869–20

Conversation No. 869-20

Date: March 6, 1973
Time: 2:40 pm - 3:02 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

President's meeting with Hugh Scott
-Scott's complaints
-President's meetings with Congress members
-Kissinger's evaluation

Republicans
 -54-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 869-24 (cont’d)



-Senators
-Validity
-Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Hale Boggs, Carl T. Curtis, Henry Bellmon
-Polling numbers compared to President
-Republican Party
-Irresponsibility
-Majority status
-Opposition
-Lack of support for President

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:40 pm.

President's briefing to business leaders
-Foreign policy
-Kissinger, William P. Rogers
-Subjects
-Trade
-Economy
-Domestic policy
-Preparation
-Foreign policy
-Rogers, Kissinger
-Coordination
-Improvement
-Informing President
-Rogers’s role
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-Bull’s role

Bull left at an unknown time before 3:02 pm.

President’s briefing of business leaders
-Kissinger's appearance
-Rogers’s appearance
-Presentation
-Softness

US foreign policy
 -55-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 869-20 (cont’d)



-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR], People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Opportunity
-President’s analysis of World War II era
-Compared with Rogers’s analysis
-Compared with Nelson A. Rockefeller
-President’s performance at press conference
-President's decisions
-Kissinger's interview with Barbara Walters
-Comments

Khartoum incident
-Foreign service
-Sense of pride
-Memorial service, State Department lunch
-Dignity
-President's appearance

President's place in history
-USSR, PRC
-Europe
-Germany
-Party chiefs

Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:40 pm.

William P. Rogers
-Talk on terrorism
-Khartoum incident

Peter M. Flanigan
-Talk on trade
-George P. Shultz

President’s talk on foreign policy

Briefing of business leaders
-Mix up
-Clawson
 -56-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 869-20 (cont’d)



-Flanigan
-Subjects
-Foreign policy
-International trade
-Mix up
-Rogers
-Businessmen
-Question and answer session [Q&A]
-Subject of discussion
-Terrorism
-Rogers
-Mix up
-Flanigan
-Rogers
-Foreign policy briefing
-Rogers
-Terrorism
-International Conference on Vietnam
-Paris
-Foreign policy
-President's remarks
-Arrangements
-Clawson’s discussion with Rogers
-President's remarks

Bull left at an unknown time before 3:02 pm.

Briefing of business leaders
-Mix ups
-Foreign policy
-Kissinger
-Rogers
-Kissinger's appearance
-Artisan speech
-President's remarks

Libya, Saudi Arabia
-US response to Khartoum incident [?]
 -57-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 869-20 (cont’d)




North Vietnam
-Infiltration

Vietnam
-Cease-fire
-casualty figures
-South Vietnam
-Infiltration
-South Vietnam’s reaction
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Demoralization
-US note to North Vietnam
-US bombing of Ho Chi Minh Trail
-Laos
-Cease-fire provisions
-Supplies
-Souvanna Phouma’s assent
-Targets
-Convoy
-North Vietnam’s answer to US note
-William H. Sullivan
-Civilian goods
-Tanks
-Artillery
-US bombing of trail
-Timing
-Reasons
-Government of Vietnam [GVN] pressure
-Offensive
-Contingent upon US reaction
-US action
-Constraints
-Delay offensive
-South Vietnam’s air force
-Bombing of trail in South Vietnam
-US bombing in Cambodia
-North Vietnam’s protests
 -58-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)



-Bac Song [?]
-B-52s
-Need for US response
-Criticism of the war
-Cease-fire
-Duration
-Reasons for North Vietnam’s mobilization
-Cease-fire agreement
-Replacements
-Laos demobilization
-Countering GVN movements

Kissinger left at 3:02 pm.