Conversation: 472-023
Prev: 472-022 Next: 472-024Start Date: Tuesday, March 23, 1971 11:02 PM
End Date: Tuesday, March 23, 1971 11:40 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]; White House operatorRecording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 05:00:28
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 05:29:30
NARA Description:
On March 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander P. Butterfield, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:02 pm and 6:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 472-023 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 472-23
Date: March 23, 1971
Time: Unknown between 6:02 pm and 6:40 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Alexander P. Butterfield
[Unintelligible]
The President left at an unknown time after 6:07 pm
[Pause]
The President entered at an unknown time before 6:10 pm
Items for President’s signature
President’s schedule
-March 23, 1971 evening
-An unknown man
-Edwin D. Etherington
56
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
[Pause]
Butterfield left and Henry A. Kissinger entered at 6:10 pm
Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] meeting
-Purpose
-Admiral Thomas H. Moorer and General John W. Vogt,
Conv.
Jr. No. 472-23 (cont.)
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-U. Alexis Johnson
-Future meeting
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 6:10 pm
Refreshment order
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 6:14 pm
Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Upcoming WSAG meeting
-Purpose
-Public relations
-Moorer
-General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Military actions
-April plans
-Raids
-Purpose
-Publicity
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] ability
[The President talked with the White House operator at 6:14 pm]
[Conversation No. 472-23A]
Call to the Vice President
[End of telephone conversation]
57
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
[The White House operator talked with the President at 6:14 pm]
[Conversation No. 472-23B]
Call to Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
[End of telephone conversation]
Conv. No. 472-23 (cont.)
Haldeman left at 6:15 pm
Vietnam
-Laos operation
-WSAG meeting
-Johnson, General Robert E. Cushman, Jr., Moorer
-Effect
-Participant’s view
-Public relations efforts
-President’s interview with Howard K. Smith
-President’s April 7, 1971 speech
-National Security Council [NSC] role
-Compared with Smith interview
-Charts
-William P. Rogers
-Chart preparation
-Nixon Doctrine in Asia
-Effect
-President’s interview with Smith
-President’s position
-President’s credibility
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Speeches
-Public opinion
-Press
-L. B. Johnson
-Smith’s comment
-Public opinion
-Press
-Call to Kissinger from Washington Post’s Phil Shelan [?]
-Kissinger’s previous lunch at Washington Post
-David S. Broder
-Kissinger’s comments
58
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Shelan’s [?] call to Kissinger
-Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-Position on Vietnam
-Call from Shelan [?]
-Kissinger’s comments
President’s previous interview with Smith
-NSC staff’s response Conv. No. 472-23 (cont.)
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s response
-Call to Kissinger at Soviet embassy
Vietnam
-US forces
-Haig’s assessment
-President’s assessment
-President’s statement to Smith
-Support for ARVN
-Kissinger’s view
-Air support
-ARVN forces
-Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-General Do Cao Tri
-Cambodia, Laos
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-US forces
-Abrams’ trip to Bangkok
-President’s role
-Moorer’s role
-Effect
-WSAG meeting
-Public statements
-Administrative comments
-Forthcoming US troop withdrawals
-Rogers
-Relations with President
-Melvin R. Laird
-View of Administration position
59
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Privacy]
[Duration: 23s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 Conv. No. 472-23 (cont.)
******************************************************************************
-President’s role and plans
-Laird’s role
-Kissinger’s comments to Rowland Evans
-President’s meeting with General Nguyen Van Thieu
-Abrams
-President’s record
-Compared with 1968 anti-war Democrats’ platform
-Evans’ recollections
-President’s April 7, 1971 speech
-Effect
-Public opinion
-Figures
-Negotiations
-Troop levels
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Kissinger’s actions
-Withdrawal of forces
-Timing
-Cease fire
-President’s previous comments to Smith
-Mark O. Hatfield, George S. McGovern
-President’s previous interview with Smith
-Laird
-Troop levels
-Negotiations
-Negotiations
-Timing
-POWs
60
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Laird’s role
-Future
-Kissinger’s relationship with Laird
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Publicity
-US support for ARVN
-President’s view
-Abrams’ previous interview Conv. No. 472-23 (cont.)
-Haig’s conversation with Kissinger
-Lieutenant General James W. Sutherland, Jr.
-Abrams’ actions
-Kissinger’s cables
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Abrams
-Response to President’s previous interview with Smith
-Kissinger’s forthcoming call to Bunker
-Report to President
-President’s schedule
-Morale
-ARVN
-US forces
-Support for ARVN
-Performance in Laos and Cambodia
-Chup area of Cambodia
-Success
-General Do Cao Tri
-Laotian operation
-North Vietnamese
-South Vietnamese forces
-Withdrawal
-Kissinger’s assessment
-Number
-Press coverage
-Status
-US air support
-Future US military actions
-Timing
-Weather
-Scope
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Purpose
-President’s position
61
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Effect
-Forces employed
-US military support of ARVN
-Effect on North Vietnamese Army
-Effect
-Military assessment
-Richard M. Helms
-Cushman Conv. No. 472-23 (cont.)
-ARVN
-Tactical air support
-Military supplies
-ARVN air power
-Laird
-US surplus military equipment
-US program
-David Packard
President’s interview with Smith
-Kissinger’s call to Bunker
-Time
-Report to President
Kissinger left at 6:40 pm