Vietnam’s survival
-Breakdown in talks
      -Kissinger’s proposed actions
             -Return from Paris
             -Announcement
                   -Presidential speech on TV
                          -US bombing
                                -Rate
                                -POWs
      -Advisability
             -Goal
             -US bombing
                   -Funding
                   -Duration
                          -Air Force
             -South Vietnam’s survival
                   -US aid
                          -Congressional relations
                                -South Vietnam’s rejection of October 8, 1972
                                 agreement
                                       -Publicity
      -Compared to settlement agreement
             -Thieu’s rejection
                   -Bilateral deal
                          -Cut off of aid to South Vietnam
                                -Congressional relations
             -POWs
             -US relations with PRC, Soviet Union, Congress
             -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam
             -Continuation of meetings
             -US options
                                             -27-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Apr.-08)

                                                              Conversation No. 157-16 (cont’d)

                               -Consultation with Kissinger
                         -Announcement
                               -Advisability
                                     -US bombing
                                           -Rate
                         -US bombing
                               -Escalation
                                     -Effect
                                           -Congressional relations
                                           -PR
                         -South Vietnam’s survival
                               -Thieu’s army
                                     -US dependence
                               -Thieu
            -Draft cable to Kissinger
                  -Kissinger’s message
                         -Delivery
                               -December 7, 1972 meeting
                               -The President’s reading
                  -Future editing
                  -Settlement agreement