Conversation: 471-002
Prev: 471-001 Next: 471-003Start Date: 19-Mar-1971 7:03 PM
End Date: 19-Mar-1971 7:27 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:01:39
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:25:16
NARA Description:
On March 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:03 pm to 7:27 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 471-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 471-2
Date: March 19, 1971
Time: 7:03 pm - 7:27 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger
Vietnam
-Troop withdrawal
-President’s conversation with William P. Rogers
-Forthcoming announcement
-Kissinger’s previous conversation with Rogers
-Forthcoming announcement
-Number
-Forthcoming announcement
-Effect on South Vietnamese
-Timing
-Figures
-General Nguyen Van Thieu
-Timing
-Number
-Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-Potential problems
-Laird
-General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Timing of announcement
-Laird
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy] Conv. No. 471-2 (cont.)
[Duration: 6s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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-Abrams and Bunker
-Kissinger’s schedule
-President’s forthcoming trip to California
-Support for President’s position
-Rogers
-Abrams, Laird, and Bunker
-Rogers
-Possible press story
-Bunker
-Laird
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Privacy]
[Duration: 33s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
******************************************************************************
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Laird’s position
-Number
-Compared with White House position
-Number
-Timing of withdrawal
-President’s goal
-Laird
-Bunker Conv. No. 471-2 (cont.)
-Abrams
-Thieu
-Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 6s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
******************************************************************************
-Air strikes
-Kissinger’s dissatisfaction
-President
-Moorer
-Trucks
-Lack of visibility
-Timing
-Troop withdrawal
-Rogers’s view
-Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-Possible speech by President
-Effect on North Vietnamese Army
-Supplies
-Sihanoukville [Kompong Som]
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN]
-Withdrawal
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Effect on North Vietnamese Army
-Kissinger’s analysis
-Supplies
-Forthcoming withdrawal announcement
-Possible speech by President
-Laotian operation (Lam Son) success
-Forthcoming troop withdrawal
-Number Conv. No. 471-2 (cont.)
-Timing
-President’s position
-Thieu
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-US objectives
-Public opinion
-North Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Number
-Timing
-Effect on South Vietnam
-Kissinger’s view
-Negotiations with North Vietnam
-Effect of troop withdrawals
-Timing
-Lieutenant General Vernon A. Walters
-Laos operation
-Effect on North Vietnamese Army
-Compared with Dien Bien Phu
-North Vietnamese supplies
-Soviet Union
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Effect of Sino-Soviet split
Soviet Union and PRC relations
-Public pronouncements
Communist world
-President’s view
-Kissinger’s view
-Poland
-Riots
-Aleksei N. Kosygin’s visit to North Vietnam
-Ho Chi Minh’s funeral
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Vietnam
-Possible negotiations
-President’s view
-Troop withdrawals
-Return of Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Troop withdrawals
-Possible effects
-US prestige Conv. No. 471-2 (cont.)
-Public opinion
-Forthcoming Presidential election
-US Air Force
-Need for strikes
-Trucks
-Equipment
President’s schedule
-Camp David
President’s forthcoming speech
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Middle East
-Rogers’ statement
-Problems
-Arabs
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-ARVN troop withdrawal
-Howard K. Smith’s forthcoming interview with the President
-ARVN success
-Effect on future negotiations
-Effect on North Vietnamese Army
-Supplies
-Compared with previous years
-Forthcoming Presidential speech
-Troop withdrawals
Vietnam
-Troop withdrawals
-Timing of announcement
-Peace demonstrations
-Kissinger’s view
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Rogers
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Possible lack of announcement
-Events
-President’s November 3, 1969 Speech
-Demonstrations
-Cambodia, Laos
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Media coverage
-Future debates Conv. No. 471-2 (cont.)
-Senate
-President’s forthcoming interview with Smith
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Effect on North Vietnamese
-Supplies
-Casualties
-Supplies
-Kissinger’s conversation with Henry Hubbard
-Effect on North Vietnamese troops
-Supplies
-Food
-Ammunition
-Sihanoukville [Kompong Som], Cambodia
-Compared with German offensives in 1918
-Effect on ammunition and supplies
-Results
-Objectives achieved
-President’s assessment
-Kissinger’s assessment
-Effect on media coverage
-Possible losses of ARVN forces
-Compared with North Vietnamese losses
-Objectives
-President’s forthcoming speech
-Justification for ARVN withdrawal
Kissinger’s schedule
-Camp David
Kissinger left at 7:27 pm
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)