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Conversation: 869-020

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Start Date: 6-Mar-1973 2:40 PM

End Date: 6-Mar-1973 3:02 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.Bull, Stephen B.

Recording Device: Oval Office

869-020.mp3

NARA Description:

On March 6, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:40 pm to 3:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 869-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 869-20

Date: March 6, 1973
Time: 2:40 pm - 3:02 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

       President's meeting with Hugh Scott
             -Scott's complaints
             -President's meetings with Congress members
                   -Kissinger's evaluation

       Republicans
                                               -54-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. May-2010)
                                                             Conversation No. 869-24 (cont’d)



             -Senators
                   -Validity
             -Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Hale Boggs, Carl T. Curtis, Henry Bellmon
                   -Polling numbers compared to President
             -Republican Party
                   -Irresponsibility
                   -Majority status
                   -Opposition
                   -Lack of support for President

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:40 pm.

       President's briefing to business leaders
             -Foreign policy
                    -Kissinger, William P. Rogers
             -Subjects
                    -Trade
                    -Economy
                    -Domestic policy
             -Preparation
                    -Foreign policy
                          -Rogers, Kissinger
             -Coordination
                    -Improvement
                    -Informing President
                    -Rogers’s role
                    -Kenneth W. Clawson
                          -Bull’s role

Bull left at an unknown time before 3:02 pm.

       President’s briefing of business leaders
             -Kissinger's appearance
             -Rogers’s appearance
                   -Presentation
                   -Softness

       US foreign policy
                                                -55-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                          Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. May-2010)
                                                             Conversation No. 869-20 (cont’d)



             -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR], People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                   -Opportunity
             -President’s analysis of World War II era
                   -Compared with Rogers’s analysis
                   -Compared with Nelson A. Rockefeller
             -President’s performance at press conference
             -President's decisions
                   -Kissinger's interview with Barbara Walters
                          -Comments

       Khartoum incident
            -Foreign service
                  -Sense of pride
            -Memorial service, State Department lunch
                  -Dignity
                  -President's appearance

       President's place in history
             -USSR, PRC
             -Europe
                    -Germany
                          -Party chiefs

Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:40 pm.

       William P. Rogers
             -Talk on terrorism
                   -Khartoum incident

       Peter M. Flanigan
             -Talk on trade
             -George P. Shultz

       President’s talk on foreign policy

       Briefing of business leaders
             -Mix up
                   -Clawson
                                               -56-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. May-2010)
                                                          Conversation No. 869-20 (cont’d)



                        -Flanigan
             -Subjects
                   -Foreign policy
                   -International trade
                   -Mix up
             -Rogers
             -Businessmen
                   -Question and answer session [Q&A]
             -Subject of discussion
                   -Terrorism
                          -Rogers
             -Mix up
                   -Flanigan
                          -Rogers
             -Foreign policy briefing
             -Rogers
                   -Terrorism
                   -International Conference on Vietnam
                          -Paris
             -Foreign policy
                   -President's remarks
             -Arrangements
                   -Clawson’s discussion with Rogers
             -President's remarks

Bull left at an unknown time before 3:02 pm.

       Briefing of business leaders
             -Mix ups
             -Foreign policy
                   -Kissinger
                   -Rogers
                   -Kissinger's appearance
                         -Artisan speech
                   -President's remarks

       Libya, Saudi Arabia
            -US response to Khartoum incident [?]
                                    -57-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                             Tape Subject Log
                              (rev. May-2010)
                                                    Conversation No. 869-20 (cont’d)




North Vietnam
     -Infiltration

Vietnam
     -Cease-fire
     -casualty figures
            -South Vietnam
     -Infiltration
            -South Vietnam’s reaction
                   -Nguyen Van Thieu
                         -Demoralization
            -US note to North Vietnam
            -US bombing of Ho Chi Minh Trail
                   -Laos
                   -Cease-fire provisions
                   -Supplies
                   -Souvanna Phouma’s assent
                   -Targets
                         -Convoy
            -North Vietnam’s answer to US note
                   -William H. Sullivan
                         -Civilian goods
            -Tanks
            -Artillery
            -US bombing of trail
                   -Timing
            -Reasons
                   -Government of Vietnam [GVN] pressure
                   -Offensive
                         -Contingent upon US reaction
            -US action
                   -Constraints
                   -Delay offensive
            -South Vietnam’s air force
                   -Bombing of trail in South Vietnam
            -US bombing in Cambodia
                   -North Vietnam’s protests
                                                -58-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                          Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. May-2010)



                               -Bac Song [?]
                                    -B-52s
                   -Need for US response
                        -Criticism of the war
                        -Cease-fire
                               -Duration
                   -Reasons for North Vietnam’s mobilization
                        -Cease-fire agreement
                        -Replacements
                        -Laos demobilization
                        -Countering GVN movements

Kissinger left at 3:02 pm.