President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to finalize the strategy for Haig's upcoming trip to Saigon, specifically focusing on the delivery of a letter to South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu. The conversation centered on the delicate negotiations with North Vietnam and the necessity of managing South Vietnamese cooperation while addressing Thieu's concerns regarding a potential bilateral settlement. They also reviewed operational details regarding U.S. bombing campaigns and emphasized the urgency of securing Thieu's agreement to avoid a total cutoff of U.S. funding by Congress.
On December 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:24 pm to 2:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 382-017 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 382-17
Date: December 17, 1972
Time: 2:24 pm - 2:45 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
Vietnam War
-Haig’s schedule
-Trip to Saigon
-Departure
-Timing
-Draft of the President’s letter to Nguyen Van Thieu
-Meeting with Thieu
-Duration
-48-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. June-08)
Conversation No. 382-17 (cont’d)
-Interpreter
-Tone
-Thieu’s view
-US-North Vietnam relations
-Henry A. Kissinger’s press conference
-The President’s letter to Thieu
-Tone
-Haig’s trip to Saigon
-Negotiations
-US-South Vietnam relations
-Bilateral deal
-Negotiations
-Kissinger’s press conference
-US-South Vietnam relations
-Thieu
-Bilateral deal
-Thieu’s view
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Hanoi
-North Vietnam
-Haig’s view
-Statement, December 16, 1972
-October 1972
-Response to Kissinger’s press conference
-Distribution
-Pentagon
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-B-52s
-Weather
-TACAIR
-Escorts
-Surface to air missiles [SAMs]
-Possible problems
-Necessity
-North Vietnam’s possible reactions
-The President’s letter to Thieu
-Haig’s reading
-Tone
-Kissinger
-Haig’s reading
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. June-08)
Conversation No. 382-17 (cont’d)
-Final paragraph
-Final paragraph
-Negotiations
-US-South Vietnam relations
-Ultimatum
-Cooperation
-Settlement agreement
-Radio Hanoi
-Thieu
-Tone
-Thieu
-The President
-Haig’s meeting with Thieu
-Senators’ views on settlement agreement
-Barry M. Goldwater
-John C. Stennis
-“Hawks”
-Thieu
-Midway meeting with the President
-Relationship with the President
-Congressional relations
-Cut off of US funds
-South Vietnam survival
-Haig’s schedule
-Haig’s meeting with Thais, Cambodians, Laotians
-Cambodia
-Thieu
-Settlement agreement
-US ambassador
-Emory C. Swank
The President’s schedule
Haig left at 2:45 pm.
-50-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. June-08)
Conversation No.382-20
Date: December 17, 1972
Time: Unknown between 2:45 pm and 3:11 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President talked with the White House operator.
[See Conversation No. 34-115]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.