Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 865 › Conversation 865-026

Nixon & Ziegler on International Conference on Vietnam

Wednesday, February 28, 1973 · 4:23 PM–4:25 PM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation865-026 on Tape 865StartWednesday, February 28, 1973 at 4:23 PMEndWednesday, February 28, 1973 at 4:25 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 865-026 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417182605 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Ronald Ziegler discussed the upcoming International Conference on Vietnam, focusing on a Washington Star headline that appeared to stem from North Vietnamese comments about ceasefire violations. Ziegler briefed the President on the context, noting that the headline likely originated from statements made by Madame Nguyen Thi Binh and Nguyen Duy Trinh following a meeting with the four foreign ministers. The conversation also touched upon the release of Prisoners of War (POWs), with the understanding that North Vietnam had assured the US of their release according to the agreement.

  • International Conference on Vietnam
  • Washington Star headline
  • Ceasefire violations
  • Nguyen Duy Trinh
  • Madame Nguyen Thi Binh
  • Prisoners of War (POWs)
  • William P. Rogers
  • Paris

Audio

Download MP3 · 4.3 MB

NARA Description

On February 28, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:23 pm and 4:25 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 865-026 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 865-26

Date: February 28, 1973
Time: Unknown between 4:23 pm and 4:25 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       International Conference on Vietnam
               -Ziegler’s briefing
                      -Washington Star
                               -Headline
                      -William P. Rogers, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
                      -Nguyen Duy Trinh, Madame Nguyen Thi Binh
                               -Cease-fire violations
                               -Paris
                               -Source of headline
               -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                      -Roger’s meeting with Trinh

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 4:25 pm.
                                             -27-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

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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oh i wanted to ask you uh about your uh reading all right yes sir i saw something in there i think that was earlier uh before the brief you see i didn't read until late oh actually that was the uh
early but there's nothing new that we have i think there's nothing since we talked about this since we talked and i made all the points again that uh well i just want to be sure that i think before i go there's nothing new on the uh in terms of what they're saying and rogers it was clear
was waiting instructions as to how he should proceed there, but I think, you know, he's in good shape.
But we heard nothing else from the people, and don't think we wanted to... That's why I wondered about their headline, because what was their stick of terms about?
What was their story on?
It was based on the comments that the...
Louie Tinn had made, you know, the North Vietnamese spokesman about ceasefire violations.
They had said it before.
They had said it before, yes.
And, you see, it also was, I think, hypoed a little bit after the meeting with the four foreign ministers.
Madame Ben came out of that meeting, and Trinh came out of that meeting, and
whether or not they've made any progress and they said we can make no comment about it and madame ben i said i think said there's nothing that there's no progress that's been made or something along that line and that came out of paris earlier today and that's probably what the star picked up because in one of the marsha industry portraits that apparently the north of the other side instead of their terms we're carrying the afternoon in terms of
The fact that the North Vietnamese have assured that the United States is going to release them.
I knew what that was.
I'm all for that.
I've not heard the evidence so much.
But I think we've got it.
Right.
We've got it, it seems to me at least, from the strategy standpoint, because now they've got a movement pretty heavy that they've assured to release the prisoners in accordance with the agreement, which means they would release them soon.
No, but from the news standpoint now.
That's right.

Also recorded on February 28, 1973

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  • 414-003 3:20 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Thomas Hart, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:20 pm to 3:28 pm.
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  • 414-005 3:43 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 4:22 pm.
  • 414-006 3:43 PM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 4:22 pm.
  • 414-007 3:43 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:43 pm and 4:22 pm.
  • 865-027 4:23 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:23 pm and 4:25 pm.
  • 865-028 4:25 PM · 1 hr 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Roy L. Ash, George P. Shultz, John D. Ehrlichman, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:25 pm to 5:46 pm.

All 48 conversations from February 28, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 865-026, February 28, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417182605). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/865-026 (accessed November 15, 2026).