Nixon, Kissinger & Haig on Vietnam War and Paris Peace Accords

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Sir, it wasn't, uh, it was not much like, uh, it was far worse than it was supposed to be.

Oh, my God, it wasn't.

I did, but I heard what they did.

And I tell you, that's how they got through to, you know, it was really, Julie is very perceptive because it's such a different, you know, Mrs. Galt, too, was standing watching you while you were getting, while you were leaving.

She was actually, she actually had her eyes fixed on you.

And then I noticed a period that she, so I went over to her and turned me down.

I was like, I watched the way you looked at the person.

She said,

I didn't want it.

There is that feeling.

They're more emotional people.

And at the end of the day, they don't listen.

They don't listen.

Always.

Yeah.

Always.

They don't listen.

And he talked about his parents 70 years ago.

It's all right.

And then...

They gave a good dinner.

They were lovely.

And it was interesting.

I've been at many, many of those events where little groups sort of come.

But this was one big party.

They, within an hour, they all knew each other.

And they were just swapping stories.

And on Pete's behalf, he's pretty cute.

Oh, yeah.

And his wife was there.

Now, she's got grandchildren.

She'll be his son.

But when Pete spoke, he got the greatest response from his folks because they understand him.

He communicates, and he reads, and he's really quite a charismatic fellow.

When he starts speaking, he says a lot, and he says it in a few words, but he talks about you and your courage and the

The people that really believe in America, who does he ask to be a crown?

They were flocking along with him.

It's a great question.

I would dare say that this group of people, I mean, I sat next to Marty Ward.

Yeah, Marty Ward.

He'll never go to Democrat again.

My wife sat next to him.

No, Marty Ward is...

The national president always used to, originally in Chicago, he had a Chicago event.

The problem was, I called him that, too.

I called him that, too.

Yes.

But I retired after that.

Oh, you did?

Oh, that's, those people especially can't believe that.

That's it.

Rizzo was not, Rizzo was invited.

Yeah, he was invited to ask for Rizzo.

I was impressed by Snyder.

There's a way we can use him, but not big, too wall-sized to do it.

You know, he's a very interesting gentleman.

He told me the board of directors here came up to him, recognized him, told him how much they voted for him.

I don't, I don't be lying.

The construction business and real estate development, he is, of course, sharing with the politicians.

So we've got the problem of not wanting to be the wall-side part of that.

And it doesn't bother me a damn bit for me to tell somebody I want to get the wall exposed.

But how do you do with it?

He's good enough to do that.

And I don't think it's necessary.

I think it's just a matter of shape and span.

Yeah, they mostly, there are a lot of people, I don't know, there are people who work with the second level.

There are many of them.

They're open to everything.

They've taken very good care of it.

And they love it.

But there was an interesting thing that was like, these friends in the same condition.

We're not going to lose any of those people.

They're with you.

Like, there's a real lot of them that say, hey, they're next to people.

And they will remain this.

And empathy with you.

That's quite a remarkable thing, it really is.

I just, I keep coming back trying to think of how we, how we should go about it.

There won't be any vote votes.

That will keep happening.

That states that, yeah, that state senator.

Maryland.

Maryland, which votes have been in the United States, and he's fighting for it.

Could he turn Republican?

I mean, that's on a regional plan.

I thought that last night.

He said, I just, he said, I said, I hope you don't have a problem.

He said, I hope you don't have to lose the nomination.

He said, I don't care if I do.

He said, if I just get the message, I'm really excited.

He said, I really want to work on some of it.

Tell them in particular.

They're all the same.

I know them.

They're my fellow folks.

It's the other three public concerns.

I know what they've done.

I know they have to be, you know, we were talking about the care and all of that, but God damn it, they wanted to make it so that they could whistle God damn law.

I know that they're going to come out of it.

Bush will be at home.

Bush is not going to take it.

Brock will be at home.

And that's a good choice.

The 3B is pretty good.

Yes, it is.

And they're, if they go out just to recruit candidates, but you're certainly going to test the world in a very good position today.

Go out and get good candidates.

Because you've got to sit with 38 of them, 25 of the 48 of them.

Not one of the 48.

Not one.

I agree.

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

There's a lot to do here in Washington.

This is what I've avoided for a long time.

I went today because I had questions about it.

Oh, here's the fish.

Fish.

There are a lot of fish.

There are about 50 that we know about.

And then I had to build my craft.

Well, I'll have them lined up for you tonight.

Let me put up with this.

I don't know.

Despite the huge election victory, because they had raised the hopes of peace, they kept it open very much, you know, so as not to break it off.

It would allow that.

It would have a ceasefire.

But it would be ready to fluctuate with the supervisor.

It would allow that to go forward.

That's what I should have done.

to back off and so forth and such purpose and raised all sorts of points that the purpose is satisfied real heartedly.

Now, the point that I agree with you is this.

We're in a position, I suppose, where you, of course, have to tell, sir, we won't do anything without voting.

You and I both agree we can't do that.

We can just expire a POW and elections that are not.

I don't know.

