Conversation: 719-004
Prev: 719-003 Next: 719-005Start Date: 4-May-1972 9:06 AM
End Date: 4-May-1972 9:59 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Bull, Stephen B.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Connally, John B.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:24:10
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:17:41
NARA Description:
On May 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Stephen B. Bull, Henry A. Kissinger, and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:06 am to 9:59 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 719-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 719-4
Date: May 4, 1972
Time: 9:06 am – 9:59 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Some carpenters
President's meeting with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Instructions to Haldeman
-Melvin R. Laird
-Responsibility in public relations
-Burning of US building in South Vietnam
-News story
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 9:07 am.
J. Edgar Hoover
-President's eulogy
-Review
-Nature of statement
-Press coverage
-Distribution time
L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III’s previous meeting at the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-Press coverage of FBI
-Congressional criticism
Hoover eulogy
-Distribution
Ziegler left at 9:09 am.
Vietnam
-Press reports
-Haig
-Ziegler
-Department of Defense interviews
-Briefing for John B. Connally
-Henry A. Kissinger's attendance
Advice on response to North Vietnam offensive
-Connally
-National Security Council [NSC]
-William P. Rogers, Laird
-The President’s view
-Charles W. Colson, Clark MacGregor
-Connally
-John N. Mitchell
-Kissinger
-Poll
-Results
-Soviet Summit
-Kissinger's advice
-Timing of North Vietnam offensive
-Appearance of US weakness
-Briefing with Connally
-Haldeman and Kissinger
-Timing
-Connally
-Call from Haldeman
-Briefing with Haldeman, Kissinger
-Time
-President's meeting with Kissinger
-Importance
-Forthcoming Soviet response
-Mitchell
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
Kissinger's previous speech at the Metropolitan Club
-Reception
-Speaking ability
-Importance
-Gordon Gray
Vietnam
-Press reports
-North Vietnam offensive
-South Vietnam response
-Shakeup of command
-US command
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-President's discussion with Kissinger
-Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-Blockade
-Military targets
-Coordination with blockade
-Blockade
-Cessation
-Conditions
-Prisoners of war [POWs] release
-Ceasefire
-Criticism
-Conflict with Soviets
-US military evaluations
-Navy
-Haig
-The President’s view
-Army
-Connally
-Briefing
-Time
-President's schedule
-Kissinger
FBI
-Hoover
-Gray
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
Vietnam
-End-the-war amendment
-John C. Stennis amendment
-Delay on vote
-Clifford P. Case-Frank F. Church amendment
-Robert C. Byrd-Michael J. Mansfield amendment
-Presentation to Senate
-Mansfield
-Byrd
-Content
-Mobilization of supporters
-President's response
-John A. Scali
-Leak at State Department
-Contacts with press
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-Richard A. Moore
-Rogers
-The President’s view
Haldeman's meeting with John R. (“Tex”) McCrary, Scali, Moore
-Soviet trip
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Cancellation of her trip
-Analogy to People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Itinerary
-McCrary
-Haldeman’s view
White House staff
-Instructions for Haldeman
-Colson
Connally
-Meeting
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 2s ]
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
**********************************************************************
Forthcoming election
-National conventions
-Plans for security
-Organization
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:07 am.
Kissinger
-Meeting with the President
Bull left at an unknown time before 9:30 am.
Forthcoming election
-Republican National Convention
-Plans for security
-Term of service
-Advantages over National Guard and police
-Personnel
-Training
Democratic convention
-Plans for security
-Reubin O. Askew
-Miami Beach mayor
-White House help
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
Vietnam
-"Hawks"
-Fears of secret administration plans
-Knowledge of public support for the President
-Poll
Kissinger entered at 9:30 pm.
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
Vietnam
-Kissinger's talk with Connally
-Time of meeting
-Haldeman
-Arrangements
Haldeman talked with Connally at an unknown time between 9:30 and 9:35 am.
[Conversation No. 719-4A]
Meeting
-Time
-Place
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Advice
-Mitchell
-Value
-Meeting
-Time
-Kissinger's schedule
-Meeting with Mitchell
-Time
Haldeman left at 9:35 am.
Soviet Summit
-Forthcoming briefing of Connally
-Haldeman's role
-Kissinger's role
-Connally's judgment
Vietnam
-Kissinger's reception at The Metropolitan Club
-Administration efforts
-The President’s view
-North Vietnam offensive
-Failure
-Comparison with Dien Bien Phu
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-An Loc
-Importance
-Kontum
-An Loc
-Artillery
-Haig
-South Vietnam response
-Hue
-Kontum
-Prospect of loss
-Quality of South Vietnam division
-An Khe
-Hue
-President's conversation with Haig
-Quang Tri
-Importance
-Comparison to Verdun
-Military action
-Air Force reports
-The President’s view
-Air strikes
-Effectiveness
-World War II
-Strategic and Tactical air [TACAIR] bombing
-Use of helicopter
-US military forces
-Performance
-Reorganization
-Styx missile
-Use by Israeli destroyer
-US carriers
-Vulnerability
-Negotiations
-Le Duc Tho
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Soviet Summit
-Back-Up position
-Relation to offensive
-Air strikes
-Timing
-Intensity
-Location
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-Recriminations
-President's PRC trip
-Laird's recommendations
-Previous air strikes
-US intelligence
-The President’s view
-North Vietnam intentions
-Previous offensive
-US air strikes
-Duration
-Effects
-Moorer's position
-Quang Tri
-Hanoi, Haiphong
-Helicopter gunships
-Hue
-The President’s suggestion
-Impact on negotiations
-North Vietnam stakes in offensive
-Reports
-Saigon
-Hue
-Haig's assessment
-Press coverage
-Comparison with Tet offensive
-North Vietnam capabilities
-Evaluations
-Sir Robert Thompson
-Haig's mission
-Abrams
-Accuracy
-Kontum's future
-Pleiku
-North Vietnam advances
-Defensive withdrawals
-An Khe
-Loss of territory
-Duong Hoi, Quang Tri, Tannenberg
-President's advice to unknown person and Moorer
-Blockade
-Implementation
-Submarines
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-US policy
-Major goal
-Kissinger’s view
-Possible invasion of North Vietnam
-US troops
-South Vietnam troops
-US equipment
-Negotiations
-William J. Porter
-North Vietnam demands
-Impending US walk-out
-Thieu
-Porter
-Kissinger’s view
Middle East
-Kissinger meeting with Yitzhak Rabin
-Transfer of F-4s to Israel
-Effect on Soviet Union
-Israelis
-Kissinger’s view
-US influence
Soviet Summit
-Possible cancellation
-US response
-Israelis
-Reasons
-PRC
-President's message to Chou En-Lai
-Assurances
-President's speech
-Public response
-Resolutions in Congress
-Soviet propaganda
-Joseph C. Kraft
-1960 election
-Nikita S. Khrushchev And John F. Kennedy
-Soviet feeling about the President
-Democratic challenge
-US bombing
-Public support
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-PRC trip
-US support
-The President’s view
-Vietnam negotiations
-Soviet Summit
-Kissinger's draft for President's speech
-Time of delivery to President
-Time of Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] meeting
-US conditions
-North Vietnam offensive
-Cessation period
-Cancellation
-Risks
-Record
Kissinger left at 9:59 am.