474–8

Conversation No. 474-8

Date: March 26, 1971
Time: Unknown after 4:09 pm until 4:53 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Melvin R. Laird, Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, David Packard, Henry A.
Kissinger, General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and John B. Connally
[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress; discontinuities occur during the
recording]

Vietnam
-US casualties
-General Nguyen Van Thieu
-Laird’s previous conversation
-Air capabilities
-Helicopters
-Fixed-wing aircraft
-North Vietnamese losses
-South Vietnamese troops
-Supplies
-US role
-Thieu’s election
-Soviet Union
-South Vietnamese forces

Kissinger left at 4:25 pm

-Democrats in Congress
-Connally’s view
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Chubb plantation operation
-US withdrawal
-South Vietnamese supplies
-Carl B. Albert
-Caucus, March 30, 1971
-Recess schedule
-Albert
-President’s trip to California
-Laird’s conversations
-President’s previous conversation with Albert and [Thomas] Hale Boggs
-Support for the President
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-President’s actions
-Vietnamization
-US troop withdrawal
-Date set by President
-Reasoning
-South Vietnamese stability
-Prisoners of War [POWs] Conv. No. 474-8 (cont.)
-Negotiating position
-Effect of possible democratic resolution
-POWs
-President’s view
-Thieu, Nguyen Cao Ky
-President’s Vietnam accomplishments
-Political situation
-US withdrawal
-Date set by Congress
-Effects
-South Vietnam’s future
-President’s view
-Date set by President
-Effects
-Date set by Congress
-Effects
-Possible cutoff of funds
-Possible Congressional action
-Effects
-President’s assessment
-President’s conversation with Boggs and Albert
-US troop withdrawals
-Air power
-Effect on South Vietnam
-Air power
-B-52 strikes
-Number
-Gunships
-Democrat Caucus
-Laird’s meeting, March 30, 1971
-Possible conversation
-President’s policy compared with Democrat actions
-Potential political considerations
-President’s forthcoming speech
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-President’s policy
-Compared with Democrat action
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Moorer’s briefing
-Colors on chart
-Representations
-General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.’s view
-North Vietnamese forces Conv. No. 474-8 (cont.)
-Casualties
-Effectiveness
-Infiltration routes
-South Vietnamese forces
-Position
-Demilitarized Zone [DMZ]
-North Vietnamese tanks
-Number
-Attacks
-Number
-Helicopters
-Military situation
-Khe Sanh attack
-Assessment
-US action
-Withdrawal
-Supplies
-Helicopter
-North Vietnamese Army
-Reinforcements
-Supplies
-Artillery attacks
-DMZ
-North Vietnamese Army attacks
-Compared with Laos operation
-Supplies and artillery
-US air strikes
-Moorer’s assessment
-Weather
-Targets
-Timing
-President’s view
-Future strikes
-President’s view
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Weather
-Reconnaissance
-North Vietnam artillery presence
-US air strikes
-Considerations
-President’s view
-Press coverage
-An Associated Press [AP] dispatch concerning casualties
Conv. No. 474-8 (cont.)
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN]
-Number
-Tammy Arbuckle
-Department of Defense response
-Compared with reports on Cambodia
-President’s concern
-Television
-Effect
-Accuracy
-Department of Defense response
-ARVN
-Abrams
-Pentagon action
-Accuracy
-President’s view
-Current stories compared with 1968 Tet offensive
-Reasons
-Civil War, World War II
-President’s view
-Administration policy
-Laird’s call to AP
-Moorer’s March 25, 1971 press conference
-Democrats
-Laird’s forthcoming meeting on Capitol Hill
-Laird’s possible call to Russell B. Long
-Laird’s previous meetings
-Senators
-Briefing for Armed Services Committee
-Senators’ response
-President’s view

Forthcoming Congressional testimony
-William P. Rogers
-Coordination with Laird
 14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Middle East
-House testimony


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security] Conv. No. 474-8 (cont.)
[Duration: 3m 39s ]


MIDDLE EAST


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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President’s schedule
-California trip
-Weather
-Samuel Goldwyn
-Medal of Freedom award
-Health

Farewells

Laird, et al. left at 4:53 pm