Conversation: 333-021
Prev: 333-020 Next: 333-022Start Date: 26-Apr-1972 3:43 PM
End Date: 26-Apr-1972 4:31 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]; White House operator; Byrd, Robert C.; [Unknown person(s)]; Woods, Rose Mary;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:34:51
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:16:30
NARA Description:
On April 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), White House operator, Robert C. Byrd, unknown person(s), and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:43 pm to 4:31 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 333-021 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 333-21
Date: April 26, 1972
Time: 3:43 pm - 4:31 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Vietnam
-Negotiations
31
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
-Current developments
-Le Duc Tho
-Trip to Paris
-Secret talks
-Xuan Thuy
-Statement to press
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Associated Press [AP] story
-Kissinger's press conference
-Questions
-Reports from Moscow
-Leonid I. Brezhnev's meeting with Kissinger
-Source
-The President’s forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union
-Brezhnev's offer
-Significance
-Willy Brandt
-Other issues
-Middle East
-Source
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-The President's visit
-Schedule
-Brezhnev
-Andrei A. Gromyko
-Significance of reports
-Soviets
-US bombing
-Hanoi
-Dobrynin
-The President's message
-Summit
-Yuli M. Vorontsov
-The President's speech
-Kissinger's revisions
-Additions
-Paris talks
-Use of channels
-US objectives
-Prisoners of War [POW] return
-Soviets
-Delegation in Hanoi
-Significance
32
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
-Report of Kissinger's trip
-Purpose
-Brezhnev
-Press reports
-The President's speech
-Revisions
-Draft
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Changes
-The President's orders for counterattacks
-US role in Vietnam
-Limitations
-George S. McGovern's supporters
-Response in North Vietnam and Soviet Union
-Kissinger's conversation with Brezhnev
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-John K. Andrews, Jr.
-Abilities
-The President’s November 3, 1969 speech
-Bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong
-The President's decision
-Kissinger’s trip
-The President's Canadian trip
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Melvin R. Laird
-Negotiations
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-The President's speech
-William J. Porter
-Changes
-Kissinger's views
-Revisions
-Bombing halt
-US public opinion
-South Vietnam
-Changes in speech
-Defense
-Stakes in war
-The President's speech
-Bloodbath of non-communists
-Number
-Wording of statement
-US goals
33
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
-Prevention of bloodbath
-Changes
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 4:04 pm.
-Cable from Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Release
-John A. Scali
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Network coverage
-Kissinger's office
Kissinger talked with an unknown person in his office at an unknown time between 4:04 and
4:10 pm.
[Conversation No. 333-21A]
Vietnam
-Cable from Bunker and Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Delivery to Oval Office
-Location
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Senate Democratic caucus
-Robert C. Byrd
-Vote against administration policy
-Kissinger's call to Byrd
-Delays in meeting
-Sensitive developments
-Jeopardy
-Caucus action
-Problems
-The President's reception for Congressmen
-Report from Clark MacGregor
-Response
-Forthcoming speech
-Presidency
-Speechwriters
-Wording
-Positive tone of the President
-The President's speech
34
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
-Text
-Distribution to press
-Ronald L. Ziegler, Scali and Charles W. Colson
-Time
-Briefing
Haldeman left at 4:10 pm.
The President's speech
-Deletions
-Copies
-Distribution
-US goals
-Stopping invasion
Vietnam
-Kissinger's call to Byrd
Kissinger talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 4:10 and 4:31 pm.
[Conversation No. 333-21B]
[See Conversation No. 23-84]
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-The President's speech
-Revisions
-Consequences of defeat
-Loss of respect
Kissinger talked with Byrd at an unknown time between 4:10 and 4:31 pm.
[Conversation No. 333-21C]
[See Conversation No. 23-85]
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Byrd's support of the President
-Democratic caucus
35
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
-Delay
-J. William Fulbright's request in writing
-Byrd's problem
-Byrd
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Confidentiality
-Scheduling
-Time and day
-Negotiations
-Private meetings
-Democratic caucus
-Time and day
-Errors
-Kissinger's call to Haldeman
Kissinger talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 4:10 and 4:31 pm.
[Conversation No. 333-21D]
Call to Haldeman
-Return call
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-The President's speech
-Review
-Stakes in war
-US credibility with allies
-Future aggression
-Changes
-Kissinger's copy
-North Vietnamese invasion
-Demilitarized Zone [DMZ] crossing
-Shelling of civilians
-Violation of 1968 bombing halt understanding
-Deletions
-Issues in war
-Negotiations
-Return of POWs
-Conclusion
-Press copy
-Kissinger's copies
36
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
-Rose Mary Woods
-Press copies
The President talked with Woods at an unknown time between 4:10 and 4:31 pm.
[Conversation No. 333-21E]
Vietnam
-The President's speech
-Kissinger's copy
-Corrections
-Delivery
-Press copy
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-The President's speech
-Further changes
-Impact on country
-Kissinger's press briefing
-Time
-Format
-Negotiations
-Resumption
Haldeman talked with Kissinger at an unknown time between 4:10 and 4:31 pm.
[Conversation No. 333-21F]
[See Conversation No. 23-86]
The President conferred with Kissinger twice during the conversation.
Confirmation of Senate Democratic caucus meeting time
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Democratic caucus
-Kissinger's conversation with Byrd
-Byrd's reliability
-Change of date
37
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
-Certainty
-Kissinger's trip to Paris
-Secrecy
-Byrd
-Byrd's position
-Kissinger's conversation with Fulbright
-Kissinger's call to Byrd
-Byrd's response
-Fulbright
-The President's speech
-Compared with the President's talk to Congressmen
-Simple language
The President’s schedule
Kissinger left at 4:31 pm.