Conversation: 720-004
Prev: 720-003 Next: 720-005Start Date: 5-May-1972 8:55 AM
End Date: 5-May-1972 10:09 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Brennan, Peter J.; Woods, Rose Mary; Bull, Stephen B.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)];Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:10:13
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:26:15
NARA Description:
On May 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Peter J. Brennan, Rose Mary Woods, Stephen B. Bull, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:55 am to 10:09 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 720-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 720-4 Date: May 5, 1972 Time: 8:55 am - 10:09 am Location: Oval Office The President talked with Peter J. Brennan. [Conversation No. 720-4A] [See Conversation No. 23-164] Rose Mary Woods entered at 8:56 am. [End of telephone conversation] Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 8:58 pm. Henry A. Kissinger -Location -Meeting with the President -Time Bull left at an unknown time before 9:14 am. Tricia Nixon Cox -Interview with Barbara Walters -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon's report -Walters's demeanor -Tricia Nixon Cox's appearance -Walters's questions 3 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Anti-war hecklers -George S. McGovern's appeal -Tricia Nixon Cox's handling -Tricia Nixon Cox's appearance -Tricia Nixon Cox's self-assessment -Personal strength -Manner -Comments on the President's job -Manner Julie Nixon Eisenhower -Meeting with the President Nixons' travel -Mrs. Nixon -Ronald L. Ziegler -Funding -Julie Nixon Eisenhower's public appearances -Woods's opinion -Mrs. Nixon -Democrats ********************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 [Personal Returnable] [Duration: 10m 49s ] END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 ********************************************************************** Forthcoming letter to Francis E. Meloy, Jr. -Retirement of Donald L. Jackson -Dictation Kissinger entered at 9:14 am. Kissinger's previous speech in New York -Response 4 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Soviet Summit -Asia Society -People's Republic of China [PRC] trip -Foreign Affairs Council -Audience -Columbia University/Time-Life sponsorship -Kissinger statement on Vietnam -A heckler -Hedley W. Donovan -Applause Vietnam -Press reports -President's talk with Brennan -Effect of President's televised speeches -Lyndon B. Johnson comparison -Kissinger's Asia Society audience -Statement -Response -Donovan Woods's schedule -New York Kissinger's schedule -Speeches Woods's schedule -Camp David -Visit -President's trip -Departure time Woods left at 9:15 am. Soviet Union -Kissinger's meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin -The President’s instructions -Mrs. Nixon -Irina N. Dobrynin Vietnam -North Vietnam offensive 5 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -US response -Planning -Orders to Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer -Kissinger's schedule -President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board [PFIAB] meeting -Meeting with Haig and Moorer -Leak on blockade -Dan Rather’s report -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -John A. Scali -Haldeman -John D. Ehrlichman Haldeman entered at 9:21 am. -Rather -Ehrlichman -Richard A. Moore -Charles W. Colson -Scali -News reports -Rather -Wall Street Journal -Rather report -Source -Melvin R. Laird -Moorer -State Department leak -Robert Keatley [?] report -Terms for settlement -Source -William H. Sullivan -Cable about cease-fire -William P. Rogers -Leonid I. Brezhnev -Haig -Rogers -Department of Defense [DOD] briefing -Soviet arms -Speculation -President’s previous remarks -Settlement -Blockade 6 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Bombing -Sources -Marvin L. Kalb report -Sources -Rather report -Sources -Haig -Press -White House staff -The President’s instructions -Moorer -Plans -Kissinger meeting with Moorer -Attendees -Time -President's review -Haldeman -Notes Haldeman left at 9:30 am. -State Department involvement -Timing -Rogers -U. Alexis Johnson -Blockade -Advantages -Disadvantages -Bombing -Disadvantages -Peace demonstrations -Blockade -Commitment -Soviet response -India's response -PRC response -Bombing -Targets -Dissent -Blockade -Advantages -Alternatives -Ground action 7 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Latest reports -Weakness -Kontum -North Vietnam casualties -North Vietnam attacks -US response -US landing in panhandle -Effect -US bombing -Effectiveness -Blockade -Effectiveness -Bombing -Impact -Haiphong -Hainan -President's instinct -Su Nan [Sp?] -William J. Porter walkout -Kissinger backgrounder -Talk with Henry