President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to strategize on the final stages of the Vietnam peace negotiations and the potential for a bombing halt. They evaluated the political risks of the timing regarding the upcoming 1972 election, the concerns of South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu, and the necessity of maintaining secrecy to ensure a breakthrough. The pair ultimately reaffirmed their commitment to the existing negotiating strategy, emphasizing the importance of managing public perception while finalizing an agreement.
On October 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:40 am to 10:08 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 372-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 372-11
Date: October 25, 1972
Time: 9:40 am - 10:08 am
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
The People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Chou En-Lai
Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-Leonid I. Brezhnev’s previous message
-Kissinger’s response
-Hanoi
-Kissinger’s possible trip
-Timing
-1972 election
-Paris talks
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Saigon
(rev. Nov-03)
-Possible leaks
-US proposal
-Final Document
-Saigon’s approval
-Possible bombing halt
-Rationale
-Quality of offer
-Concessions
-Compared with 1968 bombing halt
-Public announcement
-The President’s suggestion
-20th parallel
-Public opinion
-Forthcoming 1972 election
-Possible press statement
-Breakthrough
-Further negotiations
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Fritz G. Kraemer’s view
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Public Position
-US Position
-The President’s view
-Thieu
-Coalition government
-Bombing halt
-North Vietnamese military situation
-Possible cease-fire, October 31, 1972
-Thieu‘s recent speech
-Kissinger’s view
-Strategy
-Role in negotiations
-Coalition government
-Communist infrastructure in South Vietnam
-Possible bombing halt
-Political risks
-Rationale
-Timing compared with 1972 election
-Compared with 1968 bombing halt
-Public announcement
-Extent of halt
(rev. Nov-03)
-Reasons
-Risks
-Timing
-Secrecy
-Thieu’s strategy
-Possible North Vietnamese reply
-US public relations strategy
-Possible North Vietnamese reply
-Le Duc Tho
-William P. Rogers
-Issue of coalition government in Vietnam
-Possible statement
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-US message
-Possible attack on McGovern
-Wording of press statement on coalition government
-Ziegler
-Washington Post article
-Unknown reporter's name
-Kissinger’s recent name
-Coalition government
-The President’s participation in negotiations
-John B. Connally
-Leaks
-Thieu
-Stewart J.O. Alsop
-Murrey Marder
-Television
-Howard K. Smith
-Statement regarding efforts of the President and Kissinger
-Messages
-Content of Kissinger’s statement
-McGovern’s proposal compared to the Administrations
-Tone
-Type of Peace
-Surrender
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Coalition government
-Assistance to South Vietnam
-Thailand
-Laos
(rev. Nov-03)
-Cambodia
-“Peace with honor”
-1972 election
-McGovern’s possible response
-Bombing halt
-Nature of announcement
-Wording
-De facto compared to de jure status
-Progress
-Le Duc Tho
-US position
-Ziegler
-Soviet Union
-US global commitments
-Kissinger’s possible trip to Hanoi
-The President’s view
-Le Duc Tho
-Thieu
-Handling
-US equipment shipments
-Kissinger’s meeting with unknown person
-Timing
-Settlement
-Possible agreement to settlement
-Timing
-November 20, 1972
-Kissinger’s forthcoming telephone call to Nelson A. Rockefeller
-1968 peace initiative
-McGovern’s statements
-Compared with current US proposal
-Compared with McGovern’s proposals
-POWs
-Laos, Cambodia
-Communist government in South Vietnam
-The President’s schedule
-Priority of peace negotiations
-The President's and Kissinger’s role
-Joseph W. Alsop’s column
-History's verdict
-Abraham Lincoln
-Opposition to the President's policies
(rev. Nov-03)
-Compared to Lincoln
-Bureaucracy, media
-Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson
-Administration problems
-Consensus
Kissinger left at 10:08 am.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.