Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 040-029
Date: Tuesday, June 12, 1973 at 12:52 PM
Participants: Scowcroft, Brent G. (Gen.); Nixon, Richard M. (President)
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/040-029

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:04] General Scowcroft.
[0:07] Hello.
[0:08] Mr. President, General Scowcroft.
[0:10] Henry just called, sir, and he said they had a very, very long meeting.
[0:16] Some slight progress has been made.
[0:18] He has a cable coming into us now with a proposed message to Saigon.
[0:26] And we've alerted Ambassador Whitehouse to have somebody meet it.
[0:31] He said they're going to meet again at 12 o'clock Paris time.
[0:35] And this is Saigon's absolute last chance.
[0:41] So I presume... 12 o'clock midnight Paris time.
[0:45] Pardon?
[0:46] Midnight Paris time.
[0:48] Tomorrow morning.
[0:49] Tomorrow noon.
[0:49] Oh, they're going to meet again.
[0:50] They've got 24 hours.
[0:51] That's right.
[0:52] That's right.
[0:53] So we'll get the cable to you just as soon as it comes in.
[0:57] We'll have more details there, but I wanted you to know that... Well, the main thing is, rather than getting it to me, is frankly to get it out there.
[1:06] Oh, well, we'll get it right out there.
[1:07] I'd just fire the thing out.
[1:09] You know what I feel about it.
[1:10] And just say that my meeting with...
[1:14] There's a congressional uproar.
[1:16] on this, and that what is risked here is the whole aid program for the government of Vietnam.
[1:26] And that we cannot allow this to fail because of these two points, and that I have my absolute assurance that I will, you know what I mean, on the two points that they want, that I will publicly state that I support Saigon's position.
[1:44] But we must not give
[1:46] must not give their opponents in the Congress a chance to use Saigon's abstinence as the reason for this failing, okay?
[1:55] Yes, sir.
[1:56] Try that one once again.
[1:57] That's all I will add to the cable.
[1:59] Fire it off.
[1:59] Very good, sir.