About this recording
719–4
- President Richard M. Nixon
- H. R. Haldeman
- Ronald L. Ziegler
- Stephen B. Bull
- Henry A. Kissinger
- John B. Connally
May 4, 1972
Conversation No. 719-4
Date: May 4, 1972
Time: 9:06 am – 9:59 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Some carpenters
President's meeting with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Instructions to Haldeman
-Melvin R. Laird
-Responsibility in public relations
-Burning of US building in South Vietnam
-News story
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 9:07 am.
J. Edgar Hoover
-President's eulogy
-Review
-Nature of statement
-Press coverage
-Distribution time
L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III’s previous meeting at the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-Press coverage of FBI
-Congressional criticism
Hoover eulogy
-Distribution
Ziegler left at 9:09 am.
Vietnam
-Press reports
-Haig
-Ziegler
-Department of Defense interviews
-Briefing for John B. Connally
-Henry A. Kissinger's attendance
Advice on response to North Vietnam offensive
-Connally
-National Security Council [NSC]
-William P. Rogers, Laird
-The President’s view
-Charles W. Colson, Clark MacGregor
-Connally
-John N. Mitchell
-Kissinger
-Poll
-Results
-Soviet Summit
-Kissinger's advice
-Timing of North Vietnam offensive
-Appearance of US weakness
-Briefing with Connally
-Haldeman and Kissinger
-Timing
-Connally
-Call from Haldeman
-Briefing with Haldeman, Kissinger
-Time
-President's meeting with Kissinger
-Importance
-Forthcoming Soviet response
-Mitchell
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
Kissinger's previous speech at the Metropolitan Club
-Reception
-Speaking ability
-Importance
-Gordon Gray
Vietnam
-Press reports
-North Vietnam offensive
-South Vietnam response
-Shakeup of command
-US command
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-President's discussion with Kissinger
-Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-Blockade
-Military targets
-Coordination with blockade
-Blockade
-Cessation
-Conditions
-Prisoners of war [POWs] release
-Ceasefire
-Criticism
-Conflict with Soviets
-US military evaluations
-Navy
-Haig
-The President’s view
-Army
-Connally
-Briefing
-Time
-President's schedule
-Kissinger
FBI
-Hoover
-Gray
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
Vietnam
-End-the-war amendment
-John C. Stennis amendment
-Delay on vote
-Clifford P. Case-Frank F. Church amendment
-Robert C. Byrd-Michael J. Mansfield amendment
-Presentation to Senate
-Mansfield
-Byrd
-Content
-Mobilization of supporters
-President's response
-John A. Scali
-Leak at State Department
-Contacts with press
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-Richard A. Moore
-Rogers
-The President’s view
Haldeman's meeting with John R. (“Tex”) McCrary, Scali, Moore
-Soviet trip
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Cancellation of her trip
-Analogy to People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Itinerary
-McCrary
-Haldeman’s view
White House staff
-Instructions for Haldeman
-Colson
Connally
-Meeting
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 2s ]
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
**********************************************************************
Forthcoming election
-National conventions
-Plans for security
-Organization
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:07 am.
Kissinger
-Meeting with the President
Bull left at an unknown time before 9:30 am.
Forthcoming election
-Republican National Convention
-Plans for security
-Term of service
-Advantages over National Guard and police
-Personnel
-Training
Democratic convention
-Plans for security
-Reubin O. Askew
-Miami Beach mayor
-White House help
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
Vietnam
-\"Hawks\"
-Fears of secret administration plans
-Knowledge of public support for the President
-Poll
Kissinger entered at 9:30 pm.
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
Vietnam
-Kissinger's talk with Connally
-Time of meeting
-Haldeman
-Arrangements
Haldeman talked with Connally at an unknown time between 9:30 and 9:35 am.
[Conversation No. 719-4A]
Meeting
-Time
-Place
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Advice
-Mitchell
-Value
-Meeting
-Time
-Kissinger's schedule
-Meeting with Mitchell
-Time
Haldeman left at 9:35 am.
