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Conversation 336-064

TapeTape 336StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 7:14 PMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 7:25 PMTape start time03:14:16Tape end time03:23:55ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Kissinger, Henry A.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the military strategy for Vietnam, specifically focusing on the upcoming announcement of a blockade and intensified air strikes. They debated the strategic targeting of North Vietnamese petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) facilities to cripple supply lines, emphasizing the psychological impact of such strikes over other infrastructure targets. Additionally, they addressed the diplomatic fallout with the Soviet Union and managed preparations for briefing Congressional leaders on these aggressive military escalations.

Vietnam WarMilitary StrategyAir StrikesPOL (Petroleum, Oil, and Lubricants)BlockadeSoviet-US RelationsCongressional Relations
AudioNARA Description

On May 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:14 pm to 7:25 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 336-064 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 336-64

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: 7:14 -7:25 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vietnam
          -President’s forthcoming speech
                -Soviet Summit
                     -Possible cancellation
                            -US response

                                        (rev. Nov-01)

                       -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
           -Kissinger’s briefing
                 -Handling of questions
                       -Soviet ships on high seas
           -Blockade
                 -Weapons and supplies
           -Air strikes
                 -Time
                 -Comparison to 1966-67
                 -Petroleum, oils, and lubricants [POL]
                 -William Yandell Elliott
                       -World War II
                 -Targets
                       -POL dumps
                             -Psychological impact
                             -Priority
                       -Railroads
                       -Power plants
                             -Destruction
                       -POLs and power plants
                 -Effectiveness to date
                       -Supplies on hand
                       -Melvin R. Laird
                 -Meeting with Congressional leaders
                       -Kissinger
                       -William P. Rogers
                       -Laird
                 -Kissinger’s meeting with Dobrynin
                 -President’s meeting with Congressional leaders
                       -Length
                       -Questions
                             -Rogers and Laird
           -Blockade
                 -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
                       -Position
                 -Gen. Creighton Abrams
                       -Position
                 -Laird
                       -The President’s view
                       -Political plans

Kissinger left at 7:25 pm.

                                         (rev. Nov-01)
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This 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.

Henry, there's just one other point I think I should talk to you about briefly, not just about changing the speech, but you've got an attention to all of them.
And maybe we'll talk about it in the next one.
...in covering how to advance the possible supply of the handoff of the Soviet Union...
The part that I think that's also critical for... What did you say about what happened in the summit?
What did you...
I don't know.
The leadership, the guidance.
You want to give it on hand.
I'll do it today.
Take it back.
Take it back.
Take it back.
Take it back.
What I mean is that .
I don't know what you mean about that.
It was a gift.
And as far as we're concerned, it's very exciting to test it for this poem.
And so there's a very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very
Yeah, sure.
Thank you.
Yeah, I don't know what the voice is.
I don't know what the voice is.
I don't know what the voice is.
I don't know what the voice is.
I don't know what the voice is.
I don't know what the voice is.
I don't know what the voice is.
You're absolutely right.
The way I look at it, what about the ships in the high seas?
at the present time, we can't face that situation.
And I would have to say that whatever is necessary, for my dad to put that on the president is what is necessary to stop the military from flying.
It's not going to happen.
It's not going to be necessary.
You're going to stop the bombing tomorrow night.
It's not going to happen.
It's not going to happen.
It's not going to happen.
It's not going to happen.
It's not going to happen.
It's not going to happen.
It's not going to happen.
I agree.
We haven't got much of an air force .
Maybe he can't get all the money, but they don't say it's 66, 67.
It'd add up if the oil was running, but they're not sure how many years.
But I also suggest something else.
Do you remember the Wild Bill of William Gantle?
William Gantle, the director of war, worked in Britain.
He was a good man.
He was a good man.
and they determined what part of Europe the U.S. would not know.
And I strongly urge that instead of trying to do everything, that we do everything P.O.L.
In other words, not, I think, I think it's about the standpoint of psychology.
The railroad lines haven't been done.
But what I see is the P.O.L.
surge
Find out wherever it is, there it is, and go in and get the P.O.L.
Because if you get the P.O.L., it'll stop running.
The only argument I would say is that I didn't think that we'd get those power plants.
I didn't put the density in there.
That's all.
That's where we go.
P.O.L.
of the power plants.
And you see, if you concentrate on that,
P.O.L.
over the place whenever we must have some intelligence on the P.O.L.
We've already knocked out 8% of the world on all these.
We've got about 30% of the world outside of our control.
You see, that's why I don't think they've got four months of P.O.L.
left.
That's true.
There's Ted Harkin and those who are there.
There's a number of them.
There's a number of people who can't do it because the P.O.L.
is not there.
So, you're gonna, you then are not gonna be present.
No, but I'd be glad if you'd come in at the beginning.
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