President Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Henry Kissinger met to finalize the President's upcoming speech for his trip to Canada and coordinate congressional relations. Following Woods's departure, Kissinger briefed the President on securing public and congressional support for the war in Vietnam, specifically regarding the efforts of Representatives F. Edward Hebert, George H. Mahon, and John C. Stennis. The discussion focused heavily on the strategic necessity of upcoming air strikes against petroleum, oil, and lubricant (POL) dumps in Haiphong, with Kissinger detailing operational plans and the perceived effectiveness of previous military actions in Laos and Cambodia.
On April 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Henry A. Kissinger, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:37 pm to 4:46 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 708-009 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 708-9
Date: April 13, 1972
Time: 4:37 pm - 4:46 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Rose Mary Woods.
The President's Canadian speech
-Draft
-Typing
-Airplane
-Changes
-Place
-Press copy
-Deletion
-The President's meeting with Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
-Instruction in French language
The President's trip o Canada
-Dinner
-Attire
-Scheduling
Weather
Henry A. Kissinger entered at 4:38 pm.
The President's trip to Canada
-Speech
-Kissinger's review
-Deletion
-Draft
-Press copy
Woods left at 4:40 pm.
Vietnam
-George H. Mahon
-John C. Stennis
-Briefing
-F. Edward Hebert
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Speech
-Press
-Call from Kissinger
-US policies
-Public support
-Kissinger's briefing
-Mahon
-Support for US policies
-Haiphong
-Air strikes
-Petroleum, oil, lubricants [POL] dumps
-Timing
-Current plans
-People's Republic of China [PRC] and Soviet Union
-Necessity
-Lyndon B. Johnson and W[illiam] Averell Harriman
-Effectiveness
-Cambodia operation
-Melvin R. Laird
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Laos operation
-Effectiveness
-North Vietnamese tank losses
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Haiphong
-Target
-POL dumps
-Truck parks
-Air strikes
-Aircraft
-Number
-B-52s
-Surface to air missile [SAMs]
-Effectiveness
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Casualties
-Rate
-Comparisons
William P. Rogers
-Kissinger's call
-Schedule
-United Nations [UN]
Kissinger talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 4:40 and 4:46 pm.
[Conversation no. 708-9A]
[See Conversation no. 22-123]
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Kissinger's call to Hebert
-Thanks for support
The President's trip to Canada
Kissinger talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 4:40 and 4:46 pm.
[Conversation No. 708-9B]
[See Conversation No. 22-124]
[End of telephone conversation]
The President's Canadian speech
-Soviets
Rogers
Rogers's testimony
Kissinger's call from Albert Stein
-US bombing
Kissinger left at 4:46 pm.This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.