Conversation: 705-002
Prev:  705-001 Next: 705-003Start Date: 10-Apr-1972 8:57 AM
End Date: 10-Apr-1972 9:55 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:19:15
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:17:51
NARA Description:
On April 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:57 am to 9:55 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 705-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 705-2 Date: April 10, 1972 Time: 8:57 am - 9:55 am Location: Oval Office The President met with Henry A. Kissinger. Vietnam -Military operations -Reports from Military Region One -Tank battle -Quang Tri -North Vietnamese losses -Tanks -Numbers -Personnel -Numbers -South Vietnamese claims -North Vietnamese attacks -Coordination -Problems -Reports from US advisors -Kissinger’s view -Use of tanks -Possible difficulties -George S. Patton 2 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Performance comparisons -South Vietnamese artillery -Success -South Vietnamese tanks -Effectiveness -Region One -Casualties -Press reports -The President's television speech -Kissinger’s opposition -Sense of crisis -Kissinger’s upcoming conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -Military operations -Region Two -B-52 strikes -Status -Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s presence at meeting -The President’s plan -Military operations -Vinh -Air strikes -B-52s -B-52s -Use in North Vietnam -1968 -Impact -Soviets -The President's speech -Kissinger’s opposition -Administration’s proposed show of strength -Negotiations -Domestic opinion -Ground forces -US policies -Attrition -President’s view Alexander M. Haig, Jr. entered at 9:02 am. -Military operations -Weather in Region One 3 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Concentration of force -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. and Gen. John W. Vogt, Jr. -Region Three -Saigon -Air strikes -Region One -Timing -Scope of attacks -US Air Force [USAF] -Weather -B-52s -Bomb damage assessments -Expanse in area -Weather -Increase in tonnage -Abrams and Vogt -Need to concentrate force -President’s view -Improvements in strategy -Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson -The President’s instructions to Haig -An loc -Situation of South Vietnamese division -Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] defections -News reports -New York Times reporter in Paris -Military operations -B-52s -Past use against North Vietnam -Washington Post and New York Times reports -South Vietnamese performance -Ground forces -North Vietnamese tanks -Destruction -Public relations value -Air strikes -First division -Hue -Destroyers -Damage and casualties -Chance of South Vietnamese success 4 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] -Kissinger's conversation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin Haig left at 9:09 am. -Military operations -Air strikes on Vinh -Radar -Accuracy -Damage reports -Effectiveness -North Vietnam’s reaction -Necessity -Kissinger’s approval -Melvin R. Laird and Abrams -Psychological impact -North Vietnamese offensive -Chance of failure -B-52 strikes -Air field, truck parts -Blockade -Instruction to Adm. Thomas H. Moorer -Establishment -Hanoi -Impact on negotiations -USSR -Dobrynin -Conversation with Kissinger -The President’s view -Negotiations -Private talks -Possible USSR purpose -The President’s instructions to Kissinger -Possible settlement -Advantages to US -Kissinger’s view -The President’s upcoming speech -J. William Fulbright's criticism -The President's speech -Problems -Kissinger’s concern 5 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Opposition’s criticism -Hubert H. Humphrey and Edmund S. Muskie -Anthony Lewis's article in New York Times -Lewis -Impact on public opinion -The President’s view -Domestic opposition to war -The President’s trip to Philadelphia -Timing -The President's trip to Canada -Demonstrations -Press reports -The President's trip to Philadelphia -Demonstrations -Impact on Hanoi -Kissinger’s opinion -Demonstrations -Kissinger’s message to Dobrynin -US stance -Compared to Johnson -News reports -Alarmism -Abrams’s interview -Benefits and potential drawbacks -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo’s opinion -North Vietnamese offensive -The President's speech -Success of Vietnamization -Winston S. Churchill -Disadvantages -Sense of crisis -Compared with Laos operation -Haldeman's view -Previous support from Kissigner -Tchepone -Public opinion -People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip -Polls -Problems -Soviet summit -Impact of US success and failure 6 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Polls -Polls -Soviet arms -India -Southeast Asia -The President's speech -Soviet role in Vietnam -Use of latest technological equipment -Support of South Vietnam -Morale -US role -Air and naval power support -North Vietnamese success -Soviet role in Vietnam -Damage to US credibility -Encouragement to aggression -Middle East -The Americans -Europe -Stakes of war -William L. Safire -State Department [?] -Soviet role -Haig’s previous conversation with the President -Haig’s view -W[illiam] Averell Harriman -Past interpretations -Henry Cabot lodge -The President’s previous visits to Vietnam -Lodge’s previous visits to Vietnam -Compared to Kissinger -Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor -William J. Porter -Objectives -PRC -India-Pakistan War -William P. Rogers and State