Conversation No. 381-3

Date: December 13, 1972
Time: 12:28 pm – 1:12 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       Henry A. Kissinger’s schedule
            -Return from Paris
                  -Timing
                       -Headwinds

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:28 pm.

       Refreshment

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:12 pm.

       Vietnam negotiations
            -Kissinger
                  -Haig’s role
                  -Decision making authority
                         -The President’s delegation
                               -Cambodia invasion
                               -The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
                  -Negotiator
                         -Emotion
                         -Caution, objectivity
                         -Record
                               -Blame on others
                  -Settlement agreement
                         -1972 election
                         -Objections
                               -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                               -The President
                               -Haig
                                     -Saigon
                                           -Messages
                                                -Tone
                                -14-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. May-08)

                                                  Conversation No. 381-3 (cont’d)

            -Breakdown in talks
            -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
                  -Nguyen Van Thieu’s position
                         -North Vietnam
      -Cease-fire
            -Thieu
                  -Pressure on North Vietnam
                  -Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
-Cease-fire
      -Timing
            -Christmas
      -The President’s meeting with Haig and Kissinger
-US mining of North Vietnam
      -Reseeding
            -Timing
            -Thieu
            -Supplies
            -Timing
                  -Reconnaisance
            -Signal to Hanoi
            -Reaction
                  -Protective reaction
-US bombing of North Vietnam South of 20th Parallel
      -Kissinger’s scenario
            -The President’s view
      -Military value
      -Tone
      -Haig’s conversation with Kissinger
-Haig’s conversations with Kissinger
      -Options
            -Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
            -Contingencies
-Kissinger
      -Future
            -Kissinger’s interview with Oriana Fallaci
            -Press relations
            -William P. Rogers
      -“Peace is at hand” statement, October 26, 1972
      -India-Pakistan War
            -US-Soviet Union relations
                          -15-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                   Tape Subject Log
                     (rev. May-08)

                                            Conversation No. 381-3 (cont’d)

      -Effect
-Need to focus on problem
-Recommendations
      -Need for suspicion
             -Emotions
-Emotions
      -Effect on work
-Expectations
      -Settlement agreement
             -Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
-Policy making
      -Theory
      -National Security Council [NSC]
             -State Department
-Mental health
      -Current status compared to recent past
      -Trip to Saigon
             -Haig’s location
             -Messages
             -Timing
                    -1972 election
                         -Long Tien
-Previous trips to Saigon
      -Haig’s schedule
             -Post-October 8, 1972
      -Return from Paris
      -Haig’s schedule
      -Thieu’s rebuff
      -Return from Paris
             -Settlement agreement
                    -October 8, 1972 draft
                         -Hanoi
                         -Thieu
-Previous messages to Hanoi
      -Settlement agreement
      -Cessation of US bombing north of 20th Parallel
             -The President’s return from Camp David
             -Compromise
                    -1972 election
-Return from Saigon
                                -16-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. May-08)

                                                 Conversation No. 381-3 (cont’d)

-Haig’s trip to Saigon
-Settlement agreement
       -Thieu’s view
       -Thieu’s relationship with Kissinger
             -Kissinger’s trip to Saigon
                   -Back channels
                   -Haig
             -Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Thieu
       -Relationship with Kissinger, the President, Haig
             -Trust
       -Speech, December 12, 1972
             -US theorists, quotation
             -Relationship with the President
                   -Trust
       -US-South Vietnam relations
             -State Department
                   -Corruption issue
-Kissinger
       -Schedule
             -Return from Paris
       -“Martyr complex”
       -Resignation
             -Advisability
                   -Haig’s role
-Kissinger
       -Return from Saigon
       -Hanoi’s public statement
       -“Peace is at hand” statement
             -Timing
                   -1972 election
       -Message from Hanoi
             -The President’s schedule, November 4, 1972
                   -Greensboro, North Carolina
                         -The President’s statement
       -“Peace is at hand” statement
             -The President’s pull-back
             -Haig’s reaction
             -Caution
             -The President’s reaction
                                  -17-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. May-08)

