383–1

Conversation No. 383-1

Date: December 14, 1972
Time: Unknown between 2:30 pm - 3:24 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[This recording began while the meeting was in progress.]

Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger’s press conference
-Kissinger’s “peace is at hand” statement, October 26,1 972
-Justifications
-The President’s May 8, 1972 proposals
-The President’s January 25, 1972 speech
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Good faith efforts
-Cessation of US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Timing
-North Vietnam’s actions
-Continuation of war
-Cease-fire
-Possible question
-Prognosis

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:30 pm.

The President’s call to J[ean] Paul Getty

Bull left at 3:04 pm.

The President talked with Getty between 3:04 pm and 3:05 pm.

[Conversation No. 383-1A]

[See Conversation No. 34-80]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-08)

Conversation No. 383-1 (cont’d)


[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger’s press conference
-Resumption of talks
-Conditions
-October 26, 1972 agreement
-National Council of National Reconciliation and Concord
[NCRC]
-Cease-fire
-Enforcement
-North Vietnam’s military intervention in South Vietnam
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Settlement agreement
-Protocols
-Details
-Thieu
-Letter from the President
-Length
-Thieu’s speech before National Assembly
-US aid to South Vietnam [Enhance, Enhance Plus]
-US-South Vietnam relations
-1972 election
-The President’s advisers
-US aid to South Vietnam
-Tone
-South Vietnam’s survival
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Effect on North Vietnam
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-B-52s
-Fighters
-Weather
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Hanoi
-Haiphong
-April 15-16, 1972 mission
-Duration
 -3-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-08)

Conversation No. 383-1 (cont’d)

-Effect
-Targets
-Power plants
-Hanoi
-Marshaling yards
-North Vietnam
-Statement to population
-[Le Duc Tho]
-Thieu
-Settlement agreement
-December 8, 1972 clause
-US to respect the rights of people of Vietnam
-Effect
-Signing
-Melvin R. Laird’s view
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-William P. Rogers’s view
-The President
-US foreign policy
-Kissinger
-The President’s possible meeting with Rogers
-Patience
-North Vietnam
-Thieu
-Meeting with Haig
-North Vietnam concessions
-Timing
-November 1972
-US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Effect
-North Vietnam
-Notification
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Note
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Tone
-Haig
-The President’s appreciation for the Soviet Union’s efforts
 -4-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-08)

Conversation No. 383-1 (cont’d)

-Le Duc Tho’s trip to Moscow
-US interests
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Visit to US
-Relationship with the President
-Visit to US
-Timing
-May 1973
-Duration
-May 1973
-Settlement agreement
-North Vietnam’s actions
-Cease-fire
-Timing
-Laos
-Preamble concession
-Withdrawal of civilians from South Vietnam
-US-North Vietnam relations
-Tone
-Timing
-February 1973
-Thieu
-US resolve
-Possible statement
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-North Vietnam’s delays
-Theme
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s view
-“Peace is at hand”
-Necessity of avoiding wrong kind of peace
-Kissinger’s press conference
-Settlement agreement
-North Vietnam’s actions
-Cease-fire
-Laos
-October 1972
-Lon Nol
-POWs
-Possible statement
 -5-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-08)

Conversation No. 383-1 (cont’d)

-Ziegler
-Settlement agreement
-Protocols
-Text
-William H. Sullivan
-Forthcoming report
-Kissinger’s press conference
-Tone
-Press relations
-News magazines
-[Arnold] Eric Sevareid
-David Brinkley
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.

Kissinger and Haig left at 3:24 pm.