647–7

Conversation No. 647-7

Date: January 13, 1972
Time: 10:35 am - 11:05 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Melvin R. Laird and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Greetings

Vietnam announcement
-Questions
-News summary

Vietnam
-North Vietnamese attacks
-Media coverage
-Probability of success
-South Vietnamese
-Prospects
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN]
-Morale
-American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
-Possible questions at forthcoming news briefing
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-7 (cont.)


Possible questions at forthcoming news briefing
-North and South Vietnamese capabilities
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Reliance on South Vietnam for its security

The President's statement of US troop withdrawals
-Date of withdrawals
-Possible follow-up questions
-Handling
-Noting circumstances
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Remaining US forces
-Administration record

Democratic candidates
-Edmund S. Muskie, Hubert H. Humphrey
-Previous positions on Vietnam
-1968 campaign

Vietnam
-US troop withdrawals
-Levels

POWs
-Deadline
-North Vietnam’s response
-Call for overthrow of South Vietnam government
-Critics of the President's policy
-Possible responses
-Aid to North Vietnam
-North Vietnam’s position
-US withdrawal
-Cessation of aid to South Vietnam
-Overthrow of South Vietnam government
-Humanitarian aspect
-Nguyen Van Thieu

Laird's possible responses
-Projected enemy activity
-Press coverage
-Tone
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-7 (cont.)


-Withdrawals
-South Vietnamese defense capabilities
-Chances of success
-US combat role
-North Vietnam

Press stories
-Energy activity
-Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam
-Timing
-South Vietnamese defense performance
-US confidence
-Defeats and victories
-Cambodia
-Laos

South Vietnamese
-Military capabilities
-Manpower, training, materiel, morale
-Towns
-Kontum
-Laird’s possible answers
-Phrasing
-Composition
-Central Highlands
-Montagnards

Troop withdrawal announcement
-Format
-Ceilings
-Press interest
-Future announcement
-Timing
-Laird's comments
-Laird, Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS], Thieu

Laird’s possible answers
-South Vietnam defense capabilities
-Nixon doctrine, Vietnamization, Cambodia
-Press questions
-Air and sea power
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-7 (cont.)


-Possible future use
-Conditions
-1972
-Laos, Cambodia
-US forces
-POWs
-1972 election
-The President’s possible remarks

The President’s possible remarks
-US troops
-Confidence in Vietnamization, South Vietnam defense capability

Vietnam
-Remaining US troops
-Responsibilities

Possible action by the North Vietnamese
-Psychology of attack
-Evidence

US casualties in Vietnam
-Helicopters
-Press reports of increases
-Compared to the Battle of the Somme, March 21 – April 6, 1918
-British casualties
-Compared to Germans
-Compared to New York City death statistics

Troop withdrawal announcement
-Vietnamization
-Attacks by the North Vietnamese
-Prediction
-Timing
-Publicity
-Psychological effect
-South Vietnamese defense capabilities
-Possible failures
-Terrain
-II Corps
-Air activity
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-7 (cont.)


-Effectiveness
-ABC reports

Air strikes
-Damage reports
-B’52s
-Four-day strike of December 1971
-Effectiveness
-Effectiveness
-Weather
-Evidence
-US responses to North Vietnamese attacks
-Remaining US troops

South Vietnam
-Success
-Economic progress
-Inflation
-Progress

Rate of withdrawal
-US goals in South Vietnam
-POWs
-Self-defense

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 11:00 am.

Reporters at announcement release

Questions for Laird
-Duration

Television cameras

The White House Press Room

Ziegler left at 11:01 am.

The President's statement

Laird's comments
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 647-7 (cont.)


-Vietnamization
-Confidence in South Vietnam

Troop announcement
-Troop ceiling
-Future announcement
-Coordination with South Vietnam, Laird, JCS
-Laird
-Questions
-Confidence in South Vietnam
-US ground combat role

[David] Kenneth Rush
-Meeting with Laird
-Hugh Scott
-Proposed meeting with John C. Stennis, Margaret Chase Smith
-Possible appointment as Deputy Secretary, Secretary of Defense

Ambassador William J. Porter

The President, Laird and Haig left at 11:05 am.