Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 297 › Conversation 297-034
Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Troop withdrawal
Friday, November 12, 1971 · 12:59 PM–2:20 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building ·1 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger strategized on the public messaging surrounding the forthcoming troop withdrawal announcement in Vietnam. They focused on anticipating challenging press inquiries from figures like Ronald Ziegler, specifically concerning the size of a residual force and its connection to the release of prisoners of war. Nixon ultimately decided to maintain ambiguity regarding specific withdrawal numbers to avoid premature commitments during negotiations.
Audio
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Position in tape: 01:52:49 – 01:54:11
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On November 12, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 297-034 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 297-34
Date: November 12, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.
Vietnam
-The President's forthcoming troop withdrawal announcement
-Possible press questions
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Residual force
-Prisoners of war [POWs]Also recorded on November 12, 1971
- 297-029 12:59 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm.
- 297-030 12:59 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm.
- 297-031 12:59 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm.
- 297-032 12:59 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm.
- 297-033 12:59 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm.
- 297-035 12:59 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm.
- 297-036 12:59 PM · 45 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm.
- 297-037 12:59 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 2:20 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 297-034, November 12, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/297-034 (accessed September 18, 2026).