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Conversation: 333-021

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Start 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 operatorByrd, 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

333a.mp3

333b.mp3

333c.mp3

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.