Conversation: 470-008
Prev: 470-007 Next: 470-009Start Date: Friday, March 19, 1971 4:45 PM
End Date: Friday, March 19, 1971 5:06 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]; Bull, Stephen B.Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 02:38:13
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:59:16
NARA Description:
On March 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 12:06 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 470-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 470-8
Date: March 19, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:45 am and 12:06 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger
President’s schedule
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Charles W. Colson
-Previous call to Admiral Thomas H. Moorer
Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-President’s March 22, 1971 Interview
-Effect
-Public statements
-Administration position
-Press reaction
30
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Kissinger’s comments
-Moorer
-Effect
-Success
-Memos to President
-Howard K. Smith interview
-Administration position
-Justification
-Public comments
-B-52 strikes
-Effect on North Vietnamese army
-Casualties
-Supplies
-Raids
-General Nguyen Van Thieu
-Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN]
-Withdrawal
-Reelection campaign
-President’s interview with Smith
-President’s comments
-ARVN withdrawal
-Withdrawal of ARVN
-North Vietnamese reaction
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-ARVN forces
-Tchepone
-Withdrawal
-Logistics
-Potential problems
-Offensive preparations
-Effectiveness
-Press coverage
-President’s comments
-Withdrawal
-Effect
-Administration campaign
-President’s interview with Smith
-Possible backgrounder by Kissinger
-North Vietnamese offensive actions
-Effect on future actions
-Possible negotiations
-President’s opponents
31
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Thieu
-Thieu’s actions
-Tchepone
-Effect
-Press coverage
-Washington Post
-Moorer
-Kissinger’s assessment Conv. No. 470-8 (cont.)
-Effect
-[Forename unknown] Schultz [?]
-North Vietnamese supplies and troops
-Food supplies
-Ammunition
-Destruction of pipeline
An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 11:45 am
A delivery
The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:06 pm
Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-Effect on North Vietnamese forces
-Supplies
-Food
-Ammunition
-Weaponry
-Costs
-Defense Intelligence Agency [DIA]
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Compared with Anti-ballistic Missiles [ABM] figures
-Sihanoukville [Kompong Som]
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 11s ]
INTELLIGENCE
32
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
******************************************************************************
-Decreases
-Raids
-ARVN Conv. No. 470-8 (cont.)
-President’s opponents
-Effect
-Compared with Cambodia
-US casualties
-President’s troop withdrawal announcement
-Numbers
-Positive public reaction
-Melvin R. Laird
-Effect
-Laird and Kissinger
-A story in news summary
-William P. Rogers
-Press Conference
-Call to President
-Laird and Kissinger
-Purpose
-President’s press conference statement
-Withdrawal rates
-Laird and Kissinger
-Numbers
-President’s position
-Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
-Cambodia, Laos
-US bombing
-Timing
-Reasons
-Kissinger’s talk with Moorer
Sino-Soviet relations
-Party Congress
Vietnam
-US troop withdrawals
-Laird
33
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
-Numbers
-Notice
-Announcement
-JCS, General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr., Thieu, Moorer
-Armed Services Committee
-President’s possible successor
-Timing
-Numbers Conv. No. 470-8 (cont.)
-Kissinger’s view
-Laird
-Laird and Kissinger
-President
-Peace negotiations
-Timing
-President’s view
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Remaining troops
-Purpose
-Public opinion
-Haig’s view
-Numbers
-Timing
-President’s view
-California trip
-Laird and Rogers
-Moorer
-President’s previous conversation
-Laird
Soviet Union
-Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Berlin
-Willy Brandt
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:45 am
President’s schedule
-Forthcoming signing ceremony
-Mark I. Goode
-Television coverage
34
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 9/08)
Kissinger left at an unknown time before 12:06 pm
-Time
The President and Bull left at an unknown time before 12:06 pm
Conv. No. 470-8 (cont.)