834–3

Conversation No. 834-3

Date: January 5, 1973
Time: 10:18 am - 11:50 am
Location: Oval Office
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)


H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman met with the President.

Edward E. David, Jr.
-New position in private sector
-Science advisor
-Desired position
-Outside consultant role for administration
-Qualities
-Achievements
-Wife
-New job
-Herbert G. Klein

Departing staff members
-Farewells
-David

Heads of State
-Talks with the President
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Yen Chia-Kan
-John Lynch
-Korea Official
-Lynch
-S. Zalman Shazar
-Korea Official
-Carlos P. Romulo
-Kissinger

Lynch
-Meeting with the President
-Irish constituents

Kissinger entered at 10:22 am.

Kissinger's calls to Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield, Gerald R. Ford, and Hugh Scott

Vote in Senate
-Charles H. Percy's vote
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

-“Hawks”
-Kissinger
-John C. Stennis
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Mansfield
-J. William Fulbright
-Percy
-Call to Col. Richard T. Kennedy
-Palm Springs
-Mansfield
-Ford
-Leslie C. Arends

Kissinger's call to Congressmen
-Scott
-Ford
-Carl B. Albert
-Mansfield
-Scott
-Percy
-Call to Kissinger

Congress
-William E. Timmons
-“Hawks”
-William P. Rogers
-Fulbright
-W. Stuart Symington
-Mansfield
-Melvin R. Laird
-Goldwater

Kissinger's calls to Congressmen
-Stennis
-Goldwater
-John G. Tower

Fulbright

Percy
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

-Conversation with Kissinger
-Resolution in Senate
-Tom C. Korologos
-Role in negotiations
-Kissinger's proposed call to Ford, Scott

Mansfield
-Cambodia

Congress
-Actions
-Negotiations
-Motives
-The President's breakfast with leaders
-Explanation of bombing policy
-October 1972 agreement
-Le Duc Tho
-North Vietnamese actions after election
-Supervisory machinery
-Kissinger in Paris
-North Vietnamese position
-Reasons for bombing policy
-Kissinger in Paris
-Cease-fire
-Negotiations
-Congressional actions
-Political climate
-Consultation with Kissinger
-SALT II
-European Security Conference
-Briefing for Congressmen
-Duration
-Negotiations
-The President's supporters in Congress
-Defense of bombing policy
-Charles W. Colson
-The President's policy on speaking out
-Negotiations
-Democrats
-Bombing
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

-Negotiations
-Arends, Mansfield

Democrat Caucus concerning Vietnam
-Edward “M. (“Ted”) Kennedy resolution
-Colson
-Proposed assignment
-Laird, Rogers

Laird
-Press conference
-Position on bombing
-Letter to the President
-Loyalty to the President

New York Times article
-Gerard C. Smith
-Strategic Arms Limitations Talks [SALT]

Rogers and Laird
-Richardson
-Position on Bombing
-Laird's letter to the President
-Rogers

Congress
-Timmons and Korologos
-Work with congress
-The President's discussion with Colson
-Dealings with Congress over negotiations

Bombing
-Chances of success
-Resolutions

Mansfield
-Dealings with Kissinger
-Democrat resolutions
-North Vietnam reactions
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

Chinese
-Relations with North Vietnamese
-Le Duc Tho

Uganda
-Withdrawal of US Ambassador
-Idi Amin
-Call for armed action
-US diplomatic relations
-Thomas Patrick Melady
-Timing

Colson

Goldwater
-Talk with Kissinger
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Support for the President on Vietnam
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Caspar W. Weinberger
-George P. Shultz
-Timmons

North Vietnam Offensive
-South Vietnam
-Willingness to negotiate
-Timing

Goals of negotiations
-Peace
-Cease-fire
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-US Withdrawal
-Thailand, Indonesia
-Nguyen Van Thieu

Colson
-Attacks on Democrat opponents
-Focus on negotiations
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

Kissinger
-Meeting with the President at Camp David
-Public opinion toward negotiations
-Support for the President

Bombing
-Opposition by intellectuals
-Support by public
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Anticipations
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] News
-Casualties in Vietnam
-Compared to 1968
-Support from White House staff

Opposition to the President's policies
-Cambodia
-Abraham Lincoln
-John J. McCloy
-Republicans
-Leadership
-1960 election
-Question of fraud
-Bay of Pigs

Mansfield
-Kissinger talk
-Chances of success on POWs
-Relations with administration
-Confirmations
-Opposition

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 11:00 am.

