709–8

Conversation No. 709-8

Date: April 17, 1972
Time: 8:58 am - 9:34 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

Vietnam
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.'s cable
-Possible US action
-Military situation
-Predictions
-Troop withdrawals
-Conversation with Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Figures
-Announcement
-Timing
-Numbers
-Kissinger’s recommendation
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Message to the President
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Hanoi
-US response
-Soviet reply
-Summit
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 709-8 (cont.)


-The President's trip
-Impact on domestic issues
-Kissinger's trip
-Timing after bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong
-Soviet message from Dobrynin
-Hanoi
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Chou En-lai


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[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 43s ]


VIETNAM


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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-William P. Rogers
-The President's conversation with Rogers
-Kissinger's conversation with Rogers

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 8:58 and 9:03
am.

[Conversation No. 709-8A]

Request for a call to Rogers

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Negotiations
 6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 709-8 (cont.)


-Resumption of Paris Peace Talks
-Le Duc Tho
-Plenary sessions
-Cessation of bombing

The President talked with William P. Rogers between 9:03 and 9:10 am.

[Conversation No. 709-8B]

Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Resumption
-Cessation of bombing
-US response
-Blockade
-Rogers's statement
-Delays
-Wording
-Military targets
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Necessity of weapons
-Military operations
-South Vietnam
-Courage
-Air sorties
-Figures
-Negotiations
-Statement
-USSR and PRC protests
-US replies
-CIA analysis
-Nature of responses
-Summit
-Cancellation
-Rogers's statement
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-Conversation with the President
-Conversation with University of North Carolina Chancellor
-Student protests
-Students
-Acceptance of US policies
 7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 709-8 (cont.)


-Support for the President
-The President’s trips to the PRC and USSR
-Military operations
-An loc
-Ground action
-Newspaper reports
-Air power
-Abrams
-Military targets

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Necessity
-Legality
-Timing
-US commitment
-Kissinger's trip to USSR
-Return
-Timing
-Soviet responses
-The President's Administration
-Kissinger’ analysis
-Impact of war
-Lyndon B. Johnson’s Administration
-Confidence in government
-John F. Kennedy's Administration
-Foreign policy
-Advisors
-Johnson's Administration
-Foreign policy
-Successor
-Democrats
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Republicans
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
 8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 709-8 (cont.)


-Possibilities for the nomination
-Legacy
-US strength
-Possible successors’ strength and experience
-Leadership evaluated
-Muskie
-Kennedy
-Successors
-Strength in foreign policy
-US credibility
-North Vietnamese victory
-Foreign policy initiatives
-Policies
-Criticism
-Hue
-Vietnamization
-Muskie
-Statements
-World War I
-Verdun
-Comparisons
-France and Germany
-Costs
-South Vietnamese losses
-Hue
-An loc
-Hue
-New York Times article
-Unknown reporter
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Hugh S. Sidey article
-The President's demeanor
-Jerrold L. Shechter
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Location
-The President’s instructions to Kissinger
-Robert B. Semple, Jr.
-New York Times
-Max Frankel
-Leads
-Victory
 9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 709-8 (cont.)


-Consequences
-Soviets
-Middle East
-Message for Golda Meir
-Kissinger's call to Yitzhak Rabin
-Military operations
-Kissinger’s upcoming conversation with Dobrynin
-Soviet Message
-US reply
-Wording
-Kissinger’s upcoming trip to the USSR
-Summit
-Chou En-lai
-Soviet message
-Private talks
-US reply
-Dobrynin
-US response
-Rogers's cable
-Kissinger's trip to USSR
-Possible agenda
-Reasons
-Compared with PRC trip
-Press conference
-Announcement
-The President's statement
-Kissinger’s television appearance
-Democrats' responses
-Kissinger's trip to USSR
-Possible North Vietnamese presence in Moscow
-Announcement
-The President's schedule
-Camp David
-Kissinger's presence
-Low key
-Return to Washington
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Arrangements
-Meeting in Paris
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Trip to Moscow
 10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 709-8 (cont.)


-Timing
-Place
-The Executive Office Building [EOB]
-USSR
-Dealings with US
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Bombing
-Target areas
-Scheduling
-B-3
-South Vietnam
-Timing
-Public reception
-USSR and PRC protests
-Intensity
-Kissinger's return to US
-Soviet talks
-Kissinger's trip
-Blockade
-Soviet Summit
-Possible cancellation
-US stance
-Impact
-Tone to be used witho the Soviets
-Johnson
-Differences
-North Vietnamese troop levels
-Possibility of cease-fire during USSR trip
-US conditions
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-Cessation of bombing
-Domestic opinion
-Abrams
-Air attacks
-Intensification
-Military operations
-Number of sorties
-Naval action
-Number of destroyers, cruisers and carriers
-Location
-Bomb damage
 11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 709-8 (cont.)


-Haiphong petroleum, oil, and lubricants [POL]
-Photographs of damage
-Rail cuts
-Railroads
-Hanoi POL
-Railroads in Hanoi
-Haiphong
-Warehouse
-Naval base
-Shipyards
-Warehouse
-Truck parks
-Photographs

Frank J. Shakespeare
-Withdrawal of resignation

Vietnam
-An Loc
-North Vietnamese tank losses
-Noth Vietnamese maneuvers
-Losses
-Hue
-Military action
-Quang Tri
-South Vietnamese movements and offensive
-South Vietnamese tanks
-Damage against North Vietnam

Kissinger left at 9:34 am.