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Conversation: 529-016

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Start Date: 28-Jun-1971 9:21 AM

End Date: 28-Jun-1971 10:04 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Ziegler, Ronald L.[Unknown person(s)]Kissinger, Henry A.Bull, Stephen B.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:39:11

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:21:11

529a.mp3

529b.mp3

529c.mp3

NARA Description:

On June 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, unknown person(s), Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:21 am to 10:04 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 529-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 529-16

Date: June 28, 1971
Time: 9:21 am - 10:04 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 9:22 am.

     Briefing
           -Camp David meeting
           -Cabinet meeting
           -Expected Supreme Court decision
                -Dynamics of decision
                     -Decisions versus opinions
                     -Timing of major decisions

Ziegler left at 9:24 am.

     Pentagon Papers
          -Congressional investigation
               -Carl B. Albert
               -Impact on Vietnam negotiations
                     -President’s conversation with David K.E. Bruce
                           -Prospects
                           -Recall of Bruce
               -Prospects for House passage of Mansfield Amendment
                     -Lucien N. Nedzi-Charles W. Whalen, Jr. amendment
                     -Whalen
                           -Alternative resolution
                           -Tactics
                     -John W. Byrnes
                     -Authority of resolution
                           -Impact
                     -House prospects
                           -Timing of introduction
                     -Conference tactics
                     -Senate filibuster on draft bill
                                         19

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/08)



                      -Impact
                -Clark MacGregor
                      -Fixed date fund cutoff in both houses
                -Henry A. Kissinger information
                -Fixed date fund cutoff
                      -Impact on negotiations
     -Statement by President
           -George P. Shultz                                   Conv. No. 529-16 (cont.)
           -John D. Ehrlichman
           -Charles W. Colson
           -Upcoming decision
           -Albert
           -F. Edward Hebert

President's schedule
     -New Hampshire and Maine
            -Visit by President
                  -Timing
                  -Ship conversion
                       -ACTION Project
                       -Portsmouth Navy Yard
     -Haldeman forthcoming conversation with William P. Rogers
     -Camp David trip

Pentagon Papers
     -Question and answer session
           -Ehrlichman
           -Timing
           -Value
           -Hostility of audience
           -Haldeman and Richard A. Moore preparations
     -George H. Mahon mailing
           -Attendance
     -Calls to Congressmen
           -Norris Cotton
           -Gerald R. Ford
           -Hugh Scott
           -Longevity of Congressmen
                 -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
                 -Duane J. Matthies [?]
     -MacGregor's expertise
           -Responsibility
                                              20

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



                 -Preparation for Richard H. Ichord
                      -Bryce N. Harlow
                      -Whalen
                 -Congressional tactics
           -Calls to Congressmen
                 -Albert
                 -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
                 -Other Congressmen                               Conv. No. 529-16 (cont.)

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 9:24 am.

     Request for Kissinger

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 9:39 am.

     President's schedule
          -Albert's health
                 -Effect on meeting with President
          -Congressional “Half -hour”, July 2
                 -T. Warren Parker
                 -Receiving line
                 -MacGregor
                 -Politically important people

Kissinger entered at 9:39 am.

     Casualties
          -Number
          -Trends
          -Play by media
                -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
                -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                -Washington Post/New York Times
                -Pentagon Papers
                     -Offensive in Vietnam

     President's talk with Albert
          -Effect of Congressional action
                 -Negotiations with the Soviet Union
                 -People’s Republic of China [PRC] negotiations
                 -Vietnam
                       -Bruce
                                       21

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/08)



                      -Recall
          -MacGregor's report
          -Filibuster in Senate
                -Benefit to administration
                      -PRC and Soviet Union trip announcements
     -Albert
          -Stand on Congressional action
          -Weekend schedule                                    Conv. No. 529-16 (cont.)
          -Health

