Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-097

Nixon phone call with Scowcroft on Laos ceasefire and Cambodia

Thursday, February 15, 1973 · 4:50 PM–4:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Scowcroft, Brent G. (Gen.)Conversation043-097 on Tape 43StartThursday, February 15, 1973 at 4:50 PMEndThursday, February 15, 1973 at 4:52 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-097 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417194905 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with General Brent Scowcroft regarding the status of ongoing ceasefire negotiations in Laos and Cambodia to prepare for upcoming meetings with Senate leaders, including Mike Mansfield. Scowcroft reported that the Laos negotiations were in the final stages despite lingering disagreements over minor points. The President requested brief summaries on the status of these negotiations, as well as on potential economic aid to North Vietnam, to ensure he could adequately brief Congress and secure legislative support.

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.2 MB

NARA Description

On February 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft talked on the telephone from 4:50 pm to 4:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-097 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-97

Date: February 15, 1973
Time: 4:50 pm - 4:52 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 410-31 and Conversation No. 410-32]

       Stephen B. Bull

       Incoming call from Brent G. Scowcroft

       Bull's location
             -Requested call to the President

       Connection of Scowcroft call

The President talked with Scowcroft.

       Laos cease-fire
            -Status of negotiations
                  -The President’s breakfast meeting with Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
            -Cambodia negotiations
                                             -55-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 43-97 (cont’d)

             -The President’s instructions to Scowcroft
                  -Briefing paper
                        -Economic aid to North Vietnam
                        -The President’s meeting with Senate leaders

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

D1 General Scowcroft now?

Yeah, sure.

What is the situation with regard to that Laos ceasefire thing?

Is that still being pushed back?

It's still hanging fire, Mr. President.

There are two or three points on which they've not yet come to agreement.

For example, what the title of the Royal Ocean Government would be.

in an agreement and a couple of other points uh i probably will see mansfield in the morning couple others and they'll ask about it and what can i tell them sir can i give you just a brief paragraph on on where we stand what the issues are yeah and uh the uh we still expect to get it don't we yes oh yes yeah that's right that's just they're in the very the very final stages

But they're still hung up over a couple of points.

We are still positive rather than, we're optimistic rather than pessimistic on this.

I think so.

Give me a paragraph or two that I can talk to about Cambodia, if you would.

I certainly will.

Fine.

And also one paragraph with regard to communique is on that communique on

or just give me a paragraph on that.

So I have the three, I, they will know it, or will expose them, but I've got to emphasize them, and I've got to give them a little song and dance about it.

We need their support for it.

Right, sir.

Okay?

Certainly will.

Yes, sir, I'll get right into it.

We're going to discuss other things, but I know these questions they will ask.

Very good.

And we can have at it.

Thank you very much.

I'll get in there very shortly, sir.

Right.

Also recorded on February 15, 1973

043-094 4:34 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 4:34 pm to 4:35 pm.
043-218 4:34 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:34 pm and 4:35 pm.
043-095 4:36 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 4:36 pm to 4:41 pm.
043-096 4:42 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone from 4:42 pm to 4:44 pm.
043-098 4:52 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:52 pm and 4:54 pm.
043-099 4:54 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 4:54 pm to 4:56 pm.
043-100 4:57 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 4:57 pm to 4:58 pm.
043-101 4:58 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:58 pm and 6:20 pm.

All 45 conversations from February 15, 1973 →

Nixon phone call with Albert on Cambodia and Congressional Relations June 22, 1973 · 5 min
Nixon & Mansfield on Foreign policy and Diplomacy January 27, 1972 · 7 min
Nixon & Stennis on U.S.-China relations and Laos ceasefire February 21, 1973 · 3 min
Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Laos February 22, 1973 · 3 min
Nixon phone call with Haig on Vietnam War and Cambodia March 30, 1973 · 13 min
Nixon phone call with Timmons on Congressional relations May 10, 1973 · 3 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-097, February 15, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417194905). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-097 (accessed November 2, 2026).