464–17

Conversation No. 464-17

Date: March 9, 1971
Time: 3:01 pm - 3:42 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger

Meeting with William P. Rogers
-Postponement
-Rescheduling
-Kissinger’s possible attendance
-Richard M. Helms
-Melvin R. Laird
-Kissinger’s possible attendance

Kissinger
-Role in administration
-Possible resignation
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Reasoning
-State Department
-Rogers
-Possible resignation
-Reasoning
-John N. Mitchell
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Work on the White House staff
-Rogers’ role
-Kissinger’s view
-President’s support
-Current situation
-Calls from State Department
-Rogers
-Relationship with Rogers
-Relations with Defense Department
-Laird
-Public attacks
-State Department
-Senate
-New York Times, March 7, 1971
-Bureaucratic leaks
-State Department
-Defense Department

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Privacy]
[Duration: 30s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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-Rogers
-Department of State
-Call from Kissinger
-Results
-Bureaucracy
 37

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Richard F. Pedersen
-U. Alexis Johnson
-John N. Irwin, II
-State Department
-Kissinger’s role
-Support for the President
-Possible problems
-Newsweek article on Rogers and Kissinger Conv. No. 464-17 (cont.)
-Press credibility
-Effect on Kissinger
-Liberal journalists
-Bureaucracy, liberal senators, and press
-J. William Fulbright
-W[illiam] Stuart Symington
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Kissinger’s conversation with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Need for President’s support
-Role of possible successor
-Changes
-Effect
-Rogers
-Role in administration
-Rogers
-Press commentary
-Laos (Lam Son)
Foreign policy
-Outstanding issues
-President’s view
-Japanese textiles
-Peter G. Peterson
-George P. Shultz
-Harry S. Dent
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Wilbur D. Mills
-State Department
-Vietnam
-Soviet Union
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Middle East
-President’s view
-Rogers
-Laird
 38

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Kissinger’s role
-State Department

Middle East
-State Department analysis
-Suez Canal
-Golda Meir
-Kissinger’s view Conv. No. 464-17 (cont.)
-Joseph J. Sisco
-Possible US negotiating strategy
-Israel
-Suez Canal
-Soviet Union involvement

Foreign policy
-President’s advisors
-Role
-Kissinger
-Rogers
-President’s foreign policy report
-State Department
-Kissinger’s possible resignation
-President’s view
-Effect on foreign policy
-Shultz
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Peterson
-John B. Connally
-Peterson
-Possible letter from President
-A memorandum
-Trade
-Great Britain
-Peterson’s view
-Options
-Connally, Clifford M. Hardin, and Maurice H. Stans’ positions
-Kissinger’s conversations with Peterson, March 8, 1971
-Bureaucracies
-US Department of Agriculture [USDA] involvement
-Negotiating role
-Peterson’s negotiations with George R. S. Baring [Earl of Cromer]
-USDA position
 39

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Connally
-Peterson’s role
-Work with Connally and Hardin
-Soviet Union
-Kissinger’s future role
-President’s future role
-Public criticism
-State Department and Kissinger Conv. No. 464-17 (cont.)
-Relationship
-Kissinger’s possible resignation
-President’s view
-SALT
-Status
-Soviet Union response
-Possible speech by the President
-Gerard C. Smith
-US negotiators
-Instructions
-Timing

Vietnam
-Peace talks
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Chou En-lai
-Possible effect
-Possible developments
-Xuan Thuy and Dr. David K. E. Bruce
-Newsweek
-Possible talks
-Lieutenant General Vernon A. Walters
-US position
-Strategy
-Use of Soviet Union
-Summit

An unknown man [Stephen B. Bull?] entered at an unknown time after 3:01 pm

Robert A. Taft, Jr.

The unknown man [Bull?] left at an unknown time before 3:42 pm

Vietnam
 40

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Peace talks
-US position
-Strategy
-Soviet Union
-Walters
-Military situation in Laos (Lam Son)
-Laird and Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
-Length of operation Conv. No. 464-17 (cont.)
-Kissinger’s view
-South Vietnamese position
-General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-General Nguyen Van Thieu
-Abrams’ view
-South Vietnamese position
-Possible results
-Kissinger’s view
-Public opinion
-Los Angeles Times
-President’s meeting with press
-Comparison with Cambodian operation
-Reinforcements
-Battlefield positions
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN]
-North Vietnamese army
-Tchepone
-Possible ARVN attack
-Kissinger’s view
-Moorer’s briefing
-Enemy losses
-Moorer’s briefing
-Congress
-Enemy losses
-Effect on future negotiations
-Air strikes
-US Air Force
-Moorer
-Timing
-Problems
-Weather
-US Air Force
-Timing
-North Vietnamese army
 41

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)



-Casualties
-Hill 31
-Continued ARVN action
-Ground and air power
-Abrams’ view
-Possible ARVN withdrawal
-Timing
-President’s schedule Conv. No. 464-17 (cont.)
-Possible troop announcement
-Timing
-Scenario
-President’s forthcoming speech to editors
-Format
-Possible troop announcement
-Timing
-President’s schedule
-Haig
-Laird

Kissinger’s role in administration
-Haldeman
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger’s possible resignation
-President’s position
-State Department
-Kissinger’s background
-State Department
-Foreign Service

President’s schedule
-A meeting with Kissinger
-Middle East
-Timing
-Haldeman
-Taft

Kissinger left at 3:42 pm