721–6

Conversation No. 721-6

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: 8:59 am - 9:06 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

Vietnam
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Richard M. Helms
-Briefing
-Previous Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] meeting
-Purpose
-Impact of blockade
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer briefing
-Duration
-Helms
-Previous meeting with Henry A. Kissinger
-View of blockade
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] view of shipments
-Rail
-North Vietnam imports
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 721-6 (cont.)

-Sea
-Overland
-Feasibility
-Soviet Union and People's Republic of China [PRC] cooperation
-Rerouting of supplies
-Call from President
-Blockade
-Resistance
-Bureaucracy
-Cambodia comparison
-WSAG
-U. Alexis Johnson
-Health
-Kissinger’s view
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Support
-Consequences
-Implementation
-Intensity
-Time
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s view
-Political consequences
-Necessity
-William P. Rogers
-Johnson
-Opposition
-Opposition
-Support
-Moorer
-Rush
-John B. Connally
-Opposition
-Arguments
-Effectiveness
-Impact on South Vietnam

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 8:59 am.

NSC meeting

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 9:06 am.
 5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Dec-01)
Conv. No. 721-6 (cont.)

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Opposition
-Reasoning
-Melvin R. Laird
-View of South Vietnam
-Rogers
-Ambiguity
-South Vietnamese morale
-Kissinger’s previous meeting
-John Negroponte
-George C. Carver
-Support
-North Vietnam logistics
-Impact
-Manpower
-Command and control
-South Vietnamese morale
-Bargaining chip
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-President's peace proposals in forthcoming speech
-POWs
-US forces
-Wording
-John K. Andrews, Jr.

Kissinger left at 9:06 am.