Conversation: 493-010
Prev: 493-009 Next: 493-011Start Date: Thursday, May 6, 1971 3:00 PM
End Date: Thursday, May 6, 1971 4:10 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Bull, Stephen B.; Rhyne, Charles S.; Moore, Richard A.; White House photographerRecording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:59:48
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:42:25
NARA Description:
On May 6, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Stephen B. Bull, Charles S. Rhyne, Richard A. Moore, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 12:10 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 493-010 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 493-10
Date: May 6, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:00 am and 12:10 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
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General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. entered at 11:26 am
Conv. No. 493-9 (cont.)
Vietnam
-President’s meeting with General Nguyen Van Thieu
-Draft
-Henry A. Kissinger
-An announcement
-President’s schedule
-Negotiations
-Kissinger
-US position
-Kissinger
-Timetable
-Xuan Thuy
-People’s Republic of China [PRC], Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
[USSR]
-US position
-Kissinger
-An announcement
-Date
-PRC
-USSR
-US position
-Motivation
-President’s meeting with Thieu
-Timing
-Congressional votes
-Appropriations
-US position in Vietnam
-Stewart J. O. Alsop, Chalmers Roberts
-President’s meeting with Thieu
-Negotiations
-US offer
-Public opinion
-President’s meeting with Thieu
-Negotiations
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Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] agreement
-Possible announcement
-Effect on public opinion
Public opinion
-Vietnam, PRC
-Polls Conv. No. 493-10 (cont.)
-Long-term
-PRC
-SALT
-Antiballistic Missile [ABM]
-Compared with PRC
-President’s press conferences
-Press
-Columnists
SALT
-Possible announcement
-Importance
-Vietnam
-Timing
-Congressional vote
-Consultation
-Congressional vote
USSR
-Possible summit
PRC
-Possible meeting
-Ping-pong team
-Possible trade
SALT
-Possible announcement
-Congress
USSR
-Possible summit
Vietnam
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-President’s meeting with Thieu
-US troop withdrawals
-Timing of announcement
-Senate vote
-President’s meeting with Thieu
-Senate
-Forthcoming vote
-Response to Washington, DC demonstrators Conv. No. 493-10 (cont.)
-President’s meeting with Thieu
-Draft
-Timing
-President’s meeting with Thieu
-Effect of announcement
Congress
-Effect of possible USSR or PRC announcements
-SALT announcement
-ABM vote
Vietnam
-Military situation
-Effect of upcoming Senate vote
-North Vietnam
-Negotiations
-US offer
-Kissinger
-Importance compared with Talks with USSR and PRC
-Importance compared with Senate debates
-Possible effect of Senate votes
-Draft
-An announcement
-Timing
-Draft
An announcement
-Timing
-SALT announcement, possible summit announcement
-Public opinion
PRC
-Possible visit
-USSR
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
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-North Vietnam
-USSR
USSR
-Possible summit
-Public opinion
-Compared with a PRC or Vietnam War announcement
Conv. No. 493-10 (cont.)
Joseph S. Farland
PRC
-Kissinger
Congress
-Influence of possible announcements
-Possible USSR summit
-Edward W. Brooke
-President’s forthcoming meeting
-Possible SALT announcement
-Senate
-Possible announcements
-President
-Kissinger
-Leaders
-Position on SALT
-”Doves”
USSR
-William P. Rogers
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Vladimir S. Semenov
-SALT talks
-ABM
-Semenov
-Gerard C. Smith
-Kissinger
-President’s role
-Smith
-Possible summit
-Joseph C. Kraft
-Possible column
-Possible summit
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-Congress
-PRC
-ABM
Vietnam
-Possible announcement
-Draft
-President’s meeting with Thieu Conv. No. 493-10 (cont.)
-Timing of announcement
-”Doves” response
-Thieu’s election
-Possible outcome
Announcements
-SALT
-Vietnam
Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger
-PRC, USSR
-Effect of US affairs
-Position of the dollar
-Washington Post
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Hanoi, Europe
-Thuy
-A Senator
-Balance of payments
-Public opinion
President’s schedule
-A message
-Farland
-SALT announcement
-Timing
-PRC
-USSR
-Thieu meeting
-SALT announcement
-USSR summit
-PRC announcement
-Thieu meeting
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-SALT announcement
-Importance
-Thieu meeting
-USSR summit
-PRC announcement
-USSR
Haig left at 11:58 am Conv. No. 493-10 (cont.)
Haig
-Compared with [Name unintelligible]
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:58 am
President’s schedule
-Charles S. Rhyne
-John B. Connally
-Rhyne meeting
-Time
Bull left at an unknown time before 12:06 pm
Vietnam negotiations
-Haig’s position
-Kissinger’s position
-President’s experience
-Importance
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-US position
-Compared with Middle East
-Kissinger, Haig
-Administration policy
-Hardhats, Congressmen
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.
Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:58 am
President’s schedule
-Connally
-Rhyne
-Connally
-Ronald L. Ziegler
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Bull left at an unknown time before 12:06 pm
White House Correspondents’ dinner
-Mr. and Mrs. Arte Johnson
-Mrs. Johnson’s appearance
-Accent
-A takeoff on Kissinger Conv. No. 493-10 (cont.)
Haldeman left and Rhyne and Richard A. Moore entered at 12:06 pm; a photographer was
present at the beginning of the meeting
A book
International law
-Experts
-Washington Post
-Professors
Rhyne’s schedule
-Taipei, Yugoslavia
Rhyne’s book
-Publication date
Lawyers
A book
International law
-Possible announcement by President
-US treaty obligations
-African countries’ treaty obligations
-Codification
-Possible effect
A paper
Rhyne’s suggestion
Rhyne and Moore left at 12:10 pm
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