President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 11:43 pm on September 15, 1972 and 1:01 am on September 16, 1972. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 780-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 779-3/780-1
Date: September 15-16, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:43 pm, September 15 and 1:01 am, September 16, 1972
Location: Oval Office
[An unknown portion of the conversation was not recorded while the tape was changed]
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
Vietnam peace negotiations
-Kissinger’s meeting with Le Duc Tho
-Release of US Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Perception of US thinking
-Reciprocation by US
-Peace group
-Hanoi
-Announcement
-Georges J.R. Pompidou
-Possible press reaction
-Saigon
-Peace proposals by North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s view
-Provisional government
-Nguyen Van Thieu’s position
-Various approaches
-Territorial control
-Future meetings
-September 29, 1972
-State Department interpreter
-W[illiam] Averell Harriman
-Possible settlement
-Timing
-1972 election
-Louis P. Harris poll
-Concessions
-October 15, 1972
-Scheduling with North Vietnamese
-Saigon
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-The President
-Domestic opposition
-Reaction
-Prospects
-Kissinger’s view
-Le Duc Tho
-Kissinger’s view
-International Control Commission
-Political settlement
-Two-day meeting
-Possible motivations
-Effect on 1972 election
-Publicity
-The President’s possible re-election
-Kissinger’s view
-Bombing
-Effect on North Vietnamese
-Negotiation stance for November
-Tone
-Compared to 1971
-Chou En-Lai
-North Vietnamese
-Possible settlement
-Negotiating tactics
-Speed of negotiations
-Changes in demands
-Saigon’s position
-Attitude
-Kissinger’s meeting with Pompidou
-New US proposal
-Thieu
-Negotiating stance
-Cease fire
-North Vietnamese
-Negotiating stance
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Le Duc Tho
-Moscow
-Kiril Mazurov
-Kissinger’s meeting with Brezhnev
-Kremlin
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Politburo
-Cabinet room
-The President
-US visit
-Camp David
-Soviet naval base
-Key Biscayne, Florida
-Brezhnev’s gift to the President
-Hydrofoil
-Peace talks
-Soviet Union position
-Le Duc Tho statement
-Thieu
-Peace negotiations
-Pompidou
-Edward R.C. Heath
-Willy Brandt
-Kissinger’s forthcoming press conference
-Report on negotiations
-The President’s dealings with Brezhnev
-Complete peace package
US-Soviet relations
-Public announcements
-William P. Rogers
-Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT]
-Informing Soviets
-Possible leaks
-Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions [MBFR] and European Security
Conference
-State Department handling
-Rogers
-Date for talks
-SALT II
-Timing
-US-Soviet trade agreement
-Scheduling
-Guarantee of all agreements
-SALT
-Trade
-Maritime agreement
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
-Bunkering
-Trade agreement
-Progress
-Rogers
-Monetary figures
-Lend-lease
-Amounts
-Trade agreement
-James T. Lynn
-Peter G. Peterson
-The President’s view
Kissinger’s forthcoming press conference
-Announcement of agreements
-Actual peace agreement for Vietnam
-Kissinger’s handling of question
-European Security Conference
-Issues
-SALT
-Vietnam peace progress
-Press report
-Dan Rather
-Moscow
-Blockade’s effect on Hanoi
-Rather
-Administration sources
-State Department
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Blockade’s effectiveness
-Documents leaked
-Tonnage delivered to North Vietnam
-Delivery of material to South Vietnam
-Intercepts
-Paris negotiations
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
Kissinger’s schedule
-State Department
-Rogers
-Meetings with Brezhnev
-Conversation
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct-06)
Kissinger and Haig left at an unknown time before 1:01 am, September 16, 1972.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.