Henry in this building would have a feel he can have it within 24 hours through a central exchange of messages right today, but they will not do it.

Now, under these circumstances, they did my answer time.

They did their answer time first because Christmas is coming up, second because the inauguration is coming up, third because, and most important, the carnage is coming.

They think that I, with all the peace dealing with the world, the sweet people of the world, the oil and the crap, that I am not going to jeopardize that by doing anything that would terminate it.

Or to sort of bring this up.

Not really.

Suppose that in order to, this is all a supposition, but suppose that in order to strengthen our mind,

I received a line from Kessler.

And then I bombed the military pirates in North Vietnam, which we had not done since October the 23rd.

So we knocked it off then, due to the fact that the bastards, I guess we knocked it off in the 23rd, so they had gone to the country of Paraguay, because we'd gone to the country.

Hey, hey, hey, Robin.

The bombing was knocked off.

It was knocked off not for the idea of a pause, but it was knocked off for a reason.

And we went back to that assignment.

We didn't get it.

But they tricked us.

We got screwed.

Now, the point is, you've got to look now.

Not just now.

Not just the Christmases.

Not just the inaugurations.

And I think for those of us who've been here with us, now that I think about it,

We hit power plants.

We hit marshalling yards.

We hit the communications in Northfield.

There'd be some school, not a whole lot, but some big school.

We do that until the first of the year, just before Congress comes back, and just on the show.

Understand?

That only lasts for two weeks.

Two weeks.

Now, first, that's an extra day for two weeks.

And then riots in the streets.

You won't have, you will not have enough for this in 2020.

I've been next to a company that's been doing it right now.

I've been down to Target.

Now, let me come on for a second.

Now, let me come to a second.

What's the deal with the company?

Suppose that, at the end of that time, suppose I had the line you can't remember, and it's the other guy from that hotel.

I said, the Mansfield said we could withdraw all Americans within four months after all our POWs were returned.

All right.

So now, we will continue to help South Vietnam defend itself as long as the communists are in South Vietnam.

But we will stop the bomb, stop the mine, withdraw all Americans within 30 days after the U.S. return.

Will the Congress pass that?

That's it.

Will the Congress say, no, we shouldn't?

No sir.

Absolutely.

These folks are politicians and they know that

I don't think you're going to face the president of the country.

You're going to face the president of the country.

This is not on your date.

Jackie has to mend this back, of course, but it will be months before they get to the point where they get to marshal the voices of the Senate and the House of Representatives in here.

It would really be a problem.

And I think that you would find what they will find is that the scene is out in the end of

Now, the American people are going to feel terribly that we probably had peace and we don't have it, or at the present time, putting it another way.

are the American people pretty much adjusted to the thing, well, the goddamn thing is just going to go on for a while, and we don't give a damn as long as it's going to go on.

It's not really affecting the American people.

It is not affecting the Christians.

What caused the riot in the U.S., you know, was that the Christians, most of you may say, in the Southwestern, but the other people, the people who just sit in the kitchen, just come out, and it's back to life as normal.

They're enjoying parties on the campuses, driving their cars.

Yeah, it's a difference.

You couldn't steer up any more.

I can't answer the question.

That's really important.

You were brown.

That's pretty far up to brown.

But barring those, it just isn't that big of an effect.

Now that Harris poll said people didn't expect more of you.

That's true.

I think

And in Syracuse, that he called an election, which said that the peace announcement crossed his fingers, and not his fingers, but crossed his fingers.

Because people thought it was a symbol of goodwill.

I think people have adjusted to the fact that we are going to continue to fight.

We are going to continue to fight.

And as long as it isn't raising their tax

As long as their sons aren't jeopardy being grabbed and joined, they don't get anything.

They figure out violence like the one where most of the reports they see in the coalition are violence.

But I didn't join in.

And the biggest thing is, no, seriously, the biggest thing is that in May, what you did was to rekindle just a little bit of the pride that Americans have traditionally held.

They don't like to be kicked around.

And the American people don't like it.

I think until we, until you tell them, until you tell them, we're not going to have an insurance that are honorable in the United States.

Then they'll, I think they'll let you know.

I think you can stand there and I think you can take the medicine.

They are the people that can take the medicine.

But that doesn't mean you can do it in any way that the law doesn't exist.

And the 30% of the people who are just in the war, period.

And they all went through that.

And they killed all of us.

And they killed us.

And they lost.

And our people have played the game.

This is the end of it.

Do you know what I'm saying?

Okay.

We'll see you later.

What I want to do is raise those hands for a couple of money problems.

I haven't talked with them.

Thank you.

I just want to go over the plan.

They're planning on Sunday 61 B-52s over Northeastern.

No.

So let me come to it.

They need 700 B-52s.

They need 761 or 762.

If they're talking about Europe, did you realize this changes them?

I don't want to go to Europe.

I may have to think about it.

But I just want to be sure to be .

I don't want to get down to .

That's one.

Two, I think if you do it .

I would not stop it at .

Oh, I'm planning to do the bombing, right?

My only point is, we're going to make a new offer in January.

That's what I would say.

