Conversation: 410-010
Prev:  410-009 Next: 410-011Start Date: 13-Mar-1973 3:00 PM
End Date: 13-Mar-1973 4:00 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Bull, Stephen B.; Sanchez, Manolo; Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On March 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Stephen B. Bull, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 410-010 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 410-10 Date: February 13, 1973 Time: 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Location: Executive Office Building The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. Prisoners of war [POWs] -Pride -Amnesty issue -Raising of flag -Claudia A. (“Lady Bird”) Johnson -Daughters Press relations -Ziegler’s briefing -Hijacking agreement with Cuba -William P. Rogers -Normalization of relations -Switzerland, Czechoslovakia -Vessels -Small boats -Cuban-American community -Large ships -Haig’s uniform -President’s statement -Taping -Reading -Ziegler’s report to President -Telephone call Ziegler left at 3:05 pm. Vietnam settlement -Henry A. Kissinger’s trip to North Vietnam -Cable from President -Laos and Cambodia -10- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -Tone -Negotiations -Economic aid -Military activities -North Vietnam’s presence in Laos and Cambodia -Cut off of economic aid -Congress -US military options -Effect on North Vietnam -Laos -Cease-fire -December 1972 bombing -Factories -Cambodia -Gen. Lon Nol -Position -Health -North Vietnam -Kissinger’s cable -People’s Republic of China [PRC] POWs -Meeting with President -Capt. Jeremiah A. Denton, Jr. -Col. Robinson Risner -Capt. James A. Mulligan, Jr. -Denton -Neil Armstrong -Reception of POWs -Heroism -Consequences of withdrawal -President’s telephone call to Milligan’s wife -Sign of support of US President -President’s Vietnam policies -Success -Congress members -Press -11- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -Chicago Tribune -Buffalo Evening News -References to President -Commander-in-Chief -Foreign policy -Enemies -Allies -Support of American people -Press -Soviet Union -Secret negotiations -Vietnam settlement -December 1972 bombing -President’s possible television [TV] appearance -Kissinger -Rally US population -North Vietnam -Negotiating position -Secret negotiations [?] -Polish diplomats -Hospital bombing -President’s intentions -Kissinger’s cable -B-52s -Losses -Melvin R. Laird -Compared to World War II -Air Force -Bombing success -Nagasaki -Morale -Navy -Morale -Army -South Vietnam -Bombing -Navy, Air Force -12- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -Impact -Vietnamization -Effect on Nguyen Van Thieu Stephen B. Bull [?] entered at an unknown time after 3:05 pm. Desk drawer Bull [?] left at an unknown time before 3:50 pm. Vietnam settlement -Bombing -Effect -Public support Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:05 pm. Refreshment Sanchez left at an unknown time before 3:50 pm. Vietnam settlement -Public support for President's position -Press, intellectuals, bureaucracy -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. -Gen. William C. Westmoreland -Letter to Haig -North Carolina -Support for President -POWs -Abrams -Attitudes -President’s actions -South Asia -Effect on PRC India-Pakistan war of 1971 -13- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -President's actions -Naval fleet -Criticism of President -PRC Vietnam -Haig's talk with Abrams -Army, Navy -[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II -Captain of ship State Department -Policy Planning Board -Kissinger treatment -Morale -Haig’s conversation with Elliot L. Richardson -NSC Foreign policy -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] strategy -Southeast Asia -US position -Unilateral disarmament -Threat of nuclear war -Conventional forces -Robert S. McNamara -Naval power -Spiro T. Agnew's trip -Thailand -Aid -Cambodia -Lee Kuan Yew -Ferdinand Marcos -Lt. Gen. T. N. J. Suharto -Adam Malik -Requests for US assistance -Australia, New Zealand, Canada -14- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -Military leaders in US -Compared to Winston Churchill's World War I analysis -Education -War college -Compared to State Department -Policy Planning Board -Quality of staff -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer -Joint Chiefs -Consensus reports -Depth -Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS] -Meetings with President -Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. -Kissinger -Honesty -David Eisenhower -Military opinions, ideas -Quality -State Department Policy Planning Board -Kissinger -Power -Advice for President -Cambodia -Troops -Aid to South East Asia -Advice for President -Interest in military services -Budget allocations -Strategy discussions -Recruitment of talent Policy planning -Trends from the 1960s -Compared to Kissinger’s style -Talent -Rejuvenation -15- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -State Department -Defense Department -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] -James R. Schlesinger -Informal sessions with President -Avoidance of press, publicity -Coordination -Kissinger -Crises -President’s conversation with Edward R. G. Heath -Europe -Criticism of December 1972 bombing -Press -Talent -David Eisenhower's advice -Utilization Europe -Haig’s view -Dealings with US -Japan -Great Britain -France -Germany -Support for the president -President's policies -Haig’s speech -Engagement with US -Benefits to relations -Reliability of US -West Germany -Willy Brandt US-India relations -Ambassador -Triloki Nath Kaul -16- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 [National security] [Duration: 36s] INTELLIGENCE END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 ****************************************************************************** US-India relations -Kaul ***************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 [National security] [Duration: 23s] US-INDIA RELATIONS END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4 **************************************************************************** US foreign policy and military strategies -Communications -Pentagon -Courts martial -Abrams -Policy planning -Utilization of talent -Rank -Field-grade officers -Effect on creative thinking -17- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -Quality staffing -State Department -Kissinger -President’s example -Bombing halt [?] -Telegrams -Col. Richard T> Kennedy -Camp David -Balanced view -Navy -David Eisenhower -Styx missile -Concerns -Soviet Union -Egypt -Israeli destroyer -Future wars -Scale -Soviet Union -Submarines -Pearl Harbor -Losses -Significance -Future wars -Tactical Air Force -Latin America -John A. Scali -Panama Canal settlement -State Department -Military diplomacy -Weapons sales -Kissinger -Frank F. Church -France -US role -JCS -Weapons sales -18- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -US role -France -Military involvement -State Department involvement -New perspectives -Europe ***************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 [National security] [Duration: 8s] NUCLEAR WEAPONS END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5 **************************************************************************** Middle East -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo -Oil -Israel -Golda Meir -Kissinger’s advice -Election -Solution to problems -Israel -US support -Oil -Saudi Arabia -[Shah of Iran] Mohammed Reza Pahlavi -Pipelines -Soviet Union Soviet Union -Relations with PRC -Import -19- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -Possible future actions -Europe, US -Attack on PRC ***************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6 [National security] [Duration: 7s] WAR PLANS END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6 **************************************************************************** PRC -Taiwan -Relations with US Ziegler entered at 3:50 pm. POWs -Raising of flag for Lyndon B. Johnson’s mourning -Ziegler’s conversation with Claudia Johnson -daughters -Change in statement -News summary -President’s telephone cal to Claudia Johnson -Rose Mary Woods -Flying of flag for POW welcome Press relations -President’s statement -Taping Ziegler left at 3:55 pm. -20- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) Kissinger -Policy planning -Attitude -Second Soviet Union summit -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] -Middle East -Europe -Dealings with subordinates -Staff -Intelligence -Loyalty -Intellectuals in government -Europe -Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions [MBFR] -Security conference -Economic issues -George P. Shultz -Qualities -John B. Connally -May 8, 1972 decision -1972 Moscow summit -Bombing Policy planning -Use of military -Richardson -State Department -Military personnel -Perspective -War colleges -World strategy -Mistakes -Kissinger -Pride -Successes -21- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Sept.10) Conversation No. 410-10 (cont’d) -PRC, Soviet Union, Vietnam -Compared to President -Vietnam settlement -Bombing -Poker analogy Haig left at 4:00 pm.