Conversation No. 808-13

Date: October 27, 1972
                                             25
                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. Dec-03)

Time: 3:45 pm - 4:40 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

        Vietnam settlement
            -Reaction
                -Kissinger’s conversation with Ronald W. Reagan
                -John B. Connally
                -Reagan’s views
                     -Malibu
                     -Coalition government
                -Terms

        Negotiations
           -Pre-1972 election
           -North Vietnamese statement, October 27, 1972
           -Initialing of agreement, October 31, 1972
                 -Le Duc Tho
           -November 1, 1972 meeting
                 -Implementation
           -North Vietnamese position
                 -Timing
           -US position
                 -Media relations

        Forthcoming meeting between the President and Prince Souvanna Phouma
            -Duration
            -William H. Sullivan
            -William P. Rogers
            -Sullivan
                -The President’s appreciation

        Vietnam issue
            -Louis P. Harris poll
                -George S. McGovern

Phouma, Pheng Norindr, Sullivan, and Alec G. Toumayan entered at 3:48 pm; the White House
photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting.

        Greetings
                                    26
             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                            Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. Dec-03)


[Photographic session]

The President’s schedule
    -1972 election

Vietnam settlement
    -Briefing by Sullivan
    -Effects on Laos
    -Effects on Vietnam
    -Timing of cease-fire in Laos and in Vietnam
        -Phouma’s conversations with Kissinger and Rogers
        -Lag between cease-fires
        -Use of time by Pathet Lao
        -Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese offensive
             -Intention
             -Reaction
             -Timing
                  -October 15, 1972
    -Military equipment
        -Phouma’s conversation [David] Kenneth Rush
        -T-28 bombers
        -Helicopters
             -Machine guns
        -Anti-aircraft guns
             -Purpose
                  -Defense of Long Thieng and Bouamlong
                      -North Vietnamese air attacks
             -North Vietnamese air attacks
                  -Vientiane
        -Effect of cease-fire on arms requests
    -Future of Laos under cease-fire
        -1961-62 agreements
             -Coalition government
                  -Tripartite structure
        -Neutralist stance
        -Pathet Lao seats
             -Vacancy
        -Pathet Lao
             -Acceptance of 1962 Geneva and Plain of Jars accords
                  -Basis for agreement
                                27
        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Dec-03)

-Pathet Lao adherence to the 1962 agreement
    -Possible US request of Moscow and Peking
    -Plain of Jars agreement
-General elections
    -Integration of Pathet Lao Congress into National Congress
    -Integration of forces into National Army
-Pathet Lao stance
    -New government
         -Tripartite government
              -Laotian stance
    -Vietnam negotiations
-Nature of Pathet Lao
    -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
    -Soviet Union
    -Divisions of Pathet Lao
-Vietnam settlement
    -Relation to Laos
    -Relation to Cambodia
    -Laos
         -Problems
              -Compared to Cambodia
         -Existing agreement among factions
              -1961-62
-Vietnam
-Vietnam settlement
    -Briefing by Sullivan
-Cease-fire compared to settlement
-Provisions of agreement
    -Article 15A
         -Cease-fire plus provisions of 1962 agreement
-Agreement to 1962 agreement
    -Kissinger’s conversation with Sullivan
    -Political compared to cease-fire solution in Laos
    -Commitment of North Vietnam
         -Negotiations
-North Vietnam halt to military action
         -South Vietnam
         -Laos
         -Cambodia
         -Laos
-Kissinger
                                 28
         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. Dec-03)

-Sullivan
-Details
-1962 agreement
-Interest of parties
     -Compliance
-North Vietnamese intentions
     -Expansionistic policies
-Vietnamese
     -Kissinger’s view
-Laotian deaths since 1962
     -Military
     -Civilian
     -Refugees
-Refugee problem
     -Numbers
     -Movement
     -North Vietnamese
          -Intentions
-North Vietnamese intentions
     -Necessity
     -Effects of War
          -Causalities
               -South Vietnam
               -Bombing
               -Mining
               -Laos
               -Cambodia
          -Pause in actions outside North Vietnam
               -Use
-Soviet Union and PRC
     -Intentions
-Interests
     -Kissinger
     -Sullivan
     -Rogers
     -Good faith of US
     -End of war
     -Intention of enemy
     -Use of pause to resist communism
          -US Air Force
               -Thailand
                               29
        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                        Tape Subject Log
                          (rev. Dec-03)

    -Assistance to Laos
        -Sullivan
              -Congress
-US military involvement in Vietnam
    -Phouma’s forthcoming conversations with world leaders
        -Laos position in the world
    -Effect on Southeast Asia
    -US interest
        -Thailand
        -Cambodia
        -South Vietnam
        -Indonesia
        -Indochina
        -Malaysia
        -Singapore
    -US assistance
    -US relationship with Southeast Asia
        -American people
              -Public opinion
        -US leadership
              -Support of independent governments
                   -Right to independence
-US offer of aid for Indochina reconstruction
    -North Vietnamese
        -Compared to Japanese
        -Overcoming problems
        -Surrender
        -Future plans
              -Laos
              -Cambodia
              -South Vietnam
        -Rebuilding of North Vietnam
    -North Vietnamese army
        -Dien Bien Phu
              -Defeat of French
              -Gen.Vo Nguyen Giap
        -Soviet intentions
        -PRC
              -Road construction in northern Laos
                   -Mekong River
                   -Dien Bien Phu
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                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Dec-03)

             -Phouma
                 -North Vietnamese intentions
             -US intentions
                 -Good faith
                 -Exertion of influence for peace
             -North Vietnamese intentions
                 -Skepticism

         Phouma’s departure
            -Car

Phouma, et al., left at 4:40 pm.