Conversation: 329-055
Prev:  329-054 Next: 329-056Start Date: 16-Apr-1972 10:20 AM
End Date: 16-Apr-1972 10:55 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 05:23:39
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 06:13:35
NARA Description:
On April 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:20 am to 10:55 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 329-055 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 329-55 Date: April 16, 1972 Time: 10:20 am - 10:55 am Location: Executive Office Building The President met with Henry A. Kissinger. Vietnam -Air strikes -Reaction of Pentagon -Kissinger's meeting with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer -Washington Post and Washington Star articles -George W. Wilson article in Washington Post -The President's policy compared with Lyndon B. Johnson's -An Loc article -South Vietnamese army -An Loc -Kissinger's meetings with Melvin R. Laird and Moorer -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s trip to South Vietnam -South Vietnamese attitude towards fighting -Current situation -New York Times editorial -Public statement -Hubert H. Humphrey demand -United Nations [UN] Security Council -Vetoes -Soviet Union -People's Republic of China [PRC] -Johnson Administration -Edmund S. Muskie statement -Confrontation with Soviet Union and PRC Dinner for Latin American Ambassadors -Call from Kissinger -Jose A. Mora Otero -The President's remarks to John V. Brennan -Birgit Nilsson -Mora Otero -Secretary -Toast 65 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 329-55 (cont.) -PRC -Soviet Union Vietnam -Air strikes -The president's conversation with Brennan -American viewpoint -Support for Administration's policy -Effort to end the war -Blockade -Effect on the election and the war -Duration -Kissinger’s trip to Moscow -Air strikes -Extent -Haiphong -Oil storage areas -B-52s -Losses -Unknown navy pilot -Rescue by US destroyer -North Vietnamese ships -Moorer’s remark -Destroyers and cruisers -Gun installations -Haiphong -Fireball -Size -Observation from the carrier, Kitty Hawk -Air strikes -Hanoi -Petroleum, oil, and lubricants [POL] dumps -Fires -Extent and size -Pilot reports -Damage reports -Fires -Haiphong -Damage reports -Extent -Surface to air missile [SAM] sites -Explosions 66 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 329-55 (cont.) -Observation from the USS Kitty Hawk -Naval bombardment -Damage report -Recovered pilot's report -Extent of success -North Vietnamese fishing and torpedo boats -Naval morale -Damage reports -Truck parks -Extent of damage -Soviet response -Kissinger’s trip to Moscow -Kissinger’s meeting with Dobrynin -Cancellation -Success -Impact on US foreign policy -PRC -Soviet union -Compared with John F. Kennedy and Cuban missile crisis -An Loc -Tank attacks by North Vietnam -Extent of destruction -21st airborne division -Capture -Air strikes -B-52s -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. -Compared with Verdun strategy -Field Marshal Erich Von Falkenhayn -French -Symbolism -Abrams -Air strikes -Intensity -Military region one -Schedule -Number of sorties -B-52s -Destroyers -Impact -Hue -Unknown White House source 67 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 329-55 (cont.) -New York Times report -Soviet trip cancellation -The President's instructions -Hue -Kissinger staff meeting -Impact -Soviets -North Vietnamese -Possible fall -North Vietnamese offensive -Third corps -Ability to sustain offensive -Casualties -Compared with 1968 tet offensive -Losses -Cambodia -An Lc -Military region one -New York Times -Wilson -Press -Honesty -Expected US-South Vietnam losses -Duration -Washington Star headline -Air strikes -B-52s -Increase -Hanoi area -North Vietnamese losses -Duration -Soviets -Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin -Kissinger’s trip to Moscow -Schedule -Blockade -Meeting with Leonid I Brezhnev -Subjects for discussion -The president's instructions to Kissinger -Politburo meeting -Discussion of US attacks -Summit 68 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 329-55 (cont.) -Cancellation -Soviet/German treaties -Kissinger’s preparation -US goals -Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin -North Vietnamese offensive -US bombing -Hanoi and Haiphong -Military areas -North Vietnamese offensive -Soviets -Kissinger’s assessment -Nguyen Van Thieu -Hanoi -North Vietnamese meeting with Kissinger -Nelson A. Rockefeller -Hypothetical actions as president -Advisors -B-52 increase -Tacair increases -Naval increases -Public opinion -Kissinger’s trip to Moscow -Haiphong -Effect on foreign policy -Bombing -Air attacks -B-52s -Tacair -Impact on Hanoi -B-52s -Damage -Effect on North Vietnamese population -Moorer’s conversation with Kissinger -Compared with Johnson Administration -Number of planes -Targets -Time frame -Targets -Number of sorties -John W. Vogt -Targets 69 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 329-55 (cont.) -Conversation with Dobrynin -Negotiations -Meeting on April 24 -North Vietnamese offensive -Rockets -Number -POL dumps -Impact on election -Negotiations -Cease-fire -POWs -Issue in election -Rogers -The President's memo -Statements -Hanoi -Laird -Support for the President -Statements -Air attacks -Panhandle -Secondary explosion -Fires and smoke -Extent -Negotiations -US posture -North Vietnamese invasions -Bombing -Compared with Johnson administration -Moscow trip -Kissinger’s meeting with North Vietnamese on April 24 -Plenary meeting on April 27 -PRC -Soviet Union -Bombing -Air strikes -Blockade -Soviet summit -Kissinger’s statement to Dobrynin -Soviet-North Vietnam relationship -US options -Air strikes 70 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 329-55 (cont.) -Weather conditions -Negotiations -Cambodia -Soviet summit -Blockade -Blockade -Public support -Impact on US -Impact on Nixon presidency -Criticism -Compared with Cambodia -Muskie statement -Moscow trip -Negotiations -Kissinger’s trip to Moscow -Soviet summit -Public opinion -Compared with PRC trip -Cancellation -US response -Soviet-German issue -Willy Brandt -Blockade -Kissinger’s conversations with Dobrynin -Bombing of North Vietnam -War support -Christians -Catholics -Baptists -Quakers -Episcopalians -Hawks -Joseph W. Alsop -Richard Wilson -Unknown person's call to Kissinger -White House involvement in unknown issue -Kissinger's trip to Moscow -Success -The President's Canadian trip -Johnson's leaders meetings -Laird's comments -Bombing of North Vietnam 71 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 329-55 (cont.) -Authority -Concentration -19th Parallel -Naval Gunfire -Haiphong -Authority -Damage -Truck parks -Explosions -POWs -Morale -Probable observation of explosions and air attacks -USS Kitty Hawk -PRC -The President's message to Destroyer crew -John S. McCain Kissinger left at 10:55 am.