Conversation: 876-004
Prev:  876-003 Next: 876-005Start Date: 12-Mar-1973 9:30 AM
End Date: 12-Mar-1973 10:29 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On March 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:30 am to 10:29 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 876-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 876-4 Date: March 12, 1973 Time: 9:30 am - 10:29 am Location: Oval Office The President met with Henry A. Kissinger. France’s election -Gaullists -Results -Computer projections -Communists and Socialists -Washington Post articles by Jonathan Randall -Compared to New York Times I[?] -Distortions -Gaullists -Losses of deputies Compared to reporting on winning of majority -Significance -Reasons -Impact of unity between Communists and Socialists -Message to Georges J. R. Pompidou -President’s congratulations -Hot line People's Republic of China [PRC]-US relations -Liaison office -Announcement by President -Press conference -Ronald L. Ziegler -Format -Advanced notice -3- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Release of John T. Downey -Publicity Vietnam -Press coverage -James B. (“Scotty”) Reston -Cease-fire -Criticism -Cambodia -Casualties ****************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 [National security] [Duration: 6s] INTELLIGENCE END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 ****************************************************************************** Vietnam -Cease-fire -Cambodia -Casualties -Weaponry -Defeat -US Air Force attacks -B-52 strikes -Chup Plantation -Civilians -Daily report -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer -Elliot L. Richardson -Infiltration -Cease-fire violations -Response by US -4- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Delay -Release of Prisoners of war [POWs] -Message to North Vietnam -B-52 strikes on Ho Chi Minh Trail -Aid to North Vietnam -Baltimore Sun editorial -Criticism of President -Justifications -National conscience -Congressional votes -Anti-war advocates -George S. McGovern -McGovern -Meeting with Kissinger -Gridiron -Statements during 1972 campaign -Criticism of President -POWs -Impression on public -Book on Vietnam War -President’s memorandum to H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -Robert G. K. Thompson -No Exit from Vietnam -Publisher -Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis -Joseph Alsop -Nicholas P. (“Nick”) Timmesch -Thompson -Knowledge of war -Timmesch -Kissinger’s conversations -Alsop -Laos -Laos and Cambodia -North Vietnam’s withdrawal -B-52 strikes -Massive basis -Frequency -Impact on US aid to North Vietnam -5- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Necessity -South Vietnam -Fighting with North Vietnam -Growing strength -Press reports -Washington Post -[First name unknown] Lippman [?] -Distortions -Cambodia -Thompson's book -Insights -US troop commitments -Ngu Dem Diem -Overthrow -Comments on US will -Consequences of withdrawal -Impact on role of US in world -US policy -President’s November 3, 1969 speech -Demonstration of will -Peace settlement -Criticism -Paul Warnke’s speech -Conversation with Gen. Alexander M. Haig and Kissinger during 1972 Campaign -Distortions -1969 negotiations -South Vietnam’s viability -US troop withdrawal -Press relations -Distortions -Administration’s response -Impact on 1974 election in Vietnam -South Vietnam’s viability Governor of Bermuda -President’s acquaintance -Assassination -Suspects -6- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Condolences -Telegram -Edward R. G. Heath -Protocol -Elizabeth II [Elizabeth, Queen of England] President Juan Velasco Alvarado of Peru -Death -Condolences Argentina -Presidential, legislative elections -Peronista victory -Military coup -Alejandro Lanusse -Peronista government -Nationalism -Anti-Americanism Latin America -Extremist politics -State Department’s assessment -Future trends -Right-Wing leaders -Left-Wing programs -Argentina -US responsibility -Right, Left-Wing coalition -Isolationism -Jingoism -International Communist influence -Left-Wing -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR], People’s Republic of China [PRC] International economy -Common float -Great Britain -Success -George P. Shultz -7- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Helmut (“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt Foreign policy -Middle East -Summit with USSR -Meeting between Kissinger and President -Philosophical discussion -Briefings for President -Hermann Kahn -Ability -US role in world -Abilities -Centrist -Daniel Joseph Boorstin -Historian -Smithsonian Institution -Meeting with President -Conservative point of view -Rand Corporation, Brookings Institution -Policy planners from State Department and Defense Department -Problems with using research groups -Request for money -Robert S. Elegant -[First name unknown] Hoffman -Liberalism -Talk with Kissinger -France’s election -Paper on European-American relations -Position on European Unity -Midwest university representative -Chicago -Compared with “Old Establishment” -Kahn, Hoffman -Boorstin -US role in world -Support for President -Meetings with small groups of thinkers -Kahn -Necessity of discussions -8- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Need for a philosophy and formulation of goals -French election, monetary issues -Remainder of President’s second term -Long range thinking -John B. Connally -Charles H. Percy -Nelson A. Rockefeller -Intelligence -Knowledge of foreign policy -Skepticism, enthusiasm -Speech in Europe -European federalism -Compared to New York State -Alliance for Progress -Organization of American States [OAS] -Failure -State Department’s reaction -Africa -Token gestures [?] -Latin America -Japan -Importance -Southeast Asia -India-Pakistan -Casualties at partition -Japan -Importance -Insularity in policies -Nationalistic attitudes -Comparison to [PRC] -Economic power -Realpolitik compared to sentimentality -Future role -Leadership -Kakuei Tanaka and Eisaku Sato compared to Chou En-lai -Respect for US -Diplomacy -Hirohito [Emperor