Congressional action on Vietnam
     -Cutoff of funds
          -MacGregor's report
                 -Accuracy
          -Effect on US strategy
                 -Kissinger’s conversation with Nguyen Van Thieu
                      -Perception of President's action
                      -Strategy
                             -Timing
                             -PRC visit announcement
                             -End of combat announcement
                             -Soviet Union visit announcement
          -MacGregor's report
                 -Accuracy
          -Albert
          -Administration opponents
          -Albert
                 -Contact with John C. Watts
          -Congress
                 -Effect of other accomplishments
                      -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
                      -PRC initiative
                             -Ping-pong diplomacy
                 -Vietnam
                 -Robert J. Dole
                 -Two schools of thought
                      -President's success
                      -Dole
Vietnam
     -Vietnam strategy
          -"Lifeboat" concept
          -Need for strong front
                                         22

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                 Tape Subject Log
                                   (rev. 10/08)



     -Vietnam agreement
          -Terms
                -Ceasefire
                -Prisoners of War [POWs]
          -President's comments to Albert
          -President's comments to Mansfield
     -Support for President
          -Compared to support for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 Conv. No. 529-16 (cont.)
     -Vietnam agreement
          -Nine points
                -Supervision
                      -Changes
                -Ceasefire
                      -Use as bargaining chip
                -Support for Thieu, Nguyen Cao Ky, and Duong Van Minh
                -Support by South Vietnamese
     -Timing
          -Effect on US strategy
                -SALT
                -President's appearance on television
                      -Timing
                            -Effect on Audiences
     -News summaries
          -Length
                -Compared to foreign service reporting
                      -Good ambassadorial reports
                            -William C. Bullitt
                            -Joseph C. Grew

Pentagon Papers
     -Media coverage
           -Richard (“Dick”) Wilson
           -Peter Arnett of Associate Press
           -Arnett’s view of administration
           -Rationale for Arnett story
                 -Defense of Daniel Ellsberg
     -Ellsberg criminal prosecution
           -Counterattack after PRC announcement
           -Administration response
                 -Albert breakfast
                 -President’s contact with Mansfield
     -Bruce
                                            23

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



         -Albert
         -Bruce's efforts in PRC
              -Chou En-lai

    Foreign Policy
         -Triumphs
              -SALT
              -PRC                                               Conv. No. 529-16 (cont.)
         -Bruce's efforts in PRC
         -Soviet summit
              -Effect on Bruce's efforts in PRC
         -PRC strategy
              -Timing
         -Reaction of free Chinese to President's announcement
         -Soviet summit
              -Double play
              -Bruce
              -President's visit
                     -Compared with Bruce's visit
              -Prospects


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[National Security]
[Duration: 36s ]


    SOVIET UNION


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10

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         -Obsession with Vietnam
              -Effect of other events
              -Congressional action
                   -Effect of PRC announcement
                   -Cut-off of funds
                                             24

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/08)



                           -Effective date
           -Watershed of US policy
                -End of World War II
                -Civil War
           -PRC announcement
                -Length
                -Content
                      -"Peace" focus                                 Conv. No. 529-16 (cont.)
                           -Pacific region
                           -World
           -PRC trip
                -Attendance
                      -Rogers
                      -Democrats
                           -Mansfield
                      -Scott
                -Necessity of first visit by President
                      -Chou En-lai
                      -Handling by PRC
                           -Mansfield's letter to Norodom Sihanonk
                                  -Invitation by Chou to Mansfield
                -United Nations [UN] debate
                      -Rogers
                      -Timing
                      -PRC
                      -Chou En-lai
                      -Taiwan
                           -Reaction

Stephen B. Bull entered at 10:02 am.

     Schedule
          -Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy [CCEP]
          -Days engagements

Bull left at 10:03 am.

     Foreign policy
          -PRC trip
               -Attendance
                    -Richard A. Moore [?]
                         -Other Democrats
                                                25

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/08)



                                  -Press conferences

The President, Haldeman and Kissinger left at 10:04 am.