Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 278-048
Date: Thursday, September 16, 1971 at 10:34 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/278-048

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Is there anything I can say with regard to what Porter did say or what he didn't say?
[0:10] If there is anything I can say.
[0:22] Well, I noticed in the news summary there was another
[0:26] uh, statement with regard to their EOW for December 30th version, as you can see.
[0:30] The EOW thing, uh, the real, that's the only question on Vietnam.
[0:36] It's both a new problem, you know, and, uh, I suppose it would be, I ask you, you can say, but how do you, what do you hope to do?
[0:58] You see, as to how we get some indication that we're talking about the problem.
[1:30] in many panels, including the response to the seven points of the conspiracy theory.
[1:40] It's a hard line to decide.
[1:43] If we press them and line them, aren't they, that's the name to them, is that they're escalated by our safety.
[1:49] And what would you say to them if you want to say that?
[2:02] I suppose it's a critical question.
[2:08] You say we claim they haven't made it clear when they'll make one.
[2:17] I see that one.
[2:20] Go ahead.
[2:26] Yeah, like Mansfield, uh, the C.A.
[2:38] all day at D.C.
[2:38] I thought the only time that was.
[2:45] Huh?
[2:45] All right, go to the next one.
[2:46] Well, you'll see what he said this morning.
[2:48] He said, well, he's going to insist on opening a deadline, uh, maybe two and a half months earlier because the time has been wasted.
[2:58] Exactly, I didn't know damn well the casualties were down.
[3:03] One-fifth of a similar period of five years, after 116, they said they were buried at 58.
[3:07] They're getting out and they're moving out to another base.
[3:17] They may want to get out and turn the country over to combat.
[3:25] I do not believe the situation is unstable.
[3:27] You have got many things to get on the double, I don't mean per se, but I'd like to get an analysis by Bunker of what the situation really is.
[3:43] The second point is I think that I do feel that Bunker is going to do his best to get to
[3:54] We're going to stand right by him and tell him to do this for himself.
[3:57] So he gets paid quite a bit of money to make that stand right around him as clear as he can be.
[4:04] Do you want to go with it?
[4:04] It's not as good as it's supposed to be.
[4:06] Can't you do that or have you done it?
[4:13] It doesn't get true.
[4:17] It's not perfect.
[4:17] It doesn't make sense.
[4:18] The other point is, though, that if I do, they'll want Munker's hand in the assessment of the political situation out there.
[4:26] Hague, of course, will want to do the assessment of the military situation.
[4:33] I wonder if you could get Thompson to go out there on a quick trip.
[4:37] All right.
[4:37] Get a cable to him, and I want him to give me an assessment within one week.
[4:44] Okay, will you do that?
[4:46] And before then, I said, wait a minute, I want to live in 48 hours.
[4:49] I want it before the monthly trip, the monthly meeting.
[4:50] And I was going to go to something like that.
[4:56] And he's sitting there.
[4:57] He knows what he's doing.
[4:58] And I'd like to have that before the monthly meeting.
[5:00] It would be very helpful for me to have that before the monthly meeting.
[5:05] And the other thing is that I think it's important to do what?
[5:09] Do what?
[5:10] On this draft thing, what is your view that they lay this thing on the table and say, well, maybe they're going to go all out and volunteer on it?
[5:22] Goddamn, I don't think that's going to happen.
[5:26] Well, we can, but I mean, it's an enormous amount of money, and I don't think it's going to work.
[5:30] That's the point.
[5:34] What do you think?
[5:39] Moral?
[5:42] Well, that assumes, and you'll get back to a vote how, assuming that the House will go to another conference.
[5:46] See, the problem is, that's the behavior that said you want to go to another conference.
[6:01] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[6:03] OK. All right.