709–19

Conversation No. 709-19

Date: April 17, 1972
Time: 12:15 pm - 12:28 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

Vietnam
Kissinger's conversation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-William P. Rogers's testimony
-Praise from Kissinger
-Kissinger's conversation with Dobrynin
-Purpose
-Interim compromise
-Difficulties
-Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr’s report
-Demilitarized zone [DMZ]
-North Vietnamese capabilities
-US response
-Negotiations
-US bombing
-Soviets
-Pressure
-Dobrynin
-Blockade
-Implementation
-Immediacy
-Upcoming elections
-Interim agreement
-Rejection
-Consequences
-Possible Soviet actions
-Advantages according to Kissinger
-Soviet Summit
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] summit
-Possible Middle East settlement
-Problem
-1972 election
-Continuation of war
-Possible outcome
 42

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 709-19 (cont.)


-Haig’s report
-Cessation of offensive
-Prevention of future offensive
-Timing
-Assurance by the Soviets
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Possible actions by Hanoi
-US response
-Timing
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Failure
-Concern from Kissinger
-Blockade
-Impact
-Compared to 1969
-Weaknesses
-Circumvention
-Interim Solution
-POWs
-Haig report
-Military Region One
-South Vietnamese performance
-Increase in South Vietnamese strength
-US bombing
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Carriers
-Bombing support
-North Vietnam
-Number of sorties
-South Vietnam
-increase
-I Corps
-North Vietnamese weakness
-B-52s
-Ground action
-South Vietnamese strength
-Improved situation
-Compared with Laos operation
-Retreats
-Provincial capitals
-Demoralization of North Vietnam
 43

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 709-19 (cont.)


-US strategy
-Military action
-Toughness from the President
-Peace offers
-Soviet Summit
-Preservation of US integrity
-Blockade
-Implementation
-Timing
-Threat
-Soviet Summit
-Meeting with Polish Ambassador [Witold Trampczynski]
-Cancellation
-Chances
-Symbolism
-Kissinger's Moscow meeting
-Press reports

Kissinger left at 12:28 pm.