825–4

Conversation No. 825-4

Date: December 16, 1972
Time: 9:37 am - 9:50 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger’s meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Status of talks
-Threat
-Soviet Union concern
-Breakdown in talks
-Delay
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Meeting with the President
-Timing
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Briefing by Kissinger
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Kissinger’s briefing
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Possible trip to Saigon with Haig
-Stalemate
-Cut off of US funds
-“Dove” line
-Meeting with the President
-Relations with the US
-Agnew
-Barry M. Goldwater’s view
-Letter to Haig
-Charles H. Percy

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:37 am.

The President’s memorandum to Kissinger
 -4-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-08)

Conversation No. 825-4 (cont’d)

Bull left at an unknown time before 9:50 am.

Vietnam negotiations
-Congressional relations
-Thieu
-Goldwater’s view
-Settlement agreement
-Percy
-Cut off of US funds
-Thieu
-Agnew
-Conversation with Haig, Kissinger
-Possible trip to Saigon
-Kissinger’s briefing
-North Vietnam

Bull entered and left at an unknown time before 9:50 am.

Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger’s briefing
-The President’s memorandum to Kissinger, December 15, 1972
-Tone
-Richard M. Helm’s conversation with Kissinger
-The President’s memorandum, December 16, 1972
-Copy for Kissinger
-The President’s possible role
-Pace of talks
-Enemy buildup
-October 8, 1972
-Kissinger’s “peace is at hand” statement, October 26, 1972
-Technical details
-Settlement agreement
-Long war, short peace
-Exchange of messages
-Resumption of war
-Duration of talks
-Casualties
-US, North and South Vietnam
-North Vietnam’s delays
 -5-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-08)

Conversation No. 825-4 (cont’d)

-Settlement agreement
-Timing
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Casualties
-US, South and North Vietnam
-Enemy buildup
-Delays
-North and South Vietnam
-Cease-fire
-South Vietnam’s self-determination
-Battlefield to ballot box
-The President’s memorandum,
December 15, 1972
-Prolonging war and talks
-Resumption of talks
-US military action
-Air and sea
-Enemy buildup
-Haig’s view
-Helms’s view
-Thieu
-Haig’s trip to South Vietnam
-Announcement
-Agnew
-Intentions
-Meeting with the President
-Compared to the President’s meeting with William P. Rogers
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Kissinger’s briefing
-The President’s schedule
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Tone
-The President’s memorandum, December 15, 1972
-Kissinger’s demeanor
-The President’s conversation with Kissinger, December 14,
1972
-Breakdown in talks
-The President’s memorandum, December 15, 1972
-Kissinger’s view
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-08)

Conversation No. 825-4 (cont’d)

-Haig’s view
-US bombing, mining north of 20th Parallel
-Public relations [PR]
-Kissinger’s view
-Demonstrations
-White House
-Haig’s view
-Breakdown in talks
-Press relations
-North Vietnam
-B-52s
-Eastern Establishment

The President’s schedule
-Meeting with Agnew
-Duration
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Dobrynin
-Note from Haig
-Meeting with the President

Haig left at 9:50 am.