Department -Objectives -Jordan -Syria -The President's analysis 7 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Kissinger’s agreement -Signing ceremony for the convention of chemical and biological weapons [CBW] -Timing -The President's remarks -Kissinger’s view -The President's speech -Advantages and disadvantages -Negotiations -Domino theory -Soviet summit -News reports -Kissinger’s attendance at gridiron dinner, April 9, 1972 -Possible opinions of the media and politicians -Victories -Publicity -Military Region One -Stories in the New York Times and Washington Post -North Vietnamese advances -Military Region One -Military Region Three -An loc -Quality of ARVN division -Chance of defeat -Possible fall -South Vietnamese strengths -Abrams’s and Ellsworth F. Bunker's assessments -Current situation -Military Region One -Stabilization -Counterattack -Tanks -Destruction -Number -Military Region Two -Intelligence reports -Prisoners of war [POWs] -North Vietnamese losses -Air strikes -B-3 -Military Region Three 8 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Reinforcements -South Vietnamese divisions -Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu's assessment -Airborne brigade -Binh Long -Bunker’s view -Military Region Four -Small unit actions -Duration of offensive -Interrogation of POWs -North Vietnamese losses -Tanks -Numbers -Casualties -Withdrawals -Cambodia -North Vietnamese divisions -Military Region One -Reorganization -Timing of military operations -Air support -Counterattacks Abrams and Bunker -Reports -The President's handling of crisis -US bombing -US options -Possible blockade -The President's speech -Kissinger’s opposition -Future public appearances from the President -Philadelphia -Kissinger’s trip to Japan -Cancellation -Soviet response -Possible blockade -USSR -Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin -Johnson -US military action -Timing 9 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Role in North Vietnam -Speech -Diplomacy -Complexities -Rhetoric US-PRC relations -Compatibility of interests -Short term interests -Long term interests -CBW -The President's Canadian speech -Speechwriting -George S. McGovern Vietnam -William F., Jr. and James L. Buckley -Conversation with Kissinger -Timing -James Buckley -Speechwriting -Support for the President on bombing -B-52s -William Buckley -Conversation with Kissinger -Location -Call to brother -Talk with Kissinger -Conservatives -Support for the President -End to criticism of administration -William F. (“Billy”) Graham -Conversation with Kissinger -Support for the President -Call to other supporters -Attitude towards the war -Stakes in war -Election -The President's speechwriters -Raymond K. Price, Jr. and Lee W. Huebner -Safire 10 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Work with Kissinger -Phrase, The Guns of April -[Barbara Tuchman] and Guns of August -Safire -Price -Safire -Price -North Vietnamese offensive -Military situation -Reaction -The President’s effort -Press reports -Fear of South Vietnamese success -Possible events on May 1, 1972 -Withdrawals -An loc -Quang Tri and Kontum -The President's speech -Timing -Success of Vietnamization and Nixon Doctrine -Haldeman -Foreign policy -Advantages -American opinion -Disadvantages -Possible weakness in Administration’s stance -Timing -Impression on North Vietnam -Press -Nuclear weapons -Ronald L. Ziegler -Haldeman's judgment -Kissinger's judgment -Administration hawks -Weather -Air strikes -Military Region One -Impact -Concentration of force -Negotiations -Possible settlement 11 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Administrations possible tone -Kissinger's trip to Japan -Cancellation -The President’s schedule -Haldeman -Negotiations -Secret talks -Timing -The President’s report -Negotiations -Porter -Public talks -Role -Meeting with President -Porter’s location -Timing -Statements -Edward M. Kennedy, et al. -Possible Porter statement -North Vietnamese reply -US conditions to the North Vietnamese -Baltimore Sun -Disclosure of secret talks -Potential effect -Porter -Statement -US offers -Timing -Porter's posture -Rebozo's assessment -Resumption of talks -Timing -North Vietnamese offensive -Areas of fighting -Saigon -Attacks on US forces -Blockade -Losses -Chances of success -US air power -The President’s view 12 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -US counteractions -Concentration -The President's Soviet trip -North Vietnamese miscalculations -ARVN weakness -View of the President -Harriman, Clark M. Clifford -[Johnson] -Rogers and Laird -Handling of crisis -Laird -Toughness -US statements -Ziegler -Press reports -Robert B. Semple, Jr. report -Sense of crisis in White House -White House advisors -Concern -Statements to press -Ziegler -Max Frankel -Assistance from Kissinger -White House advisors -Semple -Cambodia and Laos -Kissinger, Haldeman, Alexander P. Butterfield, Charles W. Colson -Strength of stance -Weaknesses -John D. Ehrlichman -George P. Shultz -Price and Patrick J. Buchanan -Cabinet -Presidential responsibility -North Vietnamese offensive -Lack of support for US policy -Air strikes -B-52s -Hesitancy -Naval gunfire -Intensity 13 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 705-2 (cont.) -Manila -US military -Responsiveness to demands -Destroyers and cruisers -Panama Canal -Soviets Kissinger's schedule -Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] -Report to the President Kissinger left at 9:55 am.