800–2

Conversation No. 800-2

Date: October 16, 1972
Time: 5:03 pm - 5:26 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Vietnam negotiations
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Possible proposals
-The President’s proposal
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Possible meeting with the President
-Midway Island
-Possible interpretation

The President talked with William R. Hearst between 5:04 pm and 5:08 pm.

[Conversation No. 800-2A]

[See Conversation No. 31-75]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam negotiations
-Thieu
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Possible meeting with the President
-1972 election
-San Clemente
-Western White House

The White House operator talked with the President at an unknown time between 5:08 pm and
5:14 pm.

[Conversation No. 800-2B]

[See Conversation No. 31-76]

The President conferred with Haig.

Vietnam negotiations
-Thieu

[End of conferral]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam negotiations
-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.
-Haig’s view.
-Role with Thieu
-Kissinger compared to Abrams
-Thieu
-Kissinger
-The President’s letter to Abrams
-Haig’s previous conversation with Abrams
-South Vietnam
-US support
-Limitations
-Riots aboard US naval vessels

An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time between 5:08 pm and 5:14 pm.

Refreshment

Vietnam negotiations
-Navy and Air Force
-Length of deployments
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Timing of possible settlement announcement
-Haig’s view
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Meetings with Thieu
-Thieu’s possible modification of the agreement
-Return to Washington
Possible additional negotiations in Paris
-1972 election
-H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Possible collapse of settlement
-Thieu's possible reaction to proposal
-Haig’s view
-South Vietnamese bureaucracy
-Possible modifications of the agreement
-North Vietnamese reaction
-Possible settlement
-Political aspects compared to security aspects
-The President’s view
-Viability of South Vietnam

The President talked with Robert W. Galvin between 5:14 pm and 5:16 pm.

[Conversation No. 800-2C]

[See Conversation No. 31-77; one item has been withdrawn]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam negotiations
-Possible settlement
-Thieu
-Prisoners of war [POWs] wives

The President talked with Martin S. Hayden between 5:16 pm and 5:21 pm.

[Conversation No. 800-2D]

[See Conversation No. 31-78]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam negotiations
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)

-Possible settlement
-Thieu
-Possible meeting with the President
-Kissinger
-Haig’s view
-Thieu’s enthusiastic support of the settlement
-The President’s possible meeting with Thieu
-Need for Thieu’s support of the settlement
-Possible collapse of settlement
-1972 election
-Subsequent settlement
-Possible ultimatum to Thieu
-The President's May 8, 1972 decision
-Bombing and mining
-Effect on North Vietnamese
-POW wives
-The President's recent meeting with the National League of Families of
American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia
-The President’s pledge not to abandon the POW’s
-The President’s pledge to prevent imposition of communist government
on South Vietnam
-Betrayal of allies
-POW’s, missing in action [MIA’s]
-The President’s pledge not to rely on goodwill of North Vietnamese to
release POW’s
-George S. McGovern
-Abrams
-Role as advocate
-The President’s previous meeting with Abrams
-Haig’s view
-Haig’s forthcoming meeting with Abrams
-Abrams’s key role in the settlement
-Kissinger
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Forthcoming meetings with Thieu
-Thieu’s possible acceptance of settlement
-The President as an ally of Thieu
-Thieu’s possible rejection of settlement
The President’s loss of confidence in Thieu

Haig left at 5:26 pm.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)