On September 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, John B. Connally, Gen George A. Lincoln, John N. Mitchell, Richard M. Helms, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, David Packard, John N. Irwin, II, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Col. Richard T. Kennedy, John H. Holdridge, and [Name withdrawn], met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 3:01 pm to 4:40 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 076-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 76-4
Date: September 20, 1971
Time: 3:01 pm - 4:40 pm
Location: Cabinet Room
The President met with Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird,
John B. Connally, General George A. Lincoln, John N. Mitchell, Richard M. Helms, Admiral
Thomas H. Moorer, David Packard, John N. Irwin, II, Henry A. Kissinger, General Alexander
M. Haig, Jr., Colonel Richard T. Kennedy, John H. Holdridge, and [Name withdrawn]
[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress]
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[This segment was declassified on 02/28/2002.]
[National Security]
[076-004-w001]
[Duration: 43m 17s]
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[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-014. Segment declassified on 04/18/2019. Archivist: DR]
[National Security]
[076-004-w001]
[Duration: 10m 23s]
Vietnam
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Opposition
-Supporters and Nguyen Cao Ky
-An Quang Buddhists
-An Quang-Nguyen Cao Ky combine
-Views of Nguyen Van Thieu's followers
-Support is tentative
-Tran Thien Khiem's views
-Alternative
-Future of Nguyen Van Thieu's government
-Army action
-Senior officials
-US aid
-Nguyen Van Thieu's future
-Assassination possibilities
-Nguyen Van Thieu's views
-View from Hanoi
-South Vietnam's political situation
-View of communists
-Instability
-Atmosphere in the US
-Saigon
-Further anti-war sentiment
-Moods in Saigon and in the US
-Communist view
-Future for communists
-Limited options
-Influence
-Covert assets
-Terrorism
-Capabilities
-Military force
-Influence of Nguyen Van Thieu's referendum
-Communist activists
-Military action
-Effect
-South Vietnam’s political future
-Local and guerrilla forces in South Vietnam
-Current struggles
-Large scale action in South Vietnam
-Supplies
-Ho Chi Minh trail
-Military pressure
-Area
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-Operation Lam Son 719
-Central highlands
-Infiltrators
-North Vietnam's intentions
-Dry season
-Hanoi
-Perceptions
-Soldiers and citizens
-Information, projections
-Situation in Hanoi
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] and US relations
-The President's announcement of Henry A. Kissinger's trip to Peking
-Results
-Propaganda
-The People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Assessment of Saigon politics
-Recent North Vietnamese flood
-Diversion of energies
-Military plans
-South Vietnam
-US
-Winter, spring campaign
-Troops
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-Effects of road construction
-Cambodia
-South Vietnam
-Readiness
-Cambodia and Laos
-North Vietnam's views
-Seasonal effects
-Wet and dry seasons
-Laos and the north
-Vang Pao
-Equipment
-Plain of jars
-Strategy
-Dry season
-Possible troop movements
-Laotian action
-Pak Niam
-Morale boost
-Haiphong
-Indochina as a whole
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Vietnam
-Laos
-US capabilities
-Cambodia
-North Vietnamese control
-Cambodian Military actions
-Logistics support
-Phnom Penh access
-Oil storage tanks
-Lon Nol
-South Vietnamese withdrawal
-Creighton W. Abrams, Jr., Frederick C. Weyand
-North Vietnamese action
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-Leadership
-South Vietnam's view
-Cambodian border
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Phase I of military program
-South Vietnamese leadership
-Ho Chi Minh trail
-US forces
-200,000 Americans
-Casualties
-Position
-Airplanes and helicopters
-Death rate
-Ground forces
-Infantry
-Artillery protection
-Location
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-North Vietnam
-South Vietnam
-South Vietnam
-Military
-Security
-Hardware
-Political structure
-Equipment
-Air Force, Navy
-New York Times account in Sunday edition
-Student uprising
-Popular support
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN-T-MDR-
2014-014. Segment exempt per Executive Order 13526, 3.3(b)(1) on 04/18/2019. Archivist: DR]
[National Security]
[076-004-w003]
[Duration: 2m 21s]
VIETNAM
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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Vietnam
-South Vietnam
-Unintelligible Army chief's name
-Military
-Nguyen Van Thieu's position
-US
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Contact
-Questions
-Military and security issues
-Vietnamization
-Deadlines
-US ships
-Materials
-Helicopters
-Training squadrons
-Equipment
-Transfers
-Combat divisions
-Target dates for withdrawal of US troops
-Saigon
-Amount of speculation
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Nguyen Van Thieu's view
