577–16

Conversation No. 577-16

Date: September 20, 1971
Time: 5:04 pm - 5:12 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[Conversation No. 577-16A]

[See Conversation No. 9-99; one item has been withdrawn from the conversation]

Henry A. Kissinger entered after 5:05 pm.


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 24s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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 33

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)




[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam negotiations
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Spiro T. Agnew
-William P. Rogers
-Status
-Revelations
-Effect
-The President's speech on October 7, 1971

PRC initiative
-Summit trip to the PRC
-Announcement
-Possible date
-Hanoi
-Nikolai V. Podgorny
-Trip
-Date options
-Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
-Kissinger's schedule
-Trip itinerary
-Hawaii, Shanghai, Peking
-Effect on negotiations
-Date of negotiating session
-Agreement between the US and the PRC
-Dates
-Order of dates
-Flexibility of dates
-Podgorny
-Hanoi, Soviet Union

Soviet Union
-Summit meeting with the President
-Announcement
-Timing
-Podgorny
-Announcement timing
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
 34

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 577-16 (cont.)



Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Time
-Target
-Petroleum, oil and lubricants [POL] dumps
-Cambodia
-Target
-Time
-Air strikes
-Weather
-Date
-Targets
-Weather factor
-Number of planes
-Minimum
-Maximum
-Negotiations
-Agnew
-Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-Knowledge
-Casualties
-Number
-Effect on negotiations
-Hanoi
-Blockade
-Soviet Union
-PRC
-Soviet Union
-Egon Bahr
-Cable
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Comments about the President
-Détente
-Leaks
-The President's trip to the PRC
 35

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 577-16 (cont.)


PRC initiative
-Political attitudes within the US
-Right wing
-PRC trip

Vietnam
-The President's statement
-Foreign policy
-The President's Administration
-Unified Government
-Laird
-Alternatives In Vietnam
-Thieu
-Communism
-Ngo Dinh Diem
-Effect on US in negotiations
-Soviet Union, PRC
-Negotiations
-Effect of US military actions
-\"Menu\" air strike
-Cambodia
-Laos
-Military standpoint
-Diplomatic effect
-PRC trip
-Laos
-Compared to Cambodia
-North Vietnamese
-Date
-Balance of negotiations
-Laos and Cambodia
-Attacks
-Timing on negotiations
-Laos
-Helms
-Timing of attacks in Vietnam
-Date
-Air strikes
-Military action
-Timing
-Soviet announcement
 36

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 577-16 (cont.)


-US election
-Effect on US-PRC and US-Soviet negotiations
-US goals
-Verdun Battle during World War I
-The President's possible policy in 1965
-Bombing
-Escalation
-Targets
-Locations
-Compared to World War II
-Date
-US position in negotiations
-Speculation
-Foreign policy
-Domestic policy
-Effect on the Administration
-Effect on US domestic policy
-Saigon
-Communist rule
-Kissinger's memorandum
-Peace talks
-Election
-Bombing halt
-Time duration
-South Vietnam
-Projected status
-North Vietnam
-Laird
-Military supplies
-Equipment
-Congress's possible action
-Military Supplies
-North Vietnam
-Offensive
-Tanks
-Laos
-Prisoner of war [POW] issue
-Bombing
-Effect of re-election of the President
-Effect of election on the North Vietnamese
-Soviet Union
 37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 577-16 (cont.)


-Defeat of the President in election
-Re-election of the President
-Polls
-Effect on negotiations
-North Vietnam position
-1968 election
-North Vietnam
-Bombing halt prior to 1968 election
-Clark M. Clifford
-W. Averell Harriman
-John N. Mitchell
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Bombing halt
-North Vietnam position
-Attitude toward the President
-Defeat
-Victory
-1972 election
-Polls
-Re-election of the President
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] agreement
-Summits with the PRC and the Soviet Union
-European summit
-Campaign
-Public news
-Public reaction
-Economy
-George H. Gallup polls
-Louis P. Harris polls
-Gallup Polls
-The President's position
-Percentage

Kissinger’s schedule
-Meeting with Dobrynin
-Forthcoming call to the President

Kissinger left at 5:33 pm