Conversation: 832-010
Prev:  832-009 Next: 832-011Start Date: 3-Jan-1973 4:19 PM
End Date: 3-Jan-1973 5:05 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On January 3, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:19 pm and 5:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 832-010 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 832-10 Date: January 3, 1973 Time: Unknown between 4:19 pm and 5:05 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with Henry A. Kissinger. Vietnam War -Bombing of North Vietnam -Hospital and airfield -Call from Spiro T. Agnew -Defense Department -Punishment of pilots -Kissinger's conversation with Melvin R. Laird -Inadvertence -9- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Oct.-08) Conversation No. 832-10 (cont’d) -Negotiations -Tone -Political points -International commission -Independent monitors -Four-power commission -Bombing of North Vietnam -Press coverage -Punishment of pilots -Compared to Da Nang rocket attacks -Pham Van Dong Kissinger's meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin -Leonid I. Brezhnev summit -Nuclear treaty -Vietnam War -Settlement -Moscow Communist Party chiefs -Brezhnev’s commitment -Moscow -Tricia Nixon Cox’s visit -Vietnam War Vietnam negotiations -Possible failure -October 1972 agreement -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield -Funds cut off proposal -Conditions -Option two Kissinger’s meeting with Dobrynin -Andrei A. Gromyko -Berlin -Josef V. Stalin -Martin J. Hillenbrand -Disloyalty -Message to Bonn -Departure -1972 campaign -10- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Oct.-08) Conversation No. 832-10 (cont’d) -Ambassador to Germany -Businessman, lawyer -[David] Kenneth Rush -Foreign Service -Disloyalty Congressional relations -Kissinger’s meetings on Vietnam -Republican Congress members -Mansfield -Telephone call -Funds cut off -Carl B. Albert -Congressional leadership -William S. Mailliard -Number -Kissinger’s statements -The President’s instructions -The President’s bipartisan Congressional leadership meeting -Peace with honor -Congress’s motives -Publicity -Access -The President’s meetings -Albert -Mansfield -Gerald R. Ford -Hugh Scott -Mansfield -Republican leadership The President's bipartisan Congressional leadership meeting -Talking points -Preparation -Schedule -Vietnam settlement -Honorable peace -Cease-fire -Prisoners of War [POWs] release -Paris negotiations -11- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Oct.-08) Conversation No. 832-10 (cont’d) -Future developments -Ronald L. Ziegler -Serious negotiations -Future actions -Bombing of Hanoi -No comment Bombing of North Vietnam -Hospital -Punishment of pilots -Press commentary -Double standard -Compared to Cambodia -Laird -Published list of targets -Advantages -Civilian targets -Ziegler -Report -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer -Moorer’s report to Kissinger -Air Force pilots Vietnam negotiations -Option two -Viability -Bombing of North Vietnam -POWs release -Problems -Press coverage -Destruction -Support of Congress -Funds cut off -Domestic strain -Option one -Thieu’s agreement -Future problems -Compared to Option two -Abandonment of past positions -Vietnamization -12- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Oct.-08) Conversation No. 832-10 (cont’d) -Thieu’s preference -Achievement for US -Thieu’s response -October 8, 1972 agreement -Bombing of North Vietnam -Compared to October 8, 1972 agreement -Thieu’s acceptance -Kissinger’s conversation with South Vietnamese ambassador -Early settlement -Possible overthrow of Thieu -Bombing -Impact in US -Compared to May 8, 1972 decision -Invasion by North Vietnam -POWs release -Viability -Thieu -October 26, 1972 cease-fire announcement -Compared to October 8, 1972 agreement -Consequences for Thieu -Possible overthrow -Option two -International control agreement -South Vietnam government’s acceptance -Signing procedure -Demilitarized Zone [DMZ] -Option two -Vietnamization -Bombing -POWs -Domestic effect -1972 election -Press relations -Congress -Bombing for POWs -Mining -Bombing below 20th Parallel -Residual force -Bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong -POWs -13- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Oct.-08) Conversation No. 832-10 (cont’d) -Bombing below 20th Parallel -Effects -Press relations -October 26, 1972 agreement -Kissinger meeting with Thieu -Alexander M. Haig, Jr. -Kissinger’s travel -Hanoi -Seoul -Allies -Bangkok -Vientiane -Hanoi -Saigon -Timing -Bombing halt -Haig’s trip to Saigon -Thieu’s reaction -The President’s announcement -Participants -Congress -Possibility of failure -Thieu’s signature -Thieu’s possible actions -Resignation -Ellsworth F. Bunker -Option two -Domestic and foreign challenges -Golda Meir’s visit -Middle East initiatives -Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China [PRC], Latin America -Defense Department, State Department -Reorganization -John D. Ehrlichman -George P. Shultz -Europe -Dobrynin -Gromyko -Hillenbrand -Effect on foreign policy -14- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Oct.-08) Conversation No. 832-10 (cont’d) -Soviet Union, PRC -Congress -Press relations -Option one -Risks -Collapse of South Vietnam -Compared to Option two -Unsatisfactory settlement -Lack of Congressional support -Limitations -Bombing below 20th parallel -Mining -Residual force -Viability -Kissinger’s view -Loss of war -Mining -South Vietnam offensive operations -Collapse of Thieu’s government -Kissinger’s support -Antiwar opposition -Soviet Union, PRC -May 8, 1972 objectives -Earlier settlement -Advantages for Thieu -Thieu’s reaction -The President’s action in October 1972 -1972 election -Kissinger’s conversation with South Vietnamese ambassador -Congress -1973 Inauguration -Settlement -Controversy -Difficulty -Timing -Option one -Compared to option two -North Vietnam’s objectives -Halt of military operations -POWs -15- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Oct.-08) Conversation No. 832-10 (cont’d) -Political recognition of North Vietnam -Opportunity for Thieu -Thieu -Thailand -Indonesia -Negotiated solution compared to “budget” -Future of South Vietnam -Communists -US goals -May 8, 1972 speech -South Vietnamese resistance -North Vietnamese reaction -Return of POWs -Survival of Thieu’s government -Option two -Domestic problems -The President’s schedule -Kissinger’s schedule -The President’s statement -Bipartisan Congressional leadership meeting -Press release -Ziegler -Kissinger’s return to Paris -PRC and Soviet Union position -Robert S. Elegant -Dobrynin -European security conference -Middle East -Nuclear treaty -Kissinger’s meeting -PRC The President’s schedule -Haig -Departure Kissinger left at 5:06 pm. -16- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Oct.-08)