Soviet Summit
-Forthcoming briefing of Connally
-Haldeman's role
-Kissinger's role
-Connally's judgment
Vietnam
-Kissinger's reception at The Metropolitan Club
-Administration efforts
-The President’s view
-North Vietnam offensive
-Failure
-Comparison with Dien Bien Phu
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-An Loc
-Importance
-Kontum
-An Loc
-Artillery
-Haig
-South Vietnam response
-Hue
-Kontum
-Prospect of loss
-Quality of South Vietnam division
-An Khe
-Hue
-President's conversation with Haig
-Quang Tri
-Importance
-Comparison to Verdun
-Military action
-Air Force reports
-The President’s view
-Air strikes
-Effectiveness
-World War II
-Strategic and Tactical air [TACAIR] bombing
-Use of helicopter
-US military forces
-Performance
-Reorganization
-Styx missile
-Use by Israeli destroyer
-US carriers
-Vulnerability
-Negotiations
-Le Duc Tho
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Soviet Summit
-Back-Up position
-Relation to offensive
-Air strikes
-Timing
-Intensity
-Location
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-Recriminations
-President's PRC trip
-Laird's recommendations
-Previous air strikes
-US intelligence
-The President’s view
-North Vietnam intentions
-Previous offensive
-US air strikes
-Duration
-Effects
-Moorer's position
-Quang Tri
-Hanoi, Haiphong
-Helicopter gunships
-Hue
-The President’s suggestion
-Impact on negotiations
-North Vietnam stakes in offensive
-Reports
-Saigon
-Hue
-Haig's assessment
-Press coverage
-Comparison with Tet offensive
-North Vietnam capabilities
-Evaluations
-Sir Robert Thompson
-Haig's mission
-Abrams
-Accuracy
-Kontum's future
-Pleiku
-North Vietnam advances
-Defensive withdrawals
-An Khe
-Loss of territory
-Duong Hoi, Quang Tri, Tannenberg
-President's advice to unknown person and Moorer
-Blockade
-Implementation
-Submarines
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-US policy
-Major goal
-Kissinger’s view
-Possible invasion of North Vietnam
-US troops
-South Vietnam troops
-US equipment
-Negotiations
-William J. Porter
-North Vietnam demands
-Impending US walk-out
-Thieu
-Porter
-Kissinger’s view
Middle East
-Kissinger meeting with Yitzhak Rabin
-Transfer of F-4s to Israel
-Effect on Soviet Union
-Israelis
-Kissinger’s view
-US influence
Soviet Summit
-Possible cancellation
-US response
-Israelis
-Reasons
-PRC
-President's message to Chou En-Lai
-Assurances
-President's speech
-Public response
-Resolutions in Congress
-Soviet propaganda
-Joseph C. Kraft
-1960 election
-Nikita S. Khrushchev And John F. Kennedy
-Soviet feeling about the President
-Democratic challenge
-US bombing
-Public support
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-PRC trip
-US support
-The President’s view
-Vietnam negotiations
-Soviet Summit
-Kissinger's draft for President's speech
-Time of delivery to President
-Time of Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] meeting
-US conditions
-North Vietnam offensive
-Cessation period
-Cancellation
-Risks
-Record
Kissinger left at 9:59 am.
Date: May 4, 1972
Time: 9:06 am – 9:59 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Some carpenters
President's meeting with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Instructions to Haldeman
-Melvin R. Laird
-Responsibility in public relations
-Burning of US building in South Vietnam
-News story
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 9:07 am.
J. Edgar Hoover
-President's eulogy
-Review
-Nature of statement
-Press coverage
-Distribution time
L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III’s previous meeting at the Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-Press coverage of FBI
-Congressional criticism
Hoover eulogy
-Distribution
Ziegler left at 9:09 am.
Vietnam
-Press reports
-Haig
-Ziegler
-Department of Defense interviews
-Briefing for John B. Connally
-Henry A. Kissinger's attendance
Advice on response to North Vietnam offensive
-Connally
-National Security Council [NSC]
-William P. Rogers, Laird
-The President’s view
-Charles W. Colson, Clark MacGregor
-Connally
-John N. Mitchell
-Kissinger
-Poll
-Results
-Soviet Summit
-Kissinger's advice
-Timing of North Vietnam offensive
-Appearance of US weakness
-Briefing with Connally
-Haldeman and Kissinger
-Timing
-Connally
-Call from Haldeman
-Briefing with Haldeman, Kissinger
-Time
-President's meeting with Kissinger
-Importance
-Forthcoming Soviet response
-Mitchell
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
Kissinger's previous speech at the Metropolitan Club
-Reception
-Speaking ability
-Importance
-Gordon Gray
Vietnam
-Press reports
-North Vietnam offensive
-South Vietnam response
-Shakeup of command
-US command
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-President's discussion with Kissinger
-Soviet Summit
-Cancellation
-Blockade
-Military targets
-Coordination with blockade
-Blockade
-Cessation
-Conditions
-Prisoners of war [POWs] release
-Ceasefire
-Criticism
-Conflict with Soviets
-US military evaluations
-Navy
-Haig
-The President’s view
-Army
-Connally
-Briefing
-Time
-President's schedule
-Kissinger
FBI
-Hoover
-Gray
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
Vietnam
-End-the-war amendment
-John C. Stennis amendment
-Delay on vote
-Clifford P. Case-Frank F. Church amendment
-Robert C. Byrd-Michael J. Mansfield amendment
-Presentation to Senate
-Mansfield
-Byrd
-Content
-Mobilization of supporters
-President's response
-John A. Scali
-Leak at State Department
-Contacts with press
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-Richard A. Moore
-Rogers
-The President’s view
Haldeman's meeting with John R. (“Tex”) McCrary, Scali, Moore
-Soviet trip
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Cancellation of her trip
-Analogy to People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Itinerary
-McCrary
-Haldeman’s view
White House staff
-Instructions for Haldeman
-Colson
Connally
-Meeting
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3m 2s ]
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
**********************************************************************
Forthcoming election
-National conventions
-Plans for security
-Organization
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:07 am.
