Conversation: 318-023
Prev:  318-022 Next: 318-024Start Date: 2-Feb-1972 2:21 PM
End Date: 2-Feb-1972 2:50 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:01:38
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:32:26
NARA Description:
On February 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:21 pm to 2:50 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 318-023 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 318-23 Date: February 2, 1972 Time: 2:21 pm - 2:50 pm Location: Executive Office Building 23 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/10) The President met with Henry A. Kissinger. The President’s schedule Vietnam -Air strike -The President's conversations with Melvin R. Laird and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer at recent National Security Council [NSC] meeting -Pentagon leak -Duration -William P. Rogers -Effect -France -Possible North Vietnamese offensive -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew -State Department -Relations with the President's People's Republic Of China [PRC] trip -News summary -South Vietnam -The President’s trips to PRC, and Soviet Union -US operations -Timing -The President's forthcoming PRC Trip -“Protective reactive” strikes -Possible North Vietnamese offensive -Bombing -Deployments -USS Kitty Hawk -Change In Position -B-52's -A-1's -F-4's -B-52's -Number -Soviet Union and PRC -Negotiations -Edmund S. Muskie -Compared to Edward M. Kennedy -Clark M. Clifford -W[illiam] Averell Harriman 24 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/10) Conv. No. 318-23 (cont.) -Prisoners of war [POWs] release -Deadline -Cease-fire proposal -Muskie's statements -Administration attack -The President’s position in 1968 -Ronald L. Ziegler -Rogers -Negotiations -Partisanship -Possible impact -1972 campaign -John V. Lindsay -George S. McGovern -Iowa and Arizona caucuses -Harriman -Wall Street Journal editorial -Administration attack -Barry M. Goldwater -PRG [Viet Cong] peace plan -Similarity to US position -Nguyen Van Thieu -POW release -US troop withdrawal -Thieu's resignation -US peace plan proposal of January 25, 1972 -North Vietnamese response -Thieu's possible action -South Vietnam -Preparedness for possible North Vietnamese offensive -Muskie's statements -Administration attack -Ziegler -Rogers -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -Request for a call to the President -Meeting with the President and Ziegler -Kissinger’s schedule -Ziegler -Laird -Rogers 25 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/10) Conv. No. 318-23 (cont.) -Delicacy of talks -Effect of Muskie's statements -North Vietnamese perception -Administration attack -Media coverage -Washington Post and New York Times -Television networks -Kissinger's conversation with Ellsworth F. Bunker -Muskie’s statements -Administration attack -Spiro T. Agnew -Bombing -Hanoi -Previous attacks -Five day strike -Timing -The President’s forthcoming PRC trip -Administration attack -Stewart J.O. Alsop -Rogers -Hugh Scott -Ziegler's statement -Errors in Muskie's statement -Ceasefire -Rogers -Scott -Patrick J. Buchanan -Agnew -Rogers -Scott -Gerald R. Ford -Editorials -Unknown journalist PRC trip -William F. Buckley, Jr. -Invitation -Meeting with the President -Criticism of Administration -Meeting with Kissinger -James L. Buckley 26 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/10) Conv. No. 318-23 (cont.) Vietnam -Air strike -Contingency plans -Timing -Three fronts -The President’s forthcoming PRC trip -Deployments -US carrier -B-52’s ************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 [National Security] [Duration: 23s ] INTELLIGENCE END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 32 ************************************************************************** -Agnew -Warnings -Laos, Cambodia, Christmas 1971 bombings Agnew -Kissinger’s view -Goldwater's view in letter -Haldeman's report -Briefing on issues -Kissinger’s forthcoming breakfast with Goldwater Michael J. Mansfield breakfast, February 3, 1972 -Kissinger's schedule -The President's forthcoming PRC trip 27 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/10) Conv. No. 318-23 (cont.) -Japan -Vietnam -US peace proposal -Troop withdrawal for POWs offer -Political settlement -North Vietnamese position -Leaks -Mansfield -Soviet Union -Andrei A. Gromyko and Nikolai V. Podgorny -Chou En-lai -Gromyko -Muskie's statements -Threat to negotiations Vietnam -US peace proposals -North Vietnamese response -Thieu -Political prospects -Muskie's statements -The President's speech of January 25, 1972 -Effect on Muskie -Muskie's statement -North Vietnamese position -South Vietnam government -Quotes -Negotiations -Casualties -Civilians -US troops -Cease-fire proposal -Validity -Administration attack -Ziegler -Cease-fire offers of October 1970, January 1972 -Withdrawal of North Vietnam -Democrats' rhetoric -News coverage -Timing -Kissinger forthcoming talk with Ziegler 28 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/10) Conv. No. 318-23 (cont.) Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters -Nomination as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] -Richard M. Helms's and Laird's actions -Helms’s recommendation -John C. Stennis -Kissinger's recommendation -Helms's support -Talking points -Kissinger's possible call to Stennis -Stennis's possible call to Helms -Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with Helms -The President's wishes -Kissinger's forthcoming conversation with Laird -Qualifications -Helms’s view -Position vis-à-vis Administration -Military attaché in France -Compared with Gen. Robert E. Cushman, Jr. -Kissinger's call to Helms -The President’s decision -Liaison with White House ***************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 [National Security] [Duration: 12s ] INTELLIGENCE END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 ***************************************************************** -Kissinger's call to Helms -The Administration’s relationship with Helms 29 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/10) Conv. No. 318-23 (cont.) Vietnam -US peace proposal -Unity within the Administration -Recent briefing -Muskie -Administration attack -1972 campaign -Bombing -Timing -The President's forthcoming PRC trip -Television coverage -US peace offers -Muskie Kissinger's schedule -Kenneth B. Keating Kissinger left at 2:50 pm.