Conversation: 827-010
Prev:  827-009 Next: 827-011Start Date: 20-Dec-1972 11:32 AM
End Date: 20-Dec-1972 12:16 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On December 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:32 am and 12:16 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 827-010 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 827-10 Date: December 20, 1972 Time: Unknown between 11:32 am and 12:16 am Location: Oval Office The President met with H. R.(“Bob”) Haldeman. Second term reorganization -Sensitivities -Changes -White House staff -Reductions -Rate -Press relations -Ronald L. Ziegler -Announcements Henry A. Kissinger entered at 11:33 am. Vietnam negotiations -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s meeting with Nguyen Van Thieu -Delay -Letter to the President -Settlement agreement -Rejection -20- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -Conditions -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam -Political framework -National Council of National Reconciliation and Concord [NCNRC] -Coalition government -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam -US-North Vietnam’s bilateral deal -Timing -Technical talks -North Vietnam -Attendance -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -Proposal -December 23, 1972 meeting -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -B-52s -Losses -Sorties -December 21, 1972 plan -Hanoi -Losses -Hanoi -Surface to air missiles [SAMs] [SA-2s] -Congressional relations -Congressional relations -Edward M. Kennedy’s speech -Thieu -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -B-52s -Losses -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer -Kissinger’s conversation with Melvin R. Laird -Expectations -Air Force -Timing -North Vietnam -Losses -Expectations -21- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -Continuation -Laird’s view -Tone -Settlement agreement -North Vietnam’s position -Technical talks -Thieu -Ngo Dinh Diem -Cessation of US economic and military aid -Tenure -Haig’s schedule -Key Biscayne -Thieu -Bangkok -Seoul -Key Biscayne -Meeting with Thieu -Delay -Compared to Thieu’s meeting with Kissinger -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Settlement agreement -Thieu -November 20, 1972 -Changes -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Public relations [PR] -The President’s and Kissinger’s strategy -Saigon -Conditions -Unconditional surrender -Changes -The President’s meeting with Nguyen Phu Duc, November 29, 1972 -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -B-52s -Losses -Expectations -Hanoi -TACAIR -SAMs -22- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -Settlement agreement -Thieu -North Vietnam -Reply -US note -Technical talks -North Vietnam -Statement -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -Proposal -December 23, 1972 meeting -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -Reaction -People’s Republic of China [PRC] -Soviet Union -Settlement agreement -North Vietnam -Thieu -Kissinger’s view -October 1972 -1972 election -Haig’s trip to Saigon -Letter from the President -Conditions -NCNRC -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam -Provisional Revolutionary Government [PRG] -Settlement agreement -Preamble -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Effect on South Vietnam -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Effect on South Vietnam -Congressional relations -US aid -Settlement agreement -Condition -Cessation of US aid to South Vietnam -Communist aid to North Vietnam -23- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -Prisoners of War [POWs] -Thieu -Settlement agreement -Political settlement -Motives -US bombing and mining north of 20th Parallel -Cessation -Continuation -Cessation -US withdrawal -Demilitarized Zone [DMZ] -Congressional relations -Aid to South Vietnam -Cut off -Aid to North Vietnam -Cease-fire -Settlement agreement -Thieu -Tenure -Democracy -October 1972 -Meeting with the President -Tenure -Timing -Record -US-South Vietnam relations -Thieu’s domestic constituency -Tenure -Timing -January 1973 -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Charles W. Colson’s view -George S. McGovern, Michael J. Mansfield -McGovern -Unilateral withdrawal -Cut off of US military and economic aid -Mansfield -POWs -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -24- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -Continuation -POWs -Kissinger’s briefing, December 16, 1972 -PR -Letters -Tone -Number -Communists -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Settlement agreement -Thieu -Haig -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -US-South Vietnam relations -Laos, Cambodia -US relations -Thieu -Effect on Southeast Asia -W[illiam] Averell Harriman’s view -Settlement agreement -August 1972 -McGovern -Kennedy’s speech -Tone -Robert J. Dole’s statement -Kissinger’s viewing on television [TV] -Congressional relations -The President -Support -Kennedy’s speech -Republican Senators -Support for the President -The President’s conversation with Haldeman -Kennedy’s speech -Press relations -Kissinger’s viewing on Today show or Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] news -Support for the President -25- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -Haig’s meeting with Thieu -Haig’s cable to Kissinger -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Settlement agreement -Thieu -George Carver’s view -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] -October 1972 -Hanoi -US signing -Protest -Acceptance -US signing -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam -Rejection -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Effect on US “domestic structure” -Relations with administration -Press relations -The President’s relationship with Kissinger -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -B-52s -Losses -The President’s conversation with Kissinger -Timing -North Vietnam -Moorer -Targets -Hanoi -Timing -Kissinger’s conversation with Moorer -Changes -Settlement agreement -Thieu -Relations with US -Post-November 7, 1972 -The President’s meeting with Duc -Haig’s and Kissinger’s trips to Saigon -26- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -Ellsworth F. Bunker -US public -The President -South Vietnam -US public, the President -Condition -Withdrawal of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam -Military Region [MR] Three -South Vietnam’s forces compared to North Vietnam’s forces -US concessions -Cease-fire in place -October 1970; January 1972; May 8, 1972 -Right-wing -Thieu -Letter to the President -Continuation of war -North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam -DMZ -Laos, Cambodia -Supply corridors -North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam -Meeting with Haig -Publicity -Settlement agreement -North Vietnam -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -Continuation -Scale -Three-day strike -Hanoi -Attacks on Soviet Union and Polish ships -Haiphong -Soviet Union protest -Tone -Hanoi -The President’s May 8, 1972 decision -PR -Kissinger’s mail -27- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -“Doves” -Kennedy -Press relations -Cambodia -Kent State University -The President’s May 8, 1972 decision -World War III -North Vietnam -The President’s May 8, 1972 decision -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Thieu -Haig’s meeting with Thieu -Strategy -Kissinger’s instructions to Haig -Thieu -Letter from the President -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Refusal -Publication -Thieu’s response -Effect -Cut off of US aid -US-North Vietnam bilateral deal -Thieu’s response -Resumption of talks -North Vietnam -US proposal -Settlement agreement -Settlement agreement -Thieu -Signing -Duress -Moorer, Kissinger, the President -October 1972 -1968 -1972 election -Haig’s trip to Saigon -Demands -Tone -28- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -Relations with US -Tone -Possible proposal, January 5, 1973 -Possible meeting with the President -Leak of reply -Repetition of old propositions -North Vietnamese strength in South Vietnam -October 1972 -CIA analysis -Saigon station chief -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -December 18, 1972 -Effect -Technical talks -North Vietnam -Attendance -Weakness -Protest -Secrecy -Proposal -December 23, 1972 meeting -Breakdown in talks -Settlement agreement -Thieu’s acceptance -Message to North Vietnam -Prospects -Tone -January 1973 -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -B-52s -Losses -SAMs -Percentages -Targets -SAMs -Railroads, bridges -B-52s -Soviet Union -Attrition -29- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. July-08) Conversation No. 827-10 (cont’d) -SA-2s -Age Second term reorganization -Air Force -Army -Navy -Adm. Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. Vietnam negotiations -US bombing north of 20th Parallel -PR -The President’s conversation with Colson -Press relations -Newspapers and TV -The President’s conversation with Colson -Mechanism -Results -Compared to Air Force -Debate -Christmas -Reply from North Vietnam -Timing -Forthcoming report -Timing Haldeman and Kissinger left at 12:16 pm.