385–8

Conversation No. 385-8

Date: December 11, 1972
Time: 4:05 pm - 4:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

White House gifts
-Memento
-Number
-White House staff
-Republican National Committee [RNC]
-Secret Service
-Personalization
-Rose Mary Woods

The President’s schedule
-Press relations
-Christmas tree lighting

Haig entered at 4:10 pm.

The President’s schedule
-Press relations
-Reception for 1972 election supporters
-Timing
-Christmas tree lighting
-Receiving line
-Photograph session
-Washington Post
-Cabinet dinner
-Responses
-William P. Rogers
-John N. Mitchell
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 385-8 (cont’d)

-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Assistants
-Dwight D. Eisenhower Cabinet
-Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
-Clark MacGregor
-Possible party
-John B. Connally
-Mitchell
-Connally
-Moynihan
-Connally
-Rogers
-The President’s role
-Melvin R. Laird
-Reception for surrogates
-Press relations
-Christmas tree lighting
-Press relations
-Washington Post
-Receiving line
-Photograph session
-Pools
-Instructions for Ronald L. Ziegler
-Invitation
-Washington Post
-Television
-Columbia Broadcasting
System [CBS]
-Washington Post
-Constance M. (Cornell)
(“Connie”) Stuart
-Cabinet dinner
-Press relations
-Washington Post
-Pool
-Instructions for Ziegler
-Friends
-Wire services
-Washington Post
-Reception for surrogates
 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 385-8 (cont’d)

-Guests
-Cabinet wives

Butterfield left at 4:20 pm.

Vietnam negotiations
-Report
-Length
-[Henry A. Kissinger’s] meeting
-Cable
-Settlement agreement
-North Vietnamese interest
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Plan
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-B-52s
-Duration
-Weather
-B-52s
-Effect on North Vietnam
-Cessation
-October 23, 1972
-Kissinger’s trips
-Settlement agreement
-North Vietnamese acceptance
-Timing
-Kissinger’s view
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Timing
-Conditions
-Demilitarized Zone [DMZ]
-DMZ
-Violations
-Korea
-US troops
-Results
-North Vietnam’s delays
-Settlement agreement
-Breakdown in talks
-US deadline
 -8-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 385-8 (cont’d)

-Kissinger’s view
-US bombing south of 20th Parallel
-Compared to bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Hanoi
-Haiphong
-Breakdown
-Kissinger’s return
-Reassessment of positions
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Hanoi, Haiphong
-Announcement
-TV
-Public opinion
-Washington, DC
-Escalation
-October 1972
-“Doves”
-Settlement agreement
-Haig’s conversation with Kissinger
-Haig’s and Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
-Haig’s meeting with Agnew
-Duration
-Agnew’s view
-[Nguyen Van Thieu]
-Bilateral deal
-Charles Whitehouse
-Arrival from Saigon
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Haig’s and Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
-Thieu
-US support
-Violations
-US retaliation
-Plans
-Haig’s and Agnew’s
possible trip to Saigon
-Agnew’s view
-Thieu
-US support
-US political climate
 -9-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 385-8 (cont’d)

-Whitehouse
-Return from Saigon
-Conversation with Haig
-Haig’s and Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
-Thieu
-Kissinger
-Bunker
-Thieu
-The President’s meeting with Nguyen Phu Duc
-Possible meeting with the President
-Announcement
-Haig’s and Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
-Bunker’s view
-Kissinger’s view
-Kissinger’s relationship with Thieu
-Others’ views of Kissinger
-Wiretaps
-Haig’s possible trip to Saigon
-Whitehouse’s view
-Bunker
-Whitehouse’s view
-Haig’s relationship with Thieu
-Relationship with Haig
-Press relations
-Left wing
-Bunker’s forthcoming answer
-Timing
-Haig’s and Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
-Possible appearance
-Whitehouse
-Breakdown
-Kissinger’s view
-Civil War
-Korea
-Kissinger’s possible trip to Hanoi
-The President’s conversation with Kissinger
-North and South Vietnam
-Haig’s conversation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Kissinger
-North Vietnam
 -10-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 385-8 (cont’d)

-Instructions
-Forthcoming meetings
-Settlement agreement
-US position
-US bombing
-Cessation
-Timing
-1972 election
-Kissinger’s memoranda
-The President’s view
-Deadlines
-1972 election
-Chou En-lai
-Concessions
-Kissinger’s view
-Recent history
-Kissinger’s meetings
-October 8, 1972
-October 12, 1972
-Paris
-Hanoi
-Saigon
-Paris
-October 26, 1972
-Compared to October 8 or 11-12, 1972
-Hanoi
-Statement
-Settlement agreement
-Thieu
-Changes
-October 8, 1972 – October 26, 1972
-October 26, 1972
-Paris
-North Vietnamese demands
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-DMZ
-December 4, 1972 to the present
-DMZ
-Phrase
-Technicians
 -11-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 385-8 (cont’d)

-Tone
-DMZ
-Technicalities
-December 12, 1972
-DMZ
-Message for Dobrynin
-Transmittal
-Washington, DC
-Moscow
-Hanoi
-Paris
-Timing
-Thieu
-Haig’s and Agnew’s possible trip to Saigon
-Bunker’s view
-The President’s meeting with Duc
-US-South Vietnam relations
-US aid
-Removal
-Whitehouse
-Bunker
-Ultimatum
-“Hawks”
-Battle plan
-The President’s possible meeting with Thieu
-The President’s schedule
-Haig’s schedule
-Agnew’s schedule
-Hanoi
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Seoul
-Meeting with the President
-Paris
-Haig
-Thieu
-William H. Sullivan
-Hanoi
-Saigon
-Seoul
-Sullivan
 -12-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 385-8 (cont’d)

-Saigon
-Thieu
-Hanoi
-Return to Washington, DC
-Timing
-Settlement agreement
-Announcement
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Return
-Nelson A. Rockefeller’s office’s telephone call
-Businessmen, Congressmen
-Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope
-Timing
-Announcement
-US-Soviet Union relations
-US bombing
-Tactics
-Tone
-South Vietnam’s military actions
-Whitehouse
-Performance
-Thieu
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Hanoi
-Targets
-Railroads
-Breakdown
-“Recess”
-Christmas
-Resumption
-Settlement agreement
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s [Shah of Iran] view

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 4:20 pm.

The President’s schedule
-Meeting with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 4:55 pm.
 -13-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. July-08)

Conversation No. 385-8 (cont’d)


Vietnam negotiations
-Settlement agreement
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Shah’s view
-US public opinion
-Casualites, draft
-US position
-Tone
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-North Vietnam’s interest

Haig left at 4:55 pm.