Conversation: 716-004
Prev:  716-003 Next: 716-005Start Date: 1-May-1972 5:57 PM
End Date: 1-May-1972 6:47 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; Butterfield, Alexander P.; Sanchez, Manolo; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:49:11
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:39:59
NARA Description:
On May 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:57 pm to 6:47 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 716-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 716-4 Date: May 1, 1972 Time: 5:57-6:47 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. Henry A. Kissinger -Final instructions for meeting with Le Duc Tho -Schedule Vietnam -Ronald L. Ziegler -North Vietnamese offensive -Ceasefire -Kissinger's statements -Tone -Compared to the President -News summary -Haldeman's notes -Murray Marder -Meeting -John A. Scali, Ziegler -Kissinger -Discussion with President -William P. Rogers’s statement -Kissinger's statement -Differences from President -Rogers -Scali, Charles W. Colson and Ziegler -State Department -Richard M. Helms -News reports -Distortions of Kissinger's statement -Le Duc Tho -President's approach -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.'s briefing -Quang Tri -Kontum 21 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Dec-01) Conv. No. 716-4 (cont.) -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -South Vietnamese losses -Scali -Abrams -US bombing -Negotiations -Plenary session -Walkout by William J. Porter -North Vietnamese offensive -US bombing Kissinger entered at 6:01 pm. -Opposition -Charles H. Percy -Nelson A. Rockefeller -Percy -Poll results -Release -Breakdown -Public support -Use in negotiations Soviet Union -Leonid I. Brezhnev's letter -Meeting with President -Vietnam -References -Differences -Soviet visit to Hanoi -Democratic Republic of Vietnam [DRV] -DRV readiness to negotiate -US military action -Bombing -Haiphong -President's visit to Soviet Union -Arrangements -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin -Leningrad -Television appearance -Text for translation 22 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Dec-01) Conv. No. 716-4 (cont.) -Dwight L. Chapin -Church service -Scali -Public knowledge -Church service -Publicity -William F. (“Billy”) Graham -Soviet plane -Agreement -Chapin -Trip to Leningrad -Trip to Kiev -Summit -Cancellation possibility -Soviet intentions -North Vietnamese offensive -Blockade -Prisoners of war [POWs] Vietnam -North Vietnamese offensive -Victories -Quang Tri -Abrams's report -Army of the Republic of Vietnam's [ARVN] performance -Abrams’s view -Military leadership -Gen. [Forename unknown] Thieu [sp?] -Gen. Ngo Quang Truong -Hue, Kontum -Ellsworth F. Bunker -Nguyen Van Thieu -Prognosis -ARVN -Morale -Abrams's report -US air support -Battle zone -Air action -Abrams's report -ARVN morale 23 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Dec-01) Conv. No. 716-4 (cont.) -ARVN losses -Kontum -Hue -Impact of possible loss -Casualties -Number of refugees -Military Region [MR] One -Abrams's report -ARVN morale -North Vietnamese losses -US air support -ARVN performance -Cooperation among commanders -25th Division -Activities -An Loc -Comparison with Quang Tri -Planning -ARVN performance -Compared with previous situation in Laos -Coordination -MR Three -MR Four -Weather -MR Three -MR Two -Hue -Abrams's report -President's evaluation -ARVN morale -Leadership in MR 1 -Quang Tri -Loss -MR Two -22nd Division -An Loc -ARVN performance -North Vietnamese losses -Calculations -US air power -ARVN losses 24 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Dec-01) Conv. No. 716-4 (cont.) -MR Three -25th Division -Tai Nien [sp?] -An Loc -21st Division -Units in action -Abrams's report -Laird -The President’s view Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] -Previous meeting -Laird’s performance Vietnam -Gen. Hoang Xuan Lam -Kissinger's impression -Haig -Laos operation -Abilities -North Vietnamese offensive -ARVN -1st Division -Performance at Firebase Bastogne -Haig’s view -Northern Group -Hue area -Quang Tri -B-52 strikes -Abrams's report -Flexibility -Air strikes -Impact on ARVN morale -Flexibility -Psychological effects -Hanoi and Haiphong -Saigon -Hanoi -Schedule -Blockade -Kissinger briefing 25 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Dec-01) Conv. No. 716-4 (cont.) -Washington Special Action Group [WSAG] meeting -Implementation -Necessity -South Vietnamese collapse -POWs -Impact on Soviets -Soviet Summit -President's speech -Mail response -Max Ascoli -Contribution to President's campaign -North Vietnamese offensive -Abrams's report -Impact -ARVN performance -Provincial capitals -Bunker -Meeting with Thieu -Purpose -Abrams’s briefing -North Vietnamese offensive -Losses -B-52 raids -Impact -Compared to World War II -Losses -Extent -Air strikes -Tactical air [TACAIR] -Impact -Number of planes -Compared to World War II -Abrams’s view -Strength -Israel -Phantom airplanes -Performance in Middle East -Dien Bien Phu -Viet Minh -Negotiations in Paris -Kissinger's return to US 26 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Dec-01) Conv. No. 716-4 (cont.) -Announcement -Time SALT -President's meeting -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer -Rogers -Gerard C. Smith -The President’s view -Brezhnev's proposals -Contents -Rogers’s view -Moorer’s view -Smith’s acceptance draft -Kissinger’s view -Dobrynin's response -Smith's proposals -Submarines -Limits -Moorer -Haig -Laird, Helms, Moorer -Smith -Rogers -Submarine-launched ballistic missiles [SLBMs] -Rogers -The President’s view -Congress -[Arms Control Disarmament Agency] -Kissinger -Brezhnev -Smith -Comments compared with those relating to Berlin Agreement -John J. McCloy -Gen. Lucius DuB. Clay, Jr. -Motivation -Kissinger's position -Brezhnev proposals Vietnam -North Vietnamese offensive 27 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Dec-01) Conv. No. 716-4 (cont.) -ARVN performance -US bombing -North Vietnamese attitude -Bombing -Hanoi -Haiphong -Soviet Summit -Possibility of cancellation -Press -Kissinger's position -Soviet Summit -Cancellation by Soviet Union -Intentions -Dobrynin -Cancellation by US -President's initiative -Ziegler -Press campaign -Cambodia -Laos -Possible end of war -Timing -North Vietnamese offensive -ARVN capabilities -North Vietnamese resolve -A helicopter -Losses -Missing in action [MIA] -Prisoners of war [POWs] -US retaliation -ARVN morale -Limit of endurance -Artillery capacities -Kissinger's trip -Message Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 6:41 pm. Kissinger left at 6:42 pm. Rose Mary Woods 28 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Dec-01) Conv. No. 716-4 (cont.) Items for the President’s signature Butterfield left at 6:45 pm. Woods -Talked with the President about Quang Tri SALT -Smith -Rogers's performance -The President’s view -Reason -Soviet submarines -President's response to proposals Woods John D. Ehrlichman Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 6:45 pm. President's schedule Sanchez left at an unknown time before 6:47 pm. Vietnam -North Vietnamese offensive -Capabilities -Kissinger -US public opinion -Support for bombing -Haiphong -Kissinger’s view -Press -Haig -Soviet Summit -Impact -Kissinger Haldeman left at 6:47 pm. 29 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Dec-01)