Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 730 › Conversation 730-011
Nixon, Diem & Haig on Vietnam War and ARVN
Monday, June 12, 1972 · 3:03 PM–3:24 PM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon met with outgoing South Vietnamese Ambassador Bui Diem and Alexander Haig to discuss the status of the North Vietnamese Easter Offensive and the effectiveness of current U.S. military operations. The discussion focused on the resilience of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) at critical locations like An Loc and the broader international implications of the conflict regarding the Soviet Union and China. Nixon underscored his commitment to air power and naval blockades while expressing confidence in the eventual collapse of the North Vietnamese offensive.
- Vietnam War
- ARVN
- Bui Diem
- Alexander Haig
- Easter Offensive
- U.S. Foreign Policy
Audio
Audio for this conversation has not been released by the National Archives.
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available because the audio has not been released.
NARA Description
On June 12, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Buie Diem, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:03 pm to 3:24 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 730-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 730-11
Date: June 12, 1972
Time: 3:03-3:24 pm.
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Bui Diem and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.[Members of the press and the
White House photographer were present at the beginning of the meeting.]
Greetings
Departure of Ambassador Diem
Vietnam
-Military operations
-Mekong Delta
-Weather
-Rains
Photograph session
Diem
-Feelings about the US
-The President’s policies
-1969 moratorium
-Cambodia operation
-Laos operation
-North Vietnamese offensive
Vietnamese attitudes toward US
-World War II
-US foreign policy
-Diem
-The President’s policies
The President's message to Nguyen Van Thieu
-US policy
-South Vietnam
-An Loc
-Hue
-South Vietnam morale
-US policy
-Negotiations
-The President’s view
-North Vietnamese
-Military condition
-US military operations
-North Vietnamese military offensive
-Army of the Republic of South Vietnam [ARVN]
-Response
-The President’s view
-Rubicon analogy
-Ground troops
-ARVN
-US troops
-ARVN response
-An Loc
-II Corps
-I Corps
-Air power
-Comparison with other battles
-World War II
-World War I
-Battle of the Bulge
-German offensive
-Allied response
-George S. Patton
-ARVN offensive operation
-The President’s view
-1972 election
-North Vietnam
-International implications
-Soviet Union
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-The President's assessment
-Soviet Union involvement
-Chinese
-North Vietnamese
-Hanoi position
South Vietnam
-Fighting strength
-Soviets
-Chinese
Damage to North Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Sea blockade
Sihanoukville
-Bombing
-Effectiveness analyzed
South Vietnam
-Morale
-Comparison to North Vietnamese
-Thieu
-Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Military Region [MR] I
-Quang Tri
-Demilitarized Zone [DMZ]
-An Loc
-Saigon
-Parrot's Beak
-B-52s
-Air power
-Ground forces
Diem
-Recollection of seeing the President in 1968
-US policy
The President's view of war developments
-Mining of North Vietnamese ports
-Conclusion of war
Gifts
Diem and Haig left at 3:24 pm.Also recorded on June 12, 1972
- 025-053 2:45 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 2:52 pm.
- 025-054 2:45 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 2:52 pm.
- 343-011 2:45 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 2:52 pm.
- 343-012 2:45 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 2:52 pm.
- 025-055 2:52 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Jacob K. Javits talked on the telephone from 2:52 pm to 2:56 pm.
- 343-014 2:52 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Jacob K. Javits met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:52 pm to 2:56 pm.
- 343-015 2:56 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:56 pm and 3:02 pm.
- 343-016 2:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:56 pm and 3:02 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 730-011, June 12, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/730-011 (accessed October 18, 2026).