-US tanks
-Japan
-Strategy of South Vietnamese generals
-September 1: number of US troops
-Withdrawal of combat forces
-US air capability
-Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Department of Defense [DOD]
-Thailand
-US troops
-B-52's
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-North Vietnamese border
-US in civilian areas
-Tactical fighters
-Casualties
-South Vietnamese
-Casualties
-North Vietnam
-US population
-Parliamentary elections
-Opposition
-US Vietnam critics
-The Presidential elections
-US efforts
-Projected outcome
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Nguyen Cao Ky
-Referendum
-Nguyen Van Thieu's opposition
-Choices
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Duong Van (“Big Minh”) Minh
-Nguyen Cao Ky
-Nguyen Van Thieu's views
-Buddhists
-US
-The President's recent press conference
-US troop withdrawal
-Recent news stories
-The President's decision
-US Navy [USN] and US Air Force [USAF]
-Congress
-Amendment
-Joseph M. Montoya
-Assistance to South Vietnam
-Vietnam election
-Contested election
-Nguyen Van Thieu's possible action
-Anti-war demonstrators in the US
-Vietnamization
-George S. McGovern
-US press attitude
-"Liberal" view
-Duong Van (“Big Minh”) Minh
-Popular view of Duong Van (“Big Minh”) Minh as president
-Ngo Dinh Diem's overthrow
-Press view
-Attica prison incident
-US forces, casualty levels
-Paris peace talks
-Proposals
-Reiteration
-The press and liberals
-The administration's spokesman
-Editorial writers
-withdrawal dates
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-US view
-Paris talks
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Political aspects of issue
-Humanitarian focus
-North Vietnamese
-US troop withdrawal
-US initiatives
-People’s Republic of China, the economy
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Vietnam
-Focus on issue
-Detroit News
-Possible demonstrators
-Report, President of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People
-Thursday demonstration
-Detroit
-Vietnam
-Response
-Possible speech by Rogers at the United Nations
-Scheduled fall demonstrations
-Congressional views
-Caucuses
-Democrats and Republicans
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
-Amendment
-Congressional action
-Military procurement bill
-Amendments
-Foreign Assistance Act
-Senate
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[This segment was declassified on 02/28/2002.]
[National Security]
[076-004-w002]
[Duration: 31m 46s]
US foreign aid
-Greece's leadership
-Democratic system
-US aid recipients
-Amount of democratically run countries
-African countries
-Brazil
-Mexico
-Colombia
-Greece
-Vietnam
-Guyana
-Focus on issue
-Opposition
-Resolution of Vietnam issues
-Demonstration
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] initiative
-US–Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] relations
-Berlin negotiations
-Paris talks
-Described
-North Vietnamese
-George S. McGovern
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Trip to Vietnam
-Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Election
-Vietnam
-Change in US attitudes
-Military assistance
-Foreign relations committee
-North Vietnam's views
-US casualties
-Effect on US press
-US withdrawal
-Saigon
-The President's statements
-Press stories
-US strategy
-Poltical effect
-Caucuses, candidates
-Democrats and republicans
-Responsibilities for war
-Effect of Korea
-William P. Rogers's views
-Administration policy
-Forthcoming announcement
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Ngo Dinh Diem's regime
-1956
-situation characterized
-war
-US civil war
-Nguyen Van Thieu's future
-Elections
-Referendum
-Nguyen Cao Ky
-leaders
-US support
-Negotiations
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Demonstrations
-October 1969
-Cambodian-Laotian venture
-May Day 1971
-Details
-Politics
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Election
-US in Vietnam
-Public opinion
-US foreign policy
-Future
-Internal US situation
-Outside view
-Isolationist trend
-Indochina
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Nixon Doctrine
-US relations with allies
-Ngo Dinh Diem
-Vietnamization
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Vietnam
-Self defense
-Communism
-North Vietnam
-Past history
-Effects of communist takeover
-South Vietnam
-Amount of North Vietnamese dead in the war
-Nguyen Van Thieu and US support
-Repercussions of US withdrawal
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Future
-Process of discussion
-US-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] talks
-Berlin agreement
-US foreign relations
-Present tactics
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Vietnamization
The President left at 4:40 pm
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
Other countries
-US economic policy
-Surcharge
General conversation
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Agnew, et al, left at an unknown time before 5:02 pmThis transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.