Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 817 › Conversation 817-015

Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Paris Peace Accords

Thursday, November 30, 1972 · 12:15 PM–12:16 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation817-015 on Tape 817StartThursday, November 30, 1972 at 12:15 PMEndThursday, November 30, 1972 at 12:16 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 817-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the ongoing negotiations regarding the Vietnam settlement agreement and the status of diplomatic communications with South Vietnamese officials, Nguyen Phu Duc and Tran Kim Phuong. Nixon emphasized his firm position that the North Vietnamese must accept the existing terms, ruling out further changes to the agreement. Furthermore, they considered the strategic necessity of a direct meeting between Nixon and President Nguyen Van Thieu to reinforce U.S. commitments regarding retaliatory action against potential cease-fire violations.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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President, I have five more minutes with the Vietnamese.
They haven't gotten through here with their message.
They've got another three days to know of how they need these changes.
And I've told them there's no chance.
They've got only one choice, to work with us or to work separately.
But let me find out what their additional message is before they see you.
We need an additional message on that.
But listen, in reply to what I told them yesterday, after the meeting,
the other thing is the more i think about it i think the meeting with him with me prior to maybe a hell of a bomb patrol i've told him understand that with me it was with the clear understanding that i'm not there to negotiate
retaliation in the event that we did it.
I wanted to hear it from me personally.
I think there is a hell of a lot to be said for it.
See?
I think, and from every point of view, it would be, from a public point of view, I've already mentioned it to him, not because I say that this is something that we have agreement, we want to hear it from him personally, but John, that I cannot

NARA Description

On November 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:15 pm to 12:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 817-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 817-15

Date: November 30, 1972
Time: 12:15 pm -12:16 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
                     -63-                    63

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 817-17 (cont’d)

       Kissinger’s schedule
              -Meeting with [Nguyen Phu Duc and Tran Kim Phuong]
                      -Message
                            -Vietnam negotiations
                                   -Settlement agreement
                                           -Changes
                                                  -Bilateral deal
                            -Meeting with the President
                            -Kissinger meeting with Duc
                                   -The President’s meeting with Duc

       The President’s schedule
              -Possible meeting with Nguyen Van Thieu
                     -Timing
                            -Settlement agreement
                     -Purpose
                            -Settlement agreement
                                    -Negotiations
                                    -The President’s retaliation commitment
                            -Kissinger’s meeting with Duc
                                    -Negotiations

Kissinger left at 12:16 pm.

Also recorded on November 30, 1972

  • 817-006 11:34 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:34 am and 11:49 am.
  • 817-007 11:34 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Zosimo T. Monzon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:34 am and 11:49 am.
  • 817-008 11:34 AM · 51 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:34 am and 11:49 am.
  • 817-009 11:34 AM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:34 am and 11:49 am.
  • 817-012 11:49 AM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Tricia Nixon Cox, Stephen B. Bull, and Jeanne Wilson Davis met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:49 am to 12:10 pm.
  • 817-013 12:10 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 12:15 pm.
  • 817-014 12:10 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 12:15 pm.
  • 817-016 12:17 PM · 53 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, Nguyen Phu Duc, Tran Kim Phuong, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Stephen B. Bull, White House photographer, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:17 pm to 1:11 pm.

All 28 conversations from November 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 817-015, November 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/817-015 (accessed October 12, 2026).