Nixon, Scowcroft & Ziegler on Vietnam War and POWs

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I have the message often as a special courier waiting.

I'll do what I can to get one back by the end of the night.

I can be in telephone contact and make sure when it gets out there.

Well, let me say that as far as the message response is concerned, I will go to Florida.

As soon as I'm there, just call me on the line.

There's no problem with that.

That's right.

I'm not concerned about that.

But the one to Mexico, of course, you'll get a response.

We've not bombed at all.

Nothing at all.

We have continued our reconnaissance in Laos, but there's been no bombing at all since they signed the ceasefire agreement.

We will lose them.

They have moved...

They've moved a lot of their aircraft from the north part of Vietnam down into the south.

Now, not too much really over into Laos, but I think inevitably we will probably lose some.

And, of course, there's the possibility of more POWs.

Well, that's the problem.

And, of course, that's it.

Then you've got our old, new iteration.

That's the problem that I was dealing with.

I think that's part of it.

And I think partly they're also looking at the military ineffectiveness of it.

And is it really worth it in those terms?

Now, the only magic thing that I see about this particular interval is that the message is stronger if they still have some of our POWs.

Because it seems to me that's an added element of determination.

Yeah, I know.

That's what I'm thinking.

But we're still on the outer ages of it.

Yes, they have.

That's right.

In the last few days.

What were you hearing?

in a whole new negotiation in a way.

You see, what we have now is a situation where the provocation which was last week becoming now appears less and less.

It isn't a hell of a lot less now.

But if that was all that was under consideration, but with the POW factor, not even if you lose three more, but with the POW factor as it stands today with the military commission statement coming out and the question about troop withdrawals being extended, there's still men over there questioning.

After they would be out, I think if the U.S. prisoners are all home, if the U.S. forces are out after the 29th, and there was a blatant invasion, a very clear violation of the agreement, I think there's no more on that.

I have all the material that I have.

No.

The agreement itself does not.

Did you find out what that was yet?

Yes, yes, we did.

In his press conference.

In his press conference, and you in your speech on the 23rd made it very clear.

All of our press conference.

That's right.

Throughout it.

So to see Ron, be sure you don't let the press go off on some kick, right?

every last person that is out there will be Americans in and out of Indochina.

We're going to keep Americans.

See, we don't have – we will have no military forces whatever in Indochina.

And I have always said that of all of our prisoners that have been thrown, there will be American forces in South Vietnam.

I don't mean just from the North.

Well, I think it's useful, and as I say, I think it's useful.

I don't want you to press me.

I just want to know the thought of it all through.

Well, Ron, if you have anything else you want to talk about it before I do, I can catch you in five minutes.

Thank you.

No, sir.

We're pretty well concerned.

We've had a lot of U.S. debates.

and do every procedure that should make it positive.

Yes, sir.

They...

That's right.

And, for example, in the New York Times today, the whole menu, the White House menu, the availability to send out how did you and the first family get traditionally meat and chicken all along, and how Chef Howard is being very good.

He's going to appear at the Virginian Hour show tomorrow, which is the Friday-March bullet

puts the administration into a position of fighting, too, and being concerned about it, and people don't so much turn their wrath on us.

Now, there'll be some of that, but it's part of the problem.

This is going to be something else.

But the chefs do a pretty good job.

I'm not sure.

I mean, those are only very minor things, but it's all that stuff.

I guess about the audience.

Secretary Rogers.

I don't think there would be much of a reaction.

I have never heard of it.

See, what they're saying is that once the POW, it's too fast a problem from a public standpoint to get the POWs home.

Well, then that's all we've got before us.

Right, that's why I didn't want to do it.

and there will be a national security briefing.

Nixon, Scowcroft & Ziegler on Vietnam War and POWs

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on March 22, 1973

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