of Japan] -State visits -9- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Involvement in other parts of the world -Siberia, Southeast Asia -Impact on PRC, USSR -Ties to US compared to PRC -Economic activities in Asia -Impact on US -Compared to European Economic Community [EEC] -North Vietnam, Siberia, PRC -Impact on PRC, USSR -Overextension -Imbalance -PRC -Deal with Mao Tse-Tung, Chou En-lai -Ties with US -Letters from president -Delay -Kissinger's trip to New York -Dr. David K. E. Bruce -President’s announcement of appointment -Meeting with Kissinger -North Vietnam’s infiltration -US-USSR summit -USSR -North Vietnam’s infiltration -Loss of tanks in PRC -Anatoly F. Dobrynin -Warning to Dobrynin -Potential North Vietnam offensive -Equipment source -Impact on relations with US Vietnam -US bombing -Release of Prisoners of war [POWs] -Ho Chi Minh Train -Opposition in Congress -Money, budget -Laos, Cambodia -Cease-fire violations -10- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Provocation -Ho Chi Minh Trail -Impact on North Vietnam -Khe Sanh -President’s critics -Thomas Grey (“Tom”) Wicker -Change in mood -Compared to President’s trip to PRC -Unintelligible name -Floundering -Gridiron dinner -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler -Speech by Spiro T. Agnew -Hugh S. Sidey -Conversation with Kissinger -President’s experience in Vietnam -Mollification -Hugh Breslin [?] -Support for President -North Vietnam’s infiltration -Aid to North Vietnam -Aid to Vietnam -Congressional relations -State Department and Defense Department roles -Elliot L. Richardson -William P. Rogers -Compared to role in Anti-Ballistic Missile [ABM] Treaty -Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT] -Leverage -Memorandum -Committee chaired by Rogers -Jurisdiction -William E. Timmons’s role compared to Rogers -Richardson’s, Rogers’s responsibilities -North Vietnam’s infiltration -US report to International Commission of Control and Supervision [ICCS] -Rogers’s recommendation -Delays -Impact on US actions -11- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Avoidance -US bombing -Aid to Vietnam -Congressional relations -State Department’s role -John Foster Dulles -Key Congressional figures -Kissinger, Ziegler [?] -Meeting with Kissinger, President [?] -Burden of work -Kissinger’s role -Middle East -SALT -US-USSR summit -President -ABM issue -Bryce Harlow’s role -Role of President and Kissinger -Timmons -Work with Congress -Comparison to Clark MacGregor -Rogers and Richardson -Work with Congress Middle East peace negotiations -Kissinger’s talks -Rogers’s knowledge -Rogers’s statement -Private talks -Israel and Egypt -Egypt’s response -Value -Kissinger’s talk with Yitzhak Rabin -Golda Meir’s response -Interim agreement compared to general principles, United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 [1967] -US pressure -Meir -Dealings with US -12- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -General principles -Hussein Ibn Talal [King of Jordan -Settlement -Interim agreement -Egypt -Rabin -Compared to Moshe Dayan -Character -Intelligence -Problems -Dayan -Abba Eban -Ambassadorial posting in US [?] -Cabinet posting [?] President's administration -Foreign policy planning -President’s discussions with Kissinger -President’s schedule -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman -Howard K. Smith’s article -President’s news summary -Comparison with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration -World War II, Great Depression -Success in PRC, USSR, Vietnam -Landslide presidential elections -Warren G. Harding -Corruption -Lyndon B. Johnson -Vietnam War victory -Re-election -President’s critique -Franklin D, Roosevelt -1936 victory -Congressional results -Supreme Court packing attempt -1938 election -Congressional results -Decline of popularity -13- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Impact of WWII -Divestment of presidential power -Domestic programs -Special revenue-sharing -State, local government spending -Opposition from liberals -Foreign policy mistakes -Overreach -Complacency -Postwar period -Campus unrest -Inflation -President’s legacy -Peacemaker -Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidency -USSR, PRC -Compared to peace in Vietnam -Negotiations -Revolutionary compared to nation-building leaders -George Washington -Dr. Achmed Sukarno -Kwame Nkrumah -French Revolution -President as peacemaker -Trip to PRC, SALT agreement, Vietnam settlement -New structure of peace -Need for vision, skill, permanence -Compared to Franklin D. Roosevelt -Support of intellectual elite -Press -Walter Lippman -Support for Herbert C. Hoover -Chicago Tribune -Iron Cross -Lack of opposition -Decision making -Opening with PRC -Opposition -Foreign policy establishment -14- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -Institutionalization -Need for President and Kissinger to stay in office Foreign policy -Middle East -Settlement -Progress -Ongoing “games” -PRC, USSR, Japan, Europe -USSR -Summits -Trip plans -President’s reception in Russia -Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin -Gridiron dinner -Leonid I. Brezhnev -Letter -Kissinger's trip to PRC -Chou En-Lai's trip to US -UN -PRC liaison office -State dinner invitation -USSR visit -USSR visit -Scheduling conflict -Conference on European Security and Cooperation -Andrei A. Gromyko -Date -Weather in San Clemente -Gromyko’s attendance -"3-corner game" -Delicacy of diplomacy -Files -Destruction -Compared to John F. Kennedy administration -Cuban Missile Crisis -Bay of Pigs -Sensitivity of conversations -Nuygen Van Thieu -15- NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM Tape Subject Log (rev. Aug-2010) Conversation No. 876-4 (cont’d) -PRC, USSR -Disposition -President’s library -President's possession -Pentagon Papers case -Damage -McGeorge Bundy -North Vietnam’s knowledge -Foreign government’s concerns about US leaks North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] [?] -Kissinger's discussions with someone -President’s telephone call to Kissinger Kissinger left at 10:29 am.