Conversation No. 705-9

Date: April 10, 1972
Time: 11:45 am - 12:23 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William J. Porter and Henry A. Kissinger.

     Greetings

     Vietnam
          -Negotiations
              -The President’s instructions to Porter
                     -State Department

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:45 am.

     Press
             -Presence at meeting
                  -Kissinger's opinion
                        -Paris

     Photograph session
          -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
          -Distribution
                -Press
                -Porter
                                                25

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)



Bull left at an unknown time before 12:23 pm.

Atkins entered at an unknown time after 11:45 am.

     [Photograph session]

Atkins left at an unknown time before 12:23 pm.

     US leadership
          -The President’s view
                -Department of State
                -Partisanship
                -Crisis in nation
                -Sentimentality
                -Tactical concerns
                -Foreign service
                      -Recruitment of young men
                            -Problems
                                  -Modern education
                                  -Shortsightedness
                            -Need for risks and strong convictions
          -Military
                -The President’s previous conversation with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
                      -Bureaucracy
                -Need for strength
                -Ability to speak up

     Vietnam
          -Paris peace talks
                -Porter’s handling
                      -US position
                -Cessation
                      -Reasons
                -US seriousness
                -Porter’s strategy
                      -Possible statement
                -William H. Sullivan
                      -Conversation with Kissinger
                            -Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG]
                      -Timing of Porter's return to Paris
                -Public stance
                              26

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                      Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                         Conv. No. 705-9 (cont.)


      -US position
            -Robert J. McCloskey and Ronald L. Ziegler
            -The President’s January 25, 1972 speech
            -Michael J. Mansfield’s support
            -Gen. Nguyen Van Thieu's resignation
      -North Vietnamese position
            -Escalation of military activity
-Resumption of talks
      -Timing
            -Escalation of military action
      -Announcement
      -US conditions
-Past negotiations
      -US position
      -North Vietnamese position
-Wording
-Porter’s statement
      -Build-up for press
            -Wording
      -Review of negotiating record
-US offers
-North Vietnamese position
      -US response
            -North Vietnamese violations of international law
            -Limits to negotiations
-Porter’s statement
      -Preparation of press
-Porter’s record
      -Previous trips to Vietnam
-Statement to the press
      -Emphasis on positive
-Porter’s handling
      -US delegation
      -Release of statement
            -Television coverage
            -Duration
      -Peace offer
            -North Vietnamese response
                 -Infiltration
                 -Offensive
                        -Possible statement
                                       27

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 705-9 (cont.)


     -North Vietnamese offensive
          -State Department response
          -US air strikes
                -B-52s
                      -Increase
                            -Numbers
                      -Targets
                            -Vinh
                      -Size of strike
                            -Proximity to Hanoi
                                  -Mikoyand and Gurevich [MIG]
                      -Location of targets
                            -Saigon area
                -New squadrons
          -Naval gunfire
                -Destroyers
                      -Number
                -Cruisers
                      -Number
                -Targets
     -Negotiations
          -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin's conversation with Kissinger
                -Soviet role
                      -US settlement

US-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] relations
    -Biological Warfare Treaty
         -Dobrynin’s remarks
               -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations
         -George R.S. Baring’s [Earl of Cromer] remarks
         -The President's remarks at signing ceremony
               -Disregard of sentimental rhetoric
               -Non-proliferation and seabed treaties
               -Importance of treaty
               -Peace in the future
                     -Arms limitation
                           -SALT
                     -Super powers
                           -Encouragement not to use force
    -Dobrynin
         -Press
                                       28

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/06)
                                                                 Conv. No. 705-9 (cont.)


          -Call to Kissinger
                -Message to Kremlin
     -Biological Warfare Treaty
          -The President's remarks at ceremony
                -Tone
                -Dobrynin's presence
                -USSR’s support of India over Pakistan and support of United Arab
                      Republic [UAR]
     -Soviet foreign policy
     -The President's remarks at treaty ceremony
          -Future SALT agreement

Vietnam
     -Battle reports
           -Quang Tri
     -South Vietnam
           -Artillery and infantry
                 -Damage to tanks
                       -Air Force
                       -Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
     -North Vietnamese offensive
           -Reports of problems
                 -Lack of coordination
                       -Tanks
                       -Artillery
           -South Vietnam
           -Air power
           -Military Region Three
           -South Vietnamese retreats
                 -Thieu
                 -Importance to overall strategy
                       -US strategy
     -Negotiations
           -Henry Cabot Lodge and Dr. David K. E. Bruce
           -North Vietnamese objectives
                 -Return of (Madame) Nguyen Thi Binh to Paris
                 -Major cities
                       -Quang tri
                       -Hue
           -Thieu
                 -Cease-fire
                                   29

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/06)
                                                    Conv. No. 705-9 (cont.)


-North Vietnamese objectives
     -Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
     -Critics’ response
           -Possible excuses
     -Cease-fire offer
           -Thieu government
     -Capture of cities
           -Problems
                 -Possible US action
     -Soviets
           -Thieu government
-North Vietnamese offensive
     -Kissinger’s view
     -Setbacks
           -Losses
-Cambodia and Laos
     -1970 and 1971
-Prediction for 1973
-North Vietnamese offensive
     -Commitment of divisions
     -Battle reports
     -Logistical problems
           -Time factor
           -Replacements
                 -DMZ
     -Movement of troops
           -325th division
                 -Location
     -Movement of troops
           -DMZ
           -Training divisions
     -Compared with Tet offensive
           -Vietcong
           -Main forces
     -Losses
           -Long Tien
                 -Possible weather concerns
     -Troop locations
     -Air strikes
           -320th division
                 -Theiu report
                                               30

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/06)
                                                                        Conv. No. 705-9 (cont.)


                      -Concentration
                            -B-52s and Tactical Air [TACAIR]
                      -Effectiveness
                            -Casualties
                                  -Potential number
                            -Weapons
                      -B-3
                -320th division
                      -Theiu
                      -Withdrawal to Laos
                -ARVN units
                      -1st Airborne
                      -Operations
                -Objectives
                      -Possible political motivations
           -Negotiations
                -Possible North Vietnamese offer
                      -Quang Tri province
                            -Ceasefire
                      -Thieu government
                            -Possible resignation
                -Porter’s schedule
                -Objectives
                      -Hue
           -Soviets

Porter and Kissinger left at 12:23 pm.