                                                    Conversation No. 381-3 (cont’d)

            -Politics
            -Haig’s conversation with Kissinger
            -Press conference, October 26, 1972
                   -Technical aspects
                   -Settlement agreement
                          -1972 election
     -Press relations
            -Fallaci interviews
                   -Italian ambassador
                   -Haig’s location
                          -Saigon
                   -Timing
                          -1972 election
                   -Italian government request
                   -Taping
                          -Haig’s viewing
                          -Reproduction
                                -Washington Star
                                -Washington Post
                   -Quotes
                          -Context
                                -Kissinger’s relationship with the President
                   -Legal suit threat
                          -Tape
                                -Quotes
                                      -Context
            -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston’s article
     -Meeting with the President
            -Rogers
            -Melvin R. Laird
            -Rogers’s and Laird’s view
-October 8, 1972 agreement
     -Rogers’s, Laird’s and Agnew’s views
-Haig’s meetings with Kissinger
     -Timing
     -Rogers
     -Laird
     -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
     -Agnew
     -“Game Plan”
                                -18-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                         Tape Subject Log
                           (rev. May-08)

                                            Conversation No. 381-3 (cont’d)

-Breakdown
     -Congressional relations
     -US bombing of North Vietnam
            -Timing
                   -Christmas
     -Statements
     -October 8, 1972 agreement
            -US action
            -North Vietnam
                   -Violations
                   -Coalition government
            -South Vietnam
                   -Thieu
-North Vietnamese position
     -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
            -Effect
                   -Settlement agreement
                          -Timing
     -Settlement agreement
     -Kissinger
     -Messages
     -Timing
            -Christmas
-US bombing of North Vietnam
     -Haig’s view
     -Thieu
            -Settlement agreement
            -Reseeding of mines
            -US position
                   -Credibility
                   -Signals
-Thieu [South Vietnam]
     -US economic and military aid
     -US military aid
            -Laird’s view
                   -Carriers
                   -Sorties
                   -Effect
     -US economic aid
            -Credit
                                 -19-

      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. May-08)

                                                    Conversation No. 381-3 (cont’d)

            -Conversion of Piasters
            -Balance of payments
-US bombing of North Vietnam
     -The President’s meeting with Kissinger
-Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
     -Advisability
            -Pressure on Hanoi
            -Possible ultimatum to Thieu
            -Settlement agreement
                   -Necessity to Thieu
            -Thieu
                   -The President’s resolve to support
-US bombing of North Vietnam
     -Effect
            -Soviet Union
            -Thieu
     -Victory
     -Effectf
            -Psychological and military aspects
     -Targets
            -Power and communications stations
            -Marshalling yards
     -B-52s
     -Cessation
     -Effect
            -Timing
            -South of 20th Parallel
            -Laotian Trail
                   -Haig’s conversation with Moorer
-Reseeding of mines
     -Effect
     -Reconnaissance
     -Settlement agreement
            -Unseeding of mines
     -Statement
            -“Routine reseeding”
                   -Means
     -Settlement agreement
            -Unseeding of mines
-Haig’s meeting with Kissinger
                                              -20-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. May-08)

                                                             Conversation No. 381-3 (cont’d)

             -Kissinger’s schedule
                    -Return from Paris
                          -Rest
                          -Kissinger’s reaction
             -Haig’s meeting with Kissinger
                    -Kissinger’s resignation
                          -Accomplishments
                          -Future
             -Thieu’s speech
                    -US-South Vietnam relations
                          -North Vietnam’s view
                          -Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
             -Thieu
                    -Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
                          -Advisability
                                 -Settlement agreement
             -Settlement agreement
                    -Hanoi
                          -Stalling tactics, delays
             -Kissinger’s schedule
                    -Return from Paris
                    -Meeting with the President
                          -Timing

Haig left at 1:12 pm.