277–18

Conversation No. 277-18

Date: September 15, 1971
Time: 2:37 pm - 3:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)



The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 9-25]

Henry A. Kissinger entered at 2:38 pm.

[End of telephone conversation]

Press conference, September 16, 1971
-Report on US foreign aid
-Democratic elections
-Statistics
-Number of countries
-Elective processes
-Democratic elections compared to contested elections
-Contested elections
-William R. Tolbert, Jr.
-Liberia
-Elections
-Number of countries
-United Nations [UN]
-US position on membership
-Secretary of State
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Taiwan, Republic of China
-PRC trip
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston column
-Forthcoming details
-Vietnam
-US relations with PRC
-Vietnam
-US military
-Withdrawal
-Protection of forces
-Demilitarized Zone [DMZ]
-North Vietnamese actions
-Helicopters
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Time
-Arrangements
-Troop withdrawals
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 277-18 (cont.)


-Announcement
-Speculation
-Future announcements
-Timing
-Proposed announcement of troop withdrawal
-Forthcoming South Vietnamese Presidential election
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Negotiations
-Announcement
-Time
-Thieu
-Ambassador Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Forthcoming South Vietnamese Presidential election
-Thieu’s opponents
-US foreign aid
-Contested elections
-Great Britain
-Parliamentary procedures
-Question and answer sessions
-Position of Prime Minister
-Speaker of the House of Commons

Presidential press conferences
-Format
-On the record, no correction
-Organization of conference

Press conference, September 16, 1971
-Statements
-Negotiations
-Kissinger’s role

Vietnam
-Response
-Congress
-US patriotism
-Elections in South Vietnam
-Questions
-Vietnamization
-Republicans
-Attitudes during phased US withdrawal
 22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 277-18 (cont.)


-Opponents
-Support of war
-Current status
-Lack of support
-Chronology
-November 3, 1969 Speech
-Cambodia
-Laos (Lam Son 719)

Amchitka Nuclear nest
-Timing
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] trip announcement
-PRC trip
-USSR
-Timing of nuclear test
-Proximity to time of announcement
-The PRC
-USSR
-Timing of announcement

[Unintelligible]

Vietnam
-Prisoner of war [POW] situation
-Effect on election
-Troop withdrawal
-Timing of action
-Possible questions on negotiations
-Ceasefire
-Military operations
-Perceptions
-Thieu
-POW situation
-US action
-Troop withdrawal
-Possible methods of negotiating
-Deadline
-Time
Foreign affairs
-USSR
-Relations with PRC
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 277-18 (cont.)


-Position in Southeast Asia
-Relations
-Negotiations
-Moscow
-Timing of Peking trip
-US alternatives for proposal
-Thieu
-Position
-USSR
-The President’s forthcoming meeting with Andrei A. Gromyko
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Handling of negotiations
-Reactions to recent developments
-The President’s domestic opponents
-Kissinger’s trip to the PRC
-Peking
-The President’s schedule

Vietnam
-Timing of action
-November
-Withdrawal of troops
-Haig
-Announcement of withdrawal
-Military service draft
-Number of troops
-Time
-Christmas period
-Announcement
-Additional announcements
-Time
-Type of announcement
-Effect of announcement
-Number of troops withdrawn
-The President’s PRC trip
-Troop withdrawal
-The President’s trip to the USSR
-Thieu
-Importance of strength
-Troop withdrawal
-Effect
 24

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 277-18 (cont.)


-Election
-Withdrawal
-Timing
-William F. Buckley
-Thieu
-Kissinger’s forthcoming meetings
-US position
-Timing
-Fall 1971
-Thieu
-Deadlines

Kissinger left at 3:15 pm.