Conversation No. 385-27

Date: December 13, 1972
Time: 10:03 am - 10:50 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       Vietnam negotiations
             -Henry A. Kissinger’s schedule
                    -Arrival
                            -Timing
                            -Meeting
                                   -Duration
                    -Meetings
                             -40-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                       Tape Subject Log
                         (rev. July-08)

                                             Conversation No. 385-27 (cont’d)

             -Detail
                       -Protocol
-Breakdown
-Kissinger’s mood
-Settlement agreement
       -South Vietnam’s acceptance
               -Nguyen Van Thieu
       -US withdrawal
       -Political contests
-Kissinger’s press relations
       -Conversation with John F. Osborne
       -Judgment
       -Osborne
               -New Republic
       -Haig’s conversations with Kissinger
       -Telephone calls
               -Haig’s handling
       -The President’s press relations
       -Recent past
               -Kissinger’s emotions
-Tactics
       -Kissinger
               -Procedures
                       -Review
                              -Record
                       -Speeches
                       -Record
                              -Limited number of points
                                      -Briefings
                                      -Congressional relations
-US bombing south of 20 (18 and 19th) Parallel
                           th  th

       -B-52s
               -Effect
                       -Kissinger’s view
                              -Compared to Robert S. McNamara’s, Lyndon B.
                                Johnson’s views
-Reseeding of mines
       -Reconnaissance
       -Effect
-US bombing south of 20th Parallel
                               -41-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. July-08)

                                                Conversation No. 385-27 (cont’d)

        -Reaction
                -Compared to US bombing north of 20th Parallel
                       -Hanoi
-Military plans
        -Leak
        -Three day airstrike
        -Bombing targets
                -Power plants
-Contingency plans
        -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal
                -North Vietnam’s position
                       -Cut off of aid to South Vietnam
                       -Withdrawal of civilians
                       -Politics
                               -Thieu
                               -Madame Nguyen Thi Binh
                                       -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                                              -South Vietnam
-Meeting in Paris
        -Kissinger
                -Thieu
                       -William J. Porter
                               -South Vietnamese cable to Thieu
                                       -US position
                                              -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
        -Haig’s view
        -Ellsworth F. Bunker
        -Thieu
        -Timing
-Kissinger’s schedule
        -Arrival
                -Meeting with the President
                -Time
-Status
        -Settlement agreement
                -Antaoliy F. Dobrynin
                -Kissinger’s schedule
        -Notes
                -US position
                                           -42-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. July-08)

                                                            Conversation No. 385-27 (cont’d)

                   -Conversation with Haig
                          -Talking points
                          -Letter
                          -Backgrounder
                                   -US bombing of North Vietnam
                          -Tone
             -Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
                   -Timing
                          -Thieu

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 10:03 am.

      Delivery of a package

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 10:50 am.

      Vietnam negotiations
            -Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
                   -Alternative
            -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal
                   -Kissinger
                   -Thieu
                           -Congressional relations
                                   -Cut off of US aid to South Vietnam
            -Kissinger’s press relations
                   -Photograph in newspaper
                           -Smiling
                                   -Effect
                   -Kissinger’s schedule
                           -Public appearances
                   -Marvin L. Kalb
                   -Osborne
                   -Paris
                   -Thieu
                   -Leonid I. Brezhnev
                   -Settlement agreement
                           -Signing
                   -Thieu
                   -The President’s possible television [TV] appearance
                           -Reports
                               -43-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. July-08)

                                                Conversation No. 385-27 (cont’d)

