456–24

Conversation No. 456-24

Date: February 23, 1971
Time: 6:42 pm - 7:18 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger

Vietnam
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. visit
-Melvin R. Laird
-General Nguyen Van Thieu
-General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Purpose
-Military situation
-Purpose
-Kissinger’s conversation with John Sherman Cooper
-Democrats
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy, Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield, and J. William
Fulbright
-Administration response
-Troop withdrawal
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Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-General Do Cao Tri
-Successor
-Ellsworth F. Bunker’s message to Kissinger
-Laos Briefing
-E. Ross Adair
-Age
-Congressional service
-John B. Connally
-William P. Rogers
-John N. Mitchell

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 6:42 pm

The President’s schedule
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Timing
-Swearing-in ceremony
-Frank J. Shakespeare
-George H. W. Bush
-NSC meeting

Middle East
-Israeli/Arab talks
-Prospects
-Kissinger’s view
-Administration position
-Report to the President
-Middle East
-Laos

The President’s schedule
-NSC meeting
-Timing

State Department translator
-Lieutenant General Vernon A. Walters
-President’s view
-Possible position at White House
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Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 1s ]


PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Conv. No. 456-24 (cont.)


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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The President’s schedule
-William J. (“Jack”) Edwards
-William E. Timmons
-Public relations
-Administration policy on Vietnam
-Meetings with reporters
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr., [Arnold] Eric Sevareid, John A. Scali, and John W.
Chancellor
-NSC meeting
-Briefings by Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
-Vietnam
-Briefing by Joseph J. Sisco
-Middle East
-Briefing by Richard M. Helms
-Laos
-Attendance
-Bush
-Connally
-Mitchell
-The Vice President
-Undersecretaries
-David Packard
-General John W. Vogt, Jr.
-Moorer

Kissinger left at 7:02 pm
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)




******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 22s ]

Conv. No. 456-24 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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The President’s conversation with Kissinger
-Middle East


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 30s ]


MIDDLE EAST


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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-Kissinger
-Israel
-Rogers
-Workload

Kissinger
-Role in administration
-Foreign policy
-President’s position
-United States-Soviet Union relations
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-President’s role
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-The President’s role
-Workload
-Rogers
-Haldeman’s conversation with Rogers
-State Department leak
-Kissinger’s comments to press Conv. No. 456-24 (cont.)
-Gerard C. Smith
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations role
-President’s role
-Aleksei N. Kosygin
-Rogers
-Department of State
-Middle East


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[National Security]
[Duration: 46s ]


MIDDLE EAST


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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-Kissinger’s view
-Israel
-Compared to Vietnam
-Role
-Press briefings
-Meetings
-Middle East
-William L. Safire
-Laird
-Writing style
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Safire and Raymond K. Price, Jr.

Haldeman left at 7:18 pm