Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 639 › Conversation 639-018

Nixon & Haig on Vietnam War and Laos

Saturday, December 18, 1971 · 5:12 PM–5:20 PM ET · Oval Office · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation639-018 on Tape 639 (tape position 01:54:22–02:02:14)StartSaturday, December 18, 1971 at 5:12 PMEndSaturday, December 18, 1971 at 5:20 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 639-018 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinated the messaging and execution of an upcoming U.S. air offensive in Laos to counter intensifying enemy activity against pro-U.S. firebases. They decided to announce the operation from Saigon rather than Washington to minimize public scrutiny while Congress was in recess, ensuring the action was perceived as a routine defensive measure. Additionally, the pair reached a consensus to withhold the public release of a letter from Indira Gandhi, preferring to maintain a firm, private stance on international communications.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yes, sir.
Well, Mr. Larriton had a conference with the chairman, and they're putting out the execute mail.
On the public relations side, they're developing very firm guidance, so it will be announced from there.
They're also announcing tonight from Saigon rather than from Washington because that will tend to hype up too much the irregular and stepped-up enemy air activity.
in this crescent of mega-pivot agents, which can stop going in American planes.
And they're going to do it from Saigon.
It will come out anyway.
Right, sir.
No, it will not be announced.
It's going to come from Saigon as a normal protective reaction, and it will probably occur at the earliest tomorrow night hour time.
and probably Monday night out of town.
They're going to do it precisely the way we said, the way we did the last one, which worked so successfully, although this may get some attention.
Now, I've thought about it, sir, and I'm confident this is the right time to do it.
Oh, sure.
They're moving full bore in northern Laos.
They're moving full bore in northern Laos right now.
And this is, uh...
This is doing what you said you would do.
Yeah, I think that he got him.
I'll be here in a second.
all in terms of setbacks uh because
These firebases that the Lowy regulars have, some five of them are hit very hard today.
And I think this is the time to do it.
And I think it, in my own views, or just before Christmas, is really better than just that.
It'll be submerged and Congress is away, you know.
And we told the Chinese to expect this, that these guys keep this up.
told the Soviets that.
Another European leader.
I think we're going to get the maximum impact, and we've got to play each one on its own merits.
This is the coming.
Mr. Larry is very enthusiastic about it.
That's a rarity.
I've seen a noticeable change in him in the last six months in terms of hockey fans.
That's right, and he said that could change if we waited.
He said right now the weather looks very good.
Also, it's a demonstration of our strength, and we'll be getting 378 sorties of bay in there.
Yes, sir.
We're doing that today, sir.
We've approved four total B-52Fs going into the house.
Where these attacks are taking place.
We found these field guns that they've moved in there.
We found them, and some with 52s and some with fighter aircraft.
cave busters.
What they do is they put them in caves and bring them out to fly us and we're going to get them to the caves and sell.
And they're a devastating new weapon in there for our people.
You knew we decided not to send the, or go public with the
Gandy letter.
No, I thought you were.
I'm glad I didn't, to be honest.
Well, I thought that would make sense, too, and I recommend to Henry that we not do it.
Ron was concerned about it.
It just makes sense.
Why not?
Why not?
That's what makes sense.
And in a private sense, it's a little star-chilling her because we've told them that we don't play it this way, although you did, and we leave it up to you.
If you want to make the public, go ahead.
Good.
All right.
Everybody, move up.
The grass is up.
Everybody's up.
Yeah, I know.
He knows the camera.
That's the camera.
We're on the camera.
No, I'm saying you are.
That's right.
Absolutely.
Good.

NARA Description

On December 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:12 pm to 5:20 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 639-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 639-018

Date: December 18, 1971
Time: 5:12 pm - 5:20 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

     Vietnam
          -Melvin R. Laird conference with Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
               -Enemy activity
               -Plane losses
               -Announcement from Saigon
                     -Strategy
                     -Schedule
          -Laos
               -Enemy activity
                     -Timing
          -US offensive
          -Laos
               -Enemy activity in Northern Laos
          -US offensive in Laos

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

                  -Possible setbacks
                        -Firebases
                              -Meo irregulars
                  -Timing
                        -Congress
                  -India-Pakistan
                  -Message to People’s Republic of China [PRC], Union of Soviet Socialist
                              Republics [USSR] and Europe
                  -Impact
                        -Laird
                              -Enthusiasm
                  -Weather
                        -Possible impact on offensive
                  -Number of sorties
                  -Strategy
                        -B-52’s
                        -“Cave busters”

     India
             -Indira Gandhi's letter
                   -Publicity
                         -Henry A. Kissinger
                         -Ronald L. Ziegler
                   -Tone

     USSR
         -John A. Scali
         -Ziegler

Haig left at 5:20 pm.

Also recorded on December 18, 1971

  • 639-025 5:03 PM · 1 hr 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jerrold L. Schecter, Hugh S. Sidey, Hedley W. Donovan, Henry A. Grunwald, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:03 pm to 6:35 pm.
  • 639-015 5:05 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:12 pm.
  • 639-016 5:05 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:12 pm.
  • 639-017 5:05 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:12 pm.
  • 639-019 5:20 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:20 pm and 5:26 pm.
  • 016-118 5:26 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 5:26 pm to 5:28 pm.
  • 639-020 5:26 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:26 pm to 5:28 pm.
  • 639-021 5:28 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 5:28 pm.

All 52 conversations from December 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 639-018, December 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/639-018 (accessed October 11, 2026).