Oh, that's what I would say.

Oh, shit.

We're going to bomb those backers and spin the reins.

I think they'll settle.

I do not.

I think the unexpected nature of the shock.

They told all their captains they'll be pleased.

They told all, every generation.

They played chicken with us and they lost.

Now, turn the other cheese and keep going back to the falafel.

You'll never tell.

But it's good you did it for a week.

Oh, yeah.

That's right, you did it.

Now you've made the record.

Now, the other one...

They're very insufficient now.

They... We have the record of... Now they...

I can make such a record that just don't make too long a record.

Just make about five, five, five, five, five, five.

It's what I had in mind.

Yeah, I want to talk to you tonight.

I'm available any time.

I'll create a pair of my decks.

When will you do that?

When will be the best time?

Well, I'm seeing Rogers at 5 and Porter at 6.

Any time after that, or I'll see others at 2 o'clock.

Would it be better if we talked today or 2 o'clock in the morning?

Well, we could talk briefly today.

We could talk briefly any time.

All right, tonight I can do it after I have to go back to reception.

I'm free about something around 8 o'clock.

830.

How about

What we have to do

And we now, we believe it's time to have a part of South Vietnam.

that day down to a sensational number, even though he couldn't keep it.

It would be very good.

What's the lowest number?

I think we can't go beyond $0.45.

I don't think we can.

Well, I want to beat Mansfield.

Well, that's $0.60.

At the end of the book, you don't want to beat Mansfield.

All right, go ahead and beat it.

No matter what they propose.

Well, you understand.

I'm not, I'm just trying to make for a reason that I think, I think it says that, well,

Then Scott and our sub-tenant go out and say, well, this is better than a natural problem.

So in our Vietnam, we should continue to provide for the next symbolic economic and military assistance to our allies in South Vietnam.

Great.

I hope you make that a big deal.

Yeah, I do.

But you see what my statement is.

Now, my view is that that might require, on my part at that time, a little talk.

I might have to say that.

I think that might have to say that we've completed it at the end of the year.

Now, this is an illusion.

We're going to do it anyway.

I think we should carry on the USA.

And, Mr. President, we'll let this stick with you from all of Singapore.

We've got the commander of the country.

See?

And you'll be the man who takes over the life.

When the chips wear down, you've always been the one who does that.

And you're very good.

Well, this has got to be after the bombing and after the squilings.

People will be wondering what in the Christ we're doing.

Then you bring in some good news.

That's what I'm talking about.

I think it's ten minutes old.

And it was so great, great good news.

We're still out there.

American people like a president.

which would have betrayed our allies, which would not have been an adequate guarantee to return our prisoners.

Look at it in a wild way.

It would not have been true.

It would not have been adequate.

It did not provide sufficient guarantees for the return of our prisoners to war.

And the president very properly rejected that out of hand and said he did not.

They agreed afterwards.

Then they agreed that they would negotiate immediately afterwards.

We went and negotiated with the state.

or say, well, how did the president say it?

Because if they wanted an agreement, along the lines of what we have already agreed to, it was an easy matter to take the assurances that we had.

The easiest matter in the world.

Once we realized that they

Once we realized that the Qatari were planning a large-scale attack on the day of the ceasefire, once we realized that it was sneaking in, we called in the government, which we had always rejected.

By the back door, we said, back up a minute.

We need this.

Clear it up.

As soon as we tried to clear it up, it would have been easy.

If they had been in good faith, we'd keep finding new problems every day.

To get one steward out of another party, too.

I agree with Sean, Mr. President.

That's why I pushed so hard in the program.

And I still push so hard.

He said the war is, you know, just got here on our back.

Yes, but, Mr. President, we make a difference.

Well, I can't make something like this tell you what we're having to deal with now.

I agree.

That's why I pushed so hard in the program.

That's why, until Tuesday this week, I thought we should take what we can get and why I still can't.

We can fix the protocols, we can fix the language we need, but we can take this view.

But we can make, with this action, what trouble is the commitment?

With this action, this deal becomes important.

That military guy that we have to put our name to.

The one thing this does, this action is, is it gives enormous credibility.

To the point that if they break the deal, it's the future that we're bossing.

That's the one thing that I see now.

And it's basically, Mr. President, you had a better time with the Russians for having done this.

Everybody but the officers.

I think the Russians and Chinese would expect you more to stay low.

The United States in your region will not.

The President, the President says, the United States is not going to be pushed around seeking peace without the United States.

You say peace without the United States?

Well I, I'll work on a few little things.

I think, I think it would be just right if the United States, I'd like to do it with the United States, but if anybody ever did say

All that has happened, these guys won't be stepping on the exit that you do again.

It's been a millennial mistake.

Now what about the, uh, the strike that they're planning to get us done?

First, the hang mission, where do you want it to go?

What instructions do I get in?

What do I send a message to you?

But he must not interpret this action to mean that he can continue the war indefinitely with our assistance.

In the old practice.

to get under a nail in the head.

Nixon, Kissinger & Haig on Vietnam War and Paris Peace Accords

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on December 14, 1972

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