               -Communists
       -Statements
               -Tone
       -Leaks
-US position
       -Peace terms
-Thieu
       -Congressional relations
               -US aid to South Vietnam
       -Settlement agreement
               -Wording
                       -“Sovereignty,” “administrative,” “structure”
               -Principle
                       -South Vietnam sovereignty
                              -North Vietnam
                                      -Unilateral statement
               -Congressional relations
               -Kissinger’s press relations
               -Wording of agreement
-Settlement agreement
       -Enforcement
               -US military options
                       -North Vietnamese provocation
-Kissinger’s press relations
       -Smiling photographs
       -Leaks
               -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
                       -New York Times article
-Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
       -Thieu
               -“Hawks
               -Congressional relations
               -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal
               -Positions
               -Issues
               -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal
-Breakdown
       -Kissinger
               -The President’s possible TV appearance
                       -Credibility
                              -44-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                       Tape Subject Log
                         (rev. July-08)

                                              Conversation No. 385-27 (cont’d)

-North Vietnam’s delays
-Status
        -Kissinger’s view
-Settlement agreement
        -Haig’s view
-Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
        -Advantage
                 -Right wing
                 -Thieu
                        -Paris
-Leaks to North Vietnamese
        -Embassy buggings
                 -Thieu’s office
                        -Kissinger
        -Infiltration
                 -The President’s meeting with Nguyen Phu Duc
        -North Vietnam’s delays
        -The President’s message to Kissinger
                 -North Vietnam’s intransigence
                        -Congressional relations
                                 -US aid to South Vietnam
-Military plan
        -The President’s view
        -Reseeding of mines
                 -Timing
                        -Kissinger
                 -Reconnaissance
                        -20th Parallel
        -US bombing of North Vietnam
                 -Scale
                        -Reseeding of mines
                        -Press relations
                                 -20th Parallel
                        -Three day strike
                                 -Kissinger
                 -Reseeding of mines
                 -Reconnaissance
                 -South of 20th Parallel
-Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
        -Leaks to North Vietnamese
                               -45-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. July-08)

                                                Conversation No. 385-27 (cont’d)

-Bunker’s view
       -William P. Rogers
       -Melvin R. Laird
       -Haig’s conversations with Rogers
       -Haig’s conversation with Laird
               -Settlement agreement
       -Bunker’s view
               -Rogers
       -Timing
               -US bombing of North Vietnam
                       -Thieu
                       -US leverage with North Vietnam
                       -Thieu
                               -Prestige
                               -Emotions
               -Kissinger’s schedule
                       -Arrival
                               -Meeting with the President
       -Options
       -Thieu
               -US-South Vietnamese relations
                       -North Vietnam’s view
               -Relations with Kissinger
               -Tone of meetings
                       -Backup US positions
               -Settlement agreement
                       -Signing
-Settlement agreement
       -Kissinger’s plan
               -US signing
                       -Announcement
                               -South Vietnam’s signing
       -South Vietnam’s signing
               -Pressure of Thieu
                       -Options
                               -Rejection
                               -Acceptance
                               -Abidance
               -Rejection by Thieu
                       -Effect
                               -46-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                       Tape Subject Log
                         (rev. July-08)

                                               Conversation No. 385-27 (cont’d)

                              -Overthrow of Thieu
                                     -Caretaker
                                     -Ngo Dinh Diem
               -South Vietnam’s public opinion
                       -Bui Diem’s view
                              -Cease-fire
-Thieu’s speech at National Assembly
       -Reaction
       -Analysis
               -Tone
               -State Department
               -Language intention
-Reseeding of mines
-Reconnaissance
-Kissinger’s schedule
       -Settlement agreement
-US bombing south of 20th Parallel
       -Effect
       -Vinh, North Vietnam
       -Laos
       -Air Force
-Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
       -The President’s, Kissinger’s and Haig’s possible conversation with
        Agnew
       -Talking points
       -Options
               -Contingency plans
                       -Speeches
       -Thieu’s press relations
               -Agnew
                       -Meeting
                              -North Vietnamese
                                     -Delays
-Kissinger’s schedule
       -Arrival
-Kissinger’s press relations
       -Haig’s conversation with Kissinger
       -State Department
       -White House
       -Effect
                                            -47-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. July-08)

                                                          Conversation No. 385-27 (cont’d)

                            -Public perceptions
                            -Oriana Fallaci interviews

Haig left at 10:50 am.