Hubbard, Jerrold L. Schecter, and Max Frankel -Blockade -Kissinger's view -Public support -Advantages -Decisiveness -Effect on forthcoming election -End of war -Bombing -Advantages -John B. Connally's advice -Advantages -Soviet response -Cancellation of Summit An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 9:30 am. -Soviet Summit The unknown person left at an unknown time before 10:09 am. -Timing with North Vietnam offensive -Public perception 8 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Hue -Kontum An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 9:30 am. -Bombing -Timing The unknown person left at an unknown time before 10:09 am. -Lines of communication -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. -Ellsworth F. Bunker -Instructions -Abrams -The President -Kissinger -Bunker -Abrams -Laird -Moorer -Abrams -Laird -Abrams -Moorer -[David] Kenneth Rush -Bunker -Laird -Actions -Motives -US position -Haig -Moorer -Connally -Soviet reply to US message -Bombing -Soviet response -Effect on bombing -PRC summit -Effect of Hanoi and Haiphong bombing -Blockade -Soviet goals -Kissinger's assessment 9 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Foreign Affairs Council speech -Hubert H. Humphrey, McGovern, Edward M. Kennedy -Dealings with Soviets -Connally's advice -Escalation -Issues in Vietnam -Communist government -Control of US policy -US response -Peace offers -North Vietnam motives -US long-term interests -Soviet Summit -Cancellation -Connally's advice -Public response -Dwight D. Eisenhower’s cancelled trip to the Soviet Union -Eisenhower’s cancelled trip to Japan -The President’s trip while Vice President to Venezuela -Bombing -Soviet response -Summit -Comparison with blockade -Connally's advice -Avoidance of defeat -Bombing -Effectiveness -Blockade -Effectiveness compared with bombing -Commitment -Soviet Union response -PRC response -President's foreign policy -Risks -Legacy -PRC -Compared to Laos operation -End of war -President's efforts -Dealing with Soviets, PRC, Europeans, and Japanese -Alternatives to President -Connally -McGovern 10 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Humphrey -Kennedy -Ability to conduct foreign policy -US stakes -President's incumbency -US foreign policy -Rogers and Laird -Disentanglement from war -North Vietnam terms -Kissinger’s view -May 31, 1971 proposals -Forthcoming election -Effect on South Vietnam -Blockade compared with bombing -North Vietnam actions -Break-off of talks -Responsibility -Porter -Peace groups -Press coverage Forthcoming election -Democrats -Draft of Connally -Possibility Vietnam -McGovern -Impact on US foreign policy -Humiliation -Blockade -Necessity -Bombing -Moorer -Extent -Civilian casualties -Targets -Petroleum, Oils, and Lubricants [POL] dumps -Dikes -Civilian casualties -Forthcoming study -President's familiarity -Evacuation of civilians 11 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Destruction -Impact -Questions raised by Kissinger -The President’s view -Effectiveness -Coordination with blockade -Relationship to averting defeat -Return of prisoners of war [POWs] -South Vietnam performance -Collapse -Losses -Kontum -Provincial capitals -Slow movement -Quang Tri -Capture -Value -Blockade -Effectiveness -Only sure option -Peace terms -Nguyen Van Thieu -US dignity Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:30 am. Forthcoming PFIAB meeting -Delay -Refreshments Bull left at an unknown time before 10:09 am. Vietnam -Blockade and bombing -Effect on South Vietnam -Effect on North Vietnam -Connally's comment -Haig -Trip to South Vietnam -Haldeman -Trip to South Vietnam -Abrams -Lt. Col. W.E. Depuy 12 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Kissinger’s view -Assignment -Bunker -Responsibility to the President -New assignment -Replacement for Abrams -Laird involvement -Kissinger’s view -Kissinger's call to Laird -President's meeting with Laird and Rogers -Johnson -Cable from Bunker -Kissinger’s view -Contents -Abrams -Moorer -Abrams -Bunker -Moorer -Rush -Laird -President's meeting with Laird about the blockade -Kissinger's instructions -Secrecy -Rogers and Cambodia comparison -President's need for Laird's support -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] comparison -President's decision on blockade -Rogers -Meeting with the President -Time -Day -Kissinger's schedule -Day -President's speech -President's meeting with Rogers -Laird -Meeting with Kissinger -Briefings -Congressmen -Rogers -John J. McCloy -Announcement 13 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 72-4 (cont.) -Time -J. William Fulbright -Michael J. Mansfield -Rogers -Laird -Kissinger's briefings -Press -Timing -The President’s view -Kissinger meeting with Dobrynin -Manner -Speculation -Response to questions -Chou En-lai Kissinger left at 10:09 am.