Kissinger left at 11:00 am.

Briefing on reorganization
-Vietnam
-Information for press
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

-Talking points
-The President's Vietnam policy
-Chronology
-Breakthrough in negotiations
-North Vietnamese responses
-Actions after election
-Kissinger in Paris
-South Vietnam
-Resumption of negotiations
-Peace with honor
-POWs
-Cambodia
-Laos
-Peace

New York Times article
-North Vietnamese return to talks
-Discussion of substance of Vietnamese talks
-Bombing halt
-Possible statement on television
-Congress

Joseph C. Kraft article
-Kissinger's opposition of bombing
-Ziegler's response
-Kissinger's support for the President on bombing
-Kissinger's talk with Kraft

The President's meeting with the leadership team
-Oliver F. (Ollie) Atkins

Press coverage for Lynch meeting

Presence of wives at future receptions

Ziegler left at 11:12 am.

Kissinger
-Kraft article
-Favorable coverage
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

-Haldeman
-Talk with Kissinger

Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 11:12 am and 11:53 am.

[Conversation No. 834-3A]

Ziegler's response to press on Kraft article
-Proper approach

Reston article

[End of telephone conversation]

Kraft article
-Recommendation that Kissinger should resign
-Kissinger's possible response
-Agreement with President on bombing
-Kraft
-Opposition to Kissinger

Kissinger
-Dealings with liberals
-Compared to Rogers
-Attitude
-Kraft article
-John A. Scali
-Social life
-Scali
-Persecution mentality

Congress
-Vietnam
-White House attitude
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz
-Timmons
-Colson

Congressional breakfast
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

-Photographers
-Ziegler

Haig award [Defense Distinguished Service Medal
-The President's presentation
-Press reports

Public relations [PR]
-Colson
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger
-Interests
-Vietnam negotiations
-Colson
-Bombing
-Congress

Spiro T. Agnew
-TV appearance

Rogers
-Kissinger

Laird

Agnew
-John B. Connally
-Meeting with the President
-Hugh Scott
-Appointment
-Jack Miller
-Frederic V. Malek

Connally
-Relations with the Presidnet
-Evans and Novak article
-Texas Republicans
-Anne L. Armstrong

Vietnam
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

-Kissinger
-Position before the election
-North Vietnam
-Cambodia
-Compared to Laos
-Cambodia
-May 8 mining of Haiphong
-Soviet summit meeting

Kissinger
-Conversation with Percy
-Conversation with James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
-Percy
-Samuel L. Devine
-Barber B. Conable, Jr.
-Tower
-Fulbright
-Rogers
-Kissinger breakfast with Reston
-Immaturity

PR responsibilities
-Colson
-Ziegler
-Timmons
-Colson successor
-Ziegler
-Timmons
-Ehrlichman

Congress after 1972 elections
-Democrats
-Relations with Republican leadership
-Relations with Democrat and Republican rank-and-file
-Timmons
-Robert J. Dole
-Value to White House
-Reelection in 1974
-Scott, Ford
-Norris Cotton
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)

Conversation No. 834-3 (cont’d)

-Roman L. Hruska
-William E. Brock, III
-Clarence J. Brown
-Devine
-Conable
-Democrats
-Fulbright
-Kennedy
-Symington
-Wilbur D. Mills
-Albert
-F. Edward Hebert
-Stennis
-Robert C. Byrd

Vietnam
-Bombing halt
-Public opinion
-Columnists
-Vietnam settlement
-Troop withdrawal
-POWs
-Vietnamization
-Nguyen Van Thieu

Congress
-Dealings with White House
-Ehrlichman, Shultz

Trip to Camp David
-Time of departure
-Weather

Reception

Haldeman left at 11:50 pm.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Feb.-09)