Conversation: 715-005
Prev:  715-004 Next: 715-006Start Date: 26-Apr-1972 12:33 PM
End Date: 26-Apr-1972 1:10 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Monson, Zosimo; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:52:59
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:31:30
NARA Description:
On April 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Zosimo Monson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:33 pm to 1:10 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 715-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 715-5 Date: April 26, 1972 Time: 12:33 pm - 1:10 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with Henry A. Kissinger. Soviet Union -News reports -Invitation from Leonid I. Brezhnev -Source -US release -Andrei A. Gromyko -Official statement -The President's trip -Publicity by Soviets Vietnam -The President's speech -Conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman 12 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 7/07) Conv. No. 715-5 (cont.) -Advance copies -Clark MacGregor and Ronald L. Ziegler -Kissinger briefing -Publicity -Television -Ellsworth F. Bunker -Message -Report on South Vietnamese performance -South Vietnamese government agencies -South Vietnamese Air Force -South Vietnamese Navy -South Vietnamese Militia -North Vietnamese invasion -Current status -South Vietnamese government -Strength -Popular support -Possible Bunker briefing in Saigon -Release of message to John A. Scali -Publicity from Saigon -Public Information Officer [PIO] Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 12:33 pm. -Press coverage -Bunker -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. -Press conference -Quotation by the President in speech -US policies -Public support -Press response -Abrams -Press conference -Bunker -Press conference -Release of message -Diplomatic angle -Ziegler and Scali -The President's speech -Advance copies 13 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 7/07) Conv. No. 715-5 (cont.) -Release -Ziegler and MacGregor -Ziegler's office -Refusal -Deletions -Abrams -Format -Distribution -Time -Format -Kissinger's briefing -Contents -Press reactions -Advance copies -Television vs. print media -John R. (“Tex”) McCrary -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston -Column on Kissinger -Meetings with Kissinger -Frequency -Credibility -Compared with Melvin R. Laird Press -McCrary's analysis -Television compared to print media -Control by Administration -Stories -Biases -North Vietnamese invasion -Ways to write stories -Troop withdrawals -Vietnamization -Prisoners of war [POWs] -Kissinger’s private meetings -Television networks -Briefings -Kissinger's briefing -Length of the President's speech -Television -American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC] 14 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 7/07) Conv. No. 715-5 (cont.) -Basketball game -Starting time -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC], Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS Vietnam -The President's speech -Briefing of congressmen -MacGregor -Kissinger briefing -Kissinger briefing -Troop withdrawals -Attendance -Letters to congressmen -Text -Advance copies -MacGregor and Scali -Excerpts -Kissinger's briefing -Press -Television networks -Contents -Vietnamization -William J. Porter -Bombing -Soviets -Invitation to Kissinger -Work on talks -Public statement -Gromyko -Comments to Kissinger -Trip Zosimo Monzon entered at an unknown time after 12:33 pm. The President's suits -Colors -Selection for speech -William H. Carruthers -Tie Monzon left at an unknown time before 12:54 pm. 15 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 7/07) Conv. No. 715-5 (cont.) Vietnam -The President's speech -Advance copies -Excerpts -Kissinger's briefing -The President’s January 25, 1972 speech -Performance -Press questions -Moscow trip -Comments -News reports from Moscow -Talks -Kissinger's meeting with Brezhnev -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin -Failure of talks -Soviet reactions -May 2, 1972 -Cease-fire -Washington Special Action Group [WSAG] -North Vietnamese invasion -Provincial capitals -Possible capture -Pleiku and Kontum -An Loc -North Vietnamese problems -An Loc -Loss -Impact -Significance -Kontum -Size -Possible loss -Kissinger’s comments to newsmen -Montagnards -Pleiku -Loss -North Vietnamese capture -US air power -Compared with Laos -Abrams 16 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 7/07) Conv. No. 715-5 (cont.) -Air power -Laos operation -Reports to Kissinger -Tactical air [TACAIR] -Gunships -Air operations -Photographs -Kissinger's retrieval -Staff -Kissinger briefing Kissinger left at 12:54 pm. -The President's speech -Advance copies -Problems -Reasons for refusal -Duration Kissinger entered and Haldeman left at 12:55 pm. Vietnam -Photographs -Air strikes -Pilot -Oil storage facilities -Haiphong -Targets -Secondary explosions -Bomb damage -Targets -Railroads -Lyndon B. Johnson's policy -Johnson -Strategy -Nature of war -Guerilla war -North Vietnamese invasion -Change of nature of war -The President's speech -Changes 17 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 7/07) Conv. No. 715-5 (cont.) -Speechwriters -John K. Andrews, Jr. and Winston Lord -Work with Kissinger -Support for the President's changes -Personal element -November 3, 1969 speech -Andrews -Work with Kissinger -Changes in text -Conclusion -Criticism -Kissinger's briefing -North Vietnamese offensive -North Vietnamese offensive -Naval attack -North Vietnam -Thanh Hoa -Blockade -Hanoi and Haiphong -Attack on shipping -Compared to attacks on Israel -Torpedo boats -Naval gunfire -Effectiveness -Impact on North Vietnam -Peace talks -Soviet role -Brezhnev -Soviets -Statement on contacts with US Strategic Arms -Submarine offer -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer's response -Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS] -Hawks -Anti-ballistic missiles [ABMs] and Sub-launched marine ballistic missiles [SLBMs] -Gerard C. Smith -William P. Rogers -Treaty -Duration 18 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 7/07) Conv. No. 715-5 (cont.) -Soviet position -Signing ceremony -Value -Location Soviet Union -The President's trip -State dinner -Location -The President's previous trip -Nikita S. Khruschev -Plenary sessions -Hall of Catherine the Great -Soviet arrangements Vietnam -Doves -Bombing -Success -Washington Post editorial -Responsibility -1972 election -South Vietnam -Survival -Pleiku -Bombing -Abrams -Use of fire power -Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -Air base -Thailand -Kissinger’s talk with Moorer -Cambodian and Laotian operations -Problems -North Vietnamese invasion -Change of situation -US response -Justification -Demilitarized zone [DMZ] violation -The President’s speech on Laos -Linkage 19 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 7/07) Conv. No. 715-5 (cont.) Kissinger left at 1:10 pm.