820–5

Conversation No. 820-5

Date: December 12, 1972
Time: 9:57 am - 10:21 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Vietnam negotiations
-Nguyen Van Thieu’s speech to the South Vietnam National Assembly
-South Vietnamese conditions
-Settlement agreement
-US-North Vietnam
-Rejection
-North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam
-National Council of National Reconciliation and Concord [NCRC]
-Coalition government
-North Vietnamese aggression against Indochina
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)

Conversation No. 820-5 (cont’d)

-Counterproposal
-Cease-fire
-Timing
-Christmas, New Year’s Day
-Release of North Vietnamese prisoners
-Local party talks

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 9:58 pm.

Press relations
-George P. Shultz’s statement on economic stabilization and federal spending
-Budget spending ceiling

Ziegler left at 9:59 am.

Vietnam negotiations
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Posture
-North Vietnam’s message
-Lack of instructions
-US options
-North Vietnamese instransigence
-Recess
-Consultations
-US military action
-Ellsworth F. Bunker’s recommendations
-Timing
-Thieu’s recent speech
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s possible trip
-Thieu
-Thieu
-Kissinger’s view
-Memorandum
-Agnew’s possible trip
-Settlement agreement
-Risk
-Bunker’s view
-Thieu’s speech
-Recent speech
 -5-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)

Conversation No. 820-5 (cont’d)

-The President’s view
-Tran Van Lam’s statement, December 7, 1972
-Settlement agreement
-Communists’ position
-Continuation of war
-North Vietnamese intransigence
-Haig’s view
-Agnew’s possible trip
-The President’s role
-Possible meeting
-North Vietnam’s lack of instructions
-Timing
-Technical talks
-Thieu’s speech
-Tone
-North Vietnam
-Possible strategy
-US-South Vietnam relations
-Stalemate
-Duration
-Congressional reconvention
-Thieu
-Cut off of aid
Thieu
-Relations with US
-Cooperation
-1972 election
-US funds
-South Vietnamese military buildup
-US honor
-Tenure
-Instransigence
-Insistence on total victory
-US policy
-Relations with US
-North Vietnam
-North Vietnam’s intransigence
-December 11, 1972 meeting
-Settlement agreement
 -6-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)

Conversation No. 820-5 (cont’d)

-Thieu’s speech
-Instransigence
-Possible effect on North Vietnam
-US-South Vietnam relations
-South Vietnam’s “puppet” status
-US military assistance
-Pace
-Kissinger’s view
-Agnew’s possible trip
-Timing
-Kissinger’s return from Paris
-Agnew’s possible trip
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Thieu
-Right
-Schedule
-Christmas
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-The President’s view compared to Kissinger’s view
-US military action
-Reseeding of mines, US bombing of North Vietnam
-Effect
-Breakdown in talks
-North Vietnam’s instructions
-Intransigence
-Progress in talks
-Recess in talks
-Kissinger’s return from Paris
-Breakdown
-North Vietnam’s instructions
-Intransigence
-Kissinger
-North Vietnam’s possible statement
-Effect
-Kissinger
-Instransigence
-Kissinger’s return from Paris
-Consultations
-US bombing of North Vietnam
 -7-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)

Conversation No. 820-5 (cont’d)

-Statement
-Tone
-Recess
-Kissinger’s return from Paris
-Consultation with the President and allies
-Contact with North Vietnam
-Channel
-US military action
-Settlement agreement
-1972 election
-Deadline
-Kissinger’s view
-North Vietnamese concessions
-Ultimatum
-Timing
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Kissinger’s “peace is at hand” statement, October 26, 1972
-US position
-Tone
-North Vietnam’s position
-US mining and bombing of North Vietnam
-Duration
-Effect
-Cessation
-October 1972
-Effect
-Failure of Spring 1972 offensive
-North Vietnam’s relations with the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic
of China [PRC]
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Effect
-Bunker
-Message from Kissinger
-Timing
-Breakdown in talks
-Meeting, December 13, 1972
-North Vietnam’s instructions

Haig left at 10:21 am.
 -8-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-08)