Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 345-006
Date: Tuesday, June 27, 1972 at 9:44 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/345-006

This transcript was made by an AI model listening to the recording (google/gemini-3.8-flash) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Speaker names are the model's inference. Verify against the audio before citing.

[1:27:25] NIXON: as you say they're prepared. You have to say also that it that it looks like an old offer. And we understand it's not the new [unintelligible] said it's the 2nd of July [unintelligible]
[1:27:43] COLSON: Well what it that is you see it it leaves them But what I know they did what we had sure [unintelligible] Yeah I know. We we should simply stay and they and it's been announced that they no no no Yeah. All right. Well we've actually answered it then.
[1:28:05] NIXON: And you had no right to announce it either. That's why I answer the other part of the question. [crosstalk] You see? Yeah. You know I didn't answer the question about the consultation on it. This was actually a violation of confidence on the on the Vietnamese. All right. Now, uh, we are prepared to listen.
[1:28:24] COLSON: That's what you want to say. We are prepared to listen.
[1:28:29] NIXON: Or we have offered to resume negotiations.
[1:28:31] COLSON: Are we prepared or we have prepared? Which is more accurate?
[1:28:34] NIXON: Yeah. What we want to make this thing make this thing brief as possible. That is what you want to, right? We prepared to resume negotiations, correct?
[1:28:49] COLSON: Uh, we we have reason to believe that they are.
[1:28:59] NIXON: Well we have been informed. [crosstalk] We have been informed.
[1:29:02] COLSON: We have been informed we're prepared to negotiate seriously to reach a rapid conclusion.
[1:29:14] NIXON: Yeah. That's good. I don't believe I'd say much more than that. All right? Seriously looking to Yeah. that serious we are looking toward a constructive
[1:29:24] NIXON: All right. You'll probably get a question. [unintelligible] is that well it's uh they probably have the news by that hour anyway.
[1:29:48] COLSON: I will have the [unintelligible] I'll suck it in there. Right. And I'll bet you it's I'll bet it's on the wires right now for that publication. Yeah.
[1:30:07] COLSON: Now with regard to withdrawals this time I I mean not to say [unintelligible] before September 1st. Would that I'd say I'd prefer not to say it.
[1:30:27] NIXON: I would prefer not to put so much on the other [unintelligible] Make sure we don't get in trouble [unintelligible] What if they say will there be another heading into the fall? Yeah, well what I have to say then is uh that that will depend upon the upcoming negotiations. That's it.
[1:30:51] COLSON: Well, I'd say uh In other words, don't make a commitment to make another announcement. Well, you could say, "What do we do in What may people expect in the far range of the fall?" Well, it's that that depends. See every previous message we've said, "Before then we will make another announcement which will be," you know. This message is silent. So they say,
[1:31:09] COLSON: "Well, are you saying you'll make another announcement September 1st, or does that mean the forces are remaining?" I'd say, "That will depend entirely upon the situation on the battlefields.
[1:31:26] NIXON: That's the way You want to leave You want to put bold that I'd say that a maximum of active You would say that, all right? That's what you're all about, announcing.
[1:31:38] COLSON: Yeah. Well, that's fine. You can say you go say forces after September 1st will be uh will be depend entirely upon these factors.
[1:31:48] NIXON: Yeah. You think we should say uh we're committed to make another announcement of forces before September 1st? I prefer not to when you get I don't know, to be honest. I don't think you have to.
[1:32:05] COLSON: progress the talks. Nothing. Not doing anything [unintelligible] forces on the battlefield. Do we know whether or not there are indeed any tests having been taken?
[1:32:24] NIXON: Few tests although there [unintelligible]