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Conversation: 807-007

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Start Date: 26-Oct-1972 9:22 AM

End Date: 26-Oct-1972 9:54 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.Bull, Stephen B.Ziegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Oval Office

807-007a.mp3

807-007b.mp3

NARA Description:

On October 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:22 am to 9:54 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 807-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 807-7

Date: October 26, 1972
Time: 9:22 am - 9:54 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

         New York Times story
            -Ronald L. Ziegler’s possible comment
            -Paris

         Release of settlement terms by Democratic Republic of Vietnam [DRV] [North
             Vietnam]
             -Paris story
                 -Leak
                       -State Department
             -Demands of North Vietnam
                 -Signing of agreement
                       -October 31, 1972
             -Kissinger’s forthcoming briefing
                 -Purpose
                 -Aspects
                       -Procedure
                       -Substance
                       -Future
                 -Procedural details
                       -Progress during October 1972
                       -Hanoi
                                                 15
                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                          Tape Subject Log
                                            (rev. Oct-03)

                          -Timing of agreement
                               -November 1, 1972
                               Deadline
                      -Progress
                          -Shape of agreement
                      -US goals
                          -International machinery
                               -Timing of introduction
                                    -Enemy activity
                                    -Saigon
                                    -Bloodbath
                      -Elections
                          -Pham Van Dong interview [with Arnaud de Borchgrave]
                               -Timing
                               -Clarification
                          -Vietnamese compared to English translation
                      -Signing of document
                          -Details
                               -Four party compared to two party
                      -US position on solving problems
                          -The President's messages to Dong
                          -Deadline
                          -Review
                               -The President’s May 8, 1972 statement
                          -Missing in action [MIA's]
                               -Laos
                               -Cambodia

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:22 am.

         Kissinger’s schedule

         Vetoes
             -Signings
                 -John D. Ehrlichman

The President and Bull left at 9:30 am.

The President entered at 9:33 am.

         Vietnam settlement agreement
             -Kissinger’s forthcoming briefing
                             16
    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. Oct-03)

-Timing
-Procedural details
-Prisoners of war [POW's]
-MIAs
-Imposition of Communist government in South Vietnam
     -Provisions of agreement
         -Cease-fire
              -Elections
-Coalition government in South Vietnam
-Participation of South Vietnamese government
     -Consultation
     -Veto
-Quality of Agreement
     -Timing
         -1972 election
-US sacrifices
     -Communist government in South Vietnam
-Rhetoric
-Perception of public
     -Reasons for agreement
         -North Vietnam’s publication of terms
     -McGovern campaign
-North Vietnamese position
     -Timing of negotiations
         -Strategy
              -Possible US military action
-McGovern statements
     -Effect on negotiations
     -Argument on when cease-fire terms were available
         -Hanoi statement of new initiative of October 8, 1972
-US options
     -Possible bombing north of 20th Parallel
         -North Vietnam’s cadre
              -Ceasefire
-US position
     -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
     -US sorties
         -20th parallel
     -McGovern
         -Chance for peace
     -Pressure on North Vietnamese
         -Timing
                            17
    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                    Tape Subject Log
                      (rev. Oct-03)

              -November 8, 1972
     -McGovern statement
         -Chance for peace
     -Tone
         -Progress
         -Perception by public
              -1972 election
              -McGovern
-North Vietnamese position
     -Demands for signing
     -Nguyen Van Thieu
         -Position
-Predictions of peace
     -December 1, 1972
-North Vietnamese forces
     -Cadres
     -Communications
-Bombing halt
     -Mining
-Additional meetings
     -Bombing halt
         -Effect on public opinion
              -Public compared to private statement
-Attitude toward Hanoi
-Attitude toward McGovern
     -Effect by McGovern on negotiations
-Timing of peace terms
     -1969
-McGovern position compared to current settlement
     -POWs
     -Cease-fire
     -Help for South Vietnam
     -Withdrawal from Cambodia and Laos
     -Peace with honor compared to peace with surrender
         -The President’s May 8, 1972 statement
     -Position with regard To North Vietnam
     -Public compared with private statements
         -Bombing
-Terms of treaty
-Timing of signing
-Enforcement of terms
     -Technicalities
                            18
    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                    Tape Subject Log
                      (rev. Oct-03)

          -Thieu
          -Future meeting
-Timing of signing
-Details of agreement
-Laos agreement of 1962
     -State Department
     -Quality
          -Details
               -Compared to current settlement
          -Results
-William P. Rogers
     -Canadian talks on International Commission of Control and Supervision
     [ICCS]
-Focus of agreement
     -Machinery to enforce terms
     -Permanence of terms
     -Cambodia
     -Laos
     -Laos agreement
-Statement about Hanoi and South Vietnam
     -Terms
          -Satisfaction
-Necessity of proper terms
-The President's work on agreement
     -John B. Connally
     -Public perception
     -The President’s messages
     -Credit
-Points to be clarified
     -Peace group influence
-Hedley W. Donovan
     -Forthcoming telephone call from Kissinger
     -Timing of agreement
          -1972 election
          -Public morality
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Howard K. Smith
-Richard (”Dick”) Wilson
-William S. White
-Joseph W. Alsop
-Interpretation of terms
     -1972 election
                                                 19
                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Oct-03)

                 -New York Times story
                     -Leak
                          -State Department
                          -French
                     Inaccuracies
                 -Predictions
                 -Vietnamese
                 -Account of Battle of Tannenberg and Battle of Lemberg
                     -Taking advantage of opportunities
                     -Paul Von Hindenberg
                     -Gen. Erich von Ludendorff
                     -Gen. Hermann von Francois
                     -Gen. Max Hoffmann
                 -Television coverage
                     -Location
                     -Kissinger’s preference

Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:33 am.

        Request for Ziegler to join meeting

Bull left at an unknown time before 9:52 am.

        Kissinger’s forthcoming briefing
            -Television coverage

        Vietnam settlement agreement
            -McGovern campaign issues
                -Patrick J. Buchanan’s view [News summary item]
                     -Vietnam and corruption
                         -Supporting editorials
            -Vietnam as campaign issue
            -Signing of agreement
                -Timing

Ziegler entered at 9:52 am.

        Kissinger's briefing
            -Press room
            -Cameras
            -Taping
                -Press corps
                                             20
                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Oct-03)

                      -Number
                      -Press room compared to East Room
              -Timing of briefing

Kissinger left at 9:53 am.

         Kissinger's briefing
             -Tone

Ziegler left at 9:54 am.