Kissinger
-Meeting with the President
Bull left at an unknown time before 9:30 am.
Forthcoming election
-Republican National Convention
-Plans for security
-Term of service
-Advantages over National Guard and police
-Personnel
-Training
Democratic convention
-Plans for security
-Reubin O. Askew
-Miami Beach mayor
-White House help
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
Vietnam
-\"Hawks\"
-Fears of secret administration plans
-Knowledge of public support for the President
-Poll
Kissinger entered at 9:30 pm.
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
Vietnam
-Kissinger's talk with Connally
-Time of meeting
-Haldeman
-Arrangements
Haldeman talked with Connally at an unknown time between 9:30 and 9:35 am.
[Conversation No. 719-4A]
Meeting
-Time
-Place
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam
-Advice
-Mitchell
-Value
-Meeting
-Time
-Kissinger's schedule
-Meeting with Mitchell
-Time
Haldeman left at 9:35 am.
Soviet Summit
-Forthcoming briefing of Connally
-Haldeman's role
-Kissinger's role
-Connally's judgment
Vietnam
-Kissinger's reception at The Metropolitan Club
-Administration efforts
-The President’s view
-North Vietnam offensive
-Failure
-Comparison with Dien Bien Phu
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-An Loc
-Importance
-Kontum
-An Loc
-Artillery
-Haig
-South Vietnam response
-Hue
-Kontum
-Prospect of loss
-Quality of South Vietnam division
-An Khe
-Hue
-President's conversation with Haig
-Quang Tri
-Importance
-Comparison to Verdun
-Military action
-Air Force reports
-The President’s view
-Air strikes
-Effectiveness
-World War II
-Strategic and Tactical air [TACAIR] bombing
-Use of helicopter
-US military forces
-Performance
-Reorganization
-Styx missile
-Use by Israeli destroyer
-US carriers
-Vulnerability
-Negotiations
-Le Duc Tho
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Soviet Summit
-Back-Up position
-Relation to offensive
-Air strikes
-Timing
-Intensity
-Location
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-Recriminations
-President's PRC trip
-Laird's recommendations
-Previous air strikes
-US intelligence
-The President’s view
-North Vietnam intentions
-Previous offensive
-US air strikes
-Duration
-Effects
-Moorer's position
-Quang Tri
-Hanoi, Haiphong
-Helicopter gunships
-Hue
-The President’s suggestion
-Impact on negotiations
-North Vietnam stakes in offensive
-Reports
-Saigon
-Hue
-Haig's assessment
-Press coverage
-Comparison with Tet offensive
-North Vietnam capabilities
-Evaluations
-Sir Robert Thompson
-Haig's mission
-Abrams
-Accuracy
-Kontum's future
-Pleiku
-North Vietnam advances
-Defensive withdrawals
-An Khe
-Loss of territory
-Duong Hoi, Quang Tri, Tannenberg
-President's advice to unknown person and Moorer
-Blockade
-Implementation
-Submarines
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-US policy
-Major goal
-Kissinger’s view
-Possible invasion of North Vietnam
-US troops
-South Vietnam troops
-US equipment
-Negotiations
-William J. Porter
-North Vietnam demands
-Impending US walk-out
-Thieu
-Porter
-Kissinger’s view
Middle East
-Kissinger meeting with Yitzhak Rabin
-Transfer of F-4s to Israel
-Effect on Soviet Union
-Israelis
-Kissinger’s view
-US influence
Soviet Summit
-Possible cancellation
-US response
-Israelis
-Reasons
-PRC
-President's message to Chou En-Lai
-Assurances
-President's speech
-Public response
-Resolutions in Congress
-Soviet propaganda
-Joseph C. Kraft
-1960 election
-Nikita S. Khrushchev And John F. Kennedy
-Soviet feeling about the President
-Democratic challenge
-US bombing
-Public support
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02)
Conv. No. 719-4 (cont.)
-PRC trip
-US support
-The President’s view
-Vietnam negotiations
-Soviet Summit
-Kissinger's draft for President's speech
-Time of delivery to President
-Time of Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] meeting
-US conditions
-North Vietnam offensive
-Cessation period
-Cancellation
-Risks
-Record
Kissinger left at 9:59 am.
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