806–9

Conversation No. 806-9

Date: October 24, 1972
Time: 11:15 am - 11:45 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger and Fritz G.A. Kraemer; the White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

Introduction

[Photograph session]

Intellectual interpretation of world events
-Doves
-Totalitarianism
-Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China [PRC]

Sacrifice

Kraemer
-Analysis of administration activities
-Kissinger’s effort bringing to President’s attention
-Background
-Nicholas P. Thimmesch’s article
-Thimmesch’s conversation with Kraemer
-Baltimore Sun
-Tone
-Farm work in Maine
-Commission in infantry
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Power

World affairs
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)


-Change
-Intentions of Communists
-Soviet Union, PRC
-Nikolai A. Podgorny, Leonid I. Brezhnev, Aleksei N. Kosygin
-Bureaucracy
-Compared to Nikita S. Khrushchev, Josef V. Stalin
-Risk
-Egypt
-Confrontation
-PRC
-Mao Tse-tung
-Kraemer’s efforts in 1965
-Perception

Vietnam
-Technical cables
-Central Office of South Vietnam [COSVN] instruction
-Cease-fire
-National Liberation Front [NLF] flag display in Government of South
Vietnam [GVN] areas
-Viet Cong [VC] view
-North Vietnam intentions
-Cease-fire
-Timing of announcement and implementation
-North Vietnamese actions
-Twelve hours
-First two days
-International supervision
-Timing of arrival
-1972 election
-Settlement
-Timing
-Deadline
-Concessions
-North Vietnamese reaction
-View of the President
-US strategy
-US demands
-North Vietnamese prisoners in South Vietnamese jails issue
-Cease-fire
-North Vietnamese stance
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)


-Military situation
-Bombing
-Mining
-Attrition
-B-52s, carriers
-Results
-Mao’s writings on retreat
-November 7, 1972 deadline
-US negotiating position
-Prior to October 8, 1972
-Post -October 8, 1972
-US demands
-Cambodia
-North Vietnamese position
-PRC
-Laos
-Commission
-Souvanna Phouma
-Quoted in French
-US position
-Critics
-Demonstrators
-Establishment
-Journalists
-Professors
-Ministers
-Businessmen
-Supporters
-Intellectual backgrounds similar to Kraemer and Kissinger
-Workers
-Ethnics, Farmers, Southerners
-Washington, DC
-Quality of settlement
-War dead
-Effect on US foreign policy
-Thieu
-Effect on US stance
-Success of settlement
-Time frame
-Effect of failure of settlement on US foreign relations
-US-North Vietnam relations
 31
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)


-Questions of other nations
-Soviet Union, PRC
-Conclusions
-Rio de Janeiro to Copenhagen, Hanoi to Moscow
-Political compared to diplomatic options
-Reasons for Vietnam War
-Berlin
-South Vietnam
-Cuba
-Psychological factors
-French Foreign Legion
-Discipline
-Prince [Aage] of Denmark
-Discipline of North Vietnamese forces
-Thieu
-South Vietnam’s military
-Kissinger’s meetings with regional intelligence officers
-Directives compared to execution
-Example
-Unknown place
-Cease-fire
-Gen. Duong Van Minh
-Sapper squads

Kissinger’s analysis
-Kissinger
-The President’s outlook

Kissinger and Kraemer
-Intellectual background
-Intelligence Quotient [IQ]
-Character quotient
-Harvard University, Yale University
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Promotions
-Army
-Support from field grade officers
-David Landau quote of Kraemer on brilliance [for Kissinger: The
Uses of Power]
-Landau
-Harvard
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Nov-03)



Presentation of gifts
-Cuff links
-Presidential seal
-Kraemer's son [Sven]

Kissinger and Kraemer left at 11:45 am.