Secret White House Tapes

726–11

About this recording

726–11
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • H. R. Haldeman
  • Henry A. Kissinger
May 19, 1972
Conversation No. 726-11

Date: May 19, 1972
Time: 1:08 pm - 1:27 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

Soviet Summit
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Leak
-State Department
-William P. Rogers
-Statement at National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-State Department statement
-Kissinger
-President's departure for the Soviet Union
-Control of Charles W. Colson's office
-Meetings with Haldeman
-Domestic activities

Vietnam
-New York Times article
-Kenneth W. Clawson's rebuttal
-White House involvement
-President's attitude

White House staff
-Papers for President
-The President’s view
-Clawson's action

Kissinger entered at 1:11 pm.

Soviet Summit
-President's meeting with press
-Talking points

Haldeman left at 1:12 pm.
44

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-11 (cont.)

-President's meeting with Congressional leaders
-Topics of discussion
-Exchange
-Environmental controls
-Health, cultural exchanges
-Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT]
-SALT
-Andrei A. Gromyko message to Kissinger
-Soviet Union position
-Gerard C. Smith's position
-Status of negotiation
-State Department
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Conclusion of talks
-President's meeting with Congressional leaders
-Topics
-Vietnam
-Middle East
-SALT
-European Security Conference
-Press
-Proper framework
-Briefings
-Frequency
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Frequency
-President's press briefing
-Topics
-Limits of Summits
-Vienna, Camp David, Geneva, Glassboro
-Purpose
-Preparation
-Contacts with Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Unresolved issues
-Frequency
-Summit
-Third nations
-Concerns
-US allies
-PRC
-Treaties
-SALT
-Others
45

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-11 (cont.)

-Submission to Senate
-Report to American people
-Television speech
-Questions and answers [Q&A]
-Televised arrival ceremony
-President's speech upon arrival in Moscow
-Toasts
-First toast
-The President’s view
-Television speech to Soviet people
-Location
-Kremlin

Vietnam
-Psychological warfare
-Implementation
-Problems
-Kissinger's position
-President's orders
-Haig's check on situation
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Call from Kissinger
-Melvin R. Laird and Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Activities
-Equipment for South Vietnam
-President's orders
-Reasons
-Implementation
-Laird's orders
-Service secretaries
-Rush's program
-Kissinger’s view
-President's authorization
-Timing
-Laird

Helsinki talks
-[Smith]
-Kissinger’s view
-NSC help

Soviet Summit
-Press briefing
46

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-11 (cont.)

-Rogers and Kissinger
-Presence
-Meeting with Congressional leaders
-Rogers's presence
-Press briefing
-Kissinger's presence
-Rogers's attitude
-Rogers's presence
-Talk with reporters
-Kissinger's presence

Vietnam
-Air strikes
-Behavior of military
-The President’s view
-Restrictions
-Agnew
-Report
-The President’s view
-Military authority
-Implementation
-Reasons
-Effects on North Vietnam
-Haig's report
-Possible riots
-Reports
-Ambassadors
-Indonesia, France, Poland
-Psychological warfare
-Leaflet drop
-Hanoi Area
-US bombing
-Timing
-Content
-President's previous speech
-Warnings of bombing
-Timing
-North Vietnam offensive
-North Vietnam
-Concerns of commanders
-Threat of collapse
-Prospects for success
-Delays
47

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-11 (cont.)

-US military command
-Abrams
-Future
-Laird
-Gen. John D. Ryan
-The President’s view
-Future
-Gen. John W. Vogt, Jr.
-Future
-Experience
-Army
-[Forename unknown] Davis
-Gen. Bruce Palmer
-Haig
-Promotion
-Work with President
-Laird
-Replacement
-The President’s view
-US war efforts
-Air strikes
-Agnew's report
-Limits
-Railroad Bridge
-Restricted targets
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer's list
-Effect
-Railroads
-Military's authority
-Lyndon B. Johnson stories
-Extent
-B-52 strikes on North Vietnam
-Timing
-Intensity
-B-52 employment
-Advantages
-Number
-Assignment to Vietnam from Europe
-Impact
-Agnew's conversation
-Comparison with F-4s
-Psychological effect
-Number in Europe
48

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan-02) Conv. No. 726-11 (cont.)

-Number to Vietnam

Kissinger left at 1:27 pm.
Secret White House Tapes |

726–11

This recording is currently not available on millercenter.org. To listen to it, please email Mike Greco at mdg4u@virginia.edu

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