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Conversation: 700-005

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Start Date: 3-Apr-1972 10:06 AM

End Date: 3-Apr-1972 10:20 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.)Rush, [David] KennethKissinger, Henry A.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:33:25

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:48:29

700a.mp3

700b.mp3

700c.mp3

NARA Description:

On April 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, [David] Kenneth Rush, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:06 am to 10:20 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 700-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 700-5

Date: April 3, 1972
Time: 10:06 am - 10:20 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Thomas H. Moorer, [David] Kenneth Rush and Henry A. Kissinger.

     Greetings

     Rush's new job

     Easter egg roll
          -Weather

     Vietnam
          -Purpose of meeting
               -Moorer
               -Rush's Attendance
               -David Packard
                     -Washington Special Action Group [WSAG] meetings
          -Chain of command
               -The President as Commander-In-Chief
                                 15

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                            (rev. 10/06)
                                                          Conv. No. 700-5 (cont.)


          -Melvin R. Laird
-Briefing
      -Orders
      -Arrival time
      -Reprimand
      -Arrival time
            -Orders
-Air strikes
      -Orders
            -Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
      -Number
      -Weather
      -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.’s reaction
-North Vietnamese offensive
      -Abrams's reaction
            -Abrams's conduct
                  -Chances for promotion
                  -Behavior
                  -Proposals for use of air power
      -Defense Department reports
            -Inaccuracies
            -Temporizing
      -US reaction
            -Massive retaliation
            -Air power
                  -Battle of the bulge
                        -Bad weather
                  -Navy
                  -Carriers on station
                        -Number
                  -Use Of B-52s
                        -Recommendations
                        -Effectiveness
                              -Surface to air missiles [SAMs]
      -The President's sources of information
            -Inadequacies
            -Briefings
      -Orders
      -Abrams
            -Cancellation of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam [MACV] staff
                  social functions
                              16

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                      Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                         Conv. No. 700-5 (cont.)


      -Proposals for counteroffensive
            -Use of air power
                 -Surprise
                 -B-3 area
                        -Tanks, ground forces
                 -MACV
                        -Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN]
                 -Concentration
                        -B-3 area
                        -Dong Hoi
-Air strikes
      -Delays
            -Weather
                 -Laird’s talk with Kissinger
      -Implementation
      -Weather
      -Effectiveness
      -ARVN
      -Risks for Air Force
            -Compared with Battle of the Bulge
      -North Vietnamese missile sites
            -Mobility
      -Abrams and John S. McCain, Jr.
            -Commander in Chief Pacific [CINCPAC]
            -Requests for authority to attack missile sites
                 -Tanks
                 -Mobile artillery
                 -DMZ
-Reports to the President
      -Secretary of Defense
      -Orders
            -Unsanitized reports
-Abrams
      -Scope of authority
            -DMZ targets
                 -The President’s recent trip to the People’s Republic of China
                        [PRC]
                 -North Vietnamese targets
                        -Requests
                        -Weather
-Air sorties
                                                17

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                        Conv. No. 700-5 (cont.)


                     -Number
                     -B-52s
                           -DMZ
                           -Missile sites
                                 -Destruction
          -Reports to the President
          -Abrams
               -Promotion to Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
               -Past performance
                     -Laos

Moorer, Rush and Kissinger left at 10:20 am.