Date: November 2, 1972

Time: 12:04 pm- 12:16 pm

Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

Vietnam Negotiations

-Press relations

-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]

-Marvin L. Kalb

-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.

-Kissinger’s possible backgrounder

-Ronald Ziegler’s view

-Procedure

-Quotations

-Emissary to Nguyen Van Thieu

-Candidates

-John B. Connally

-[David] Kenneth Rush

-Ability to take instructions

-Hawkishness

-Democratic affiliation

-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

-Letter Delivery

-Melvin R. Laird

-Toughness

Thomas A. Pappas talked with the President between 12:07 pm and 12:09 pm.

[Conversation No. 390-1A]

[See Conversation No. 32-148]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam negotiations

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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

Tape Subject Log

(rev. Mar.-08)

-Connally as emissary to Thieu

-Trip timing

-Haig

-Letter delivery

-North Vietnamese talks with Kissinger

-Message to Theiu

-Ellsworth F. Bunker

-Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr.

-Public statements about the President

-Trust, confidence

-Possible formal protest

-Bunker

-Choice

-Haig’s role

-Settlement agreement

-Letter delivery

-Timing

-Connally as US emissary to Thieu

-Trip

-Ultimatum

-Announcement

-Leak

-Xuan Thuy statement

-“Message to Garcia”

-Xuan Thuy statement

-Settlement agreement

-Timing

-1972 election

-Announcement

-US bombing

-Effect

-Timing

-Northern South Vietnam

-North Vietnamese

-1972 election

-Thieu’s stance

-Rationale

-South Vietnam’s viability

-Population, geography

-Vietcong [VC]

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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

Tape Subject Log

(rev. Mar.-08)

-North Vietnamese forces

-Troop withdrawals

-Antiaircraft units

-Number of divisions

-325 and 711 divisions

th th

-Announcement

-Timing

-Settlement agreement

-Size of force in South Vietnam

-Reinforcements

-Laos, Cambodia

-Thieu

-Thieu

-US option

-Last conversation with Kissinger

-Tone

-Public support in South Vietnam

-Press and media coverage

-Peace terms

-Publication

-Timing

-New York Times, Washington Post

-Kissinger’s forthcoming backgrounder

-The President’s May 8, 1972 proposals

-Hubert H. Humphrey

-Statement

-Possible telephone call from Kissinger

-Statement

-News summary

-The President’s appreciation for bipartisanship

-Prospects for success in 1968 or 1969 compared to 1972

-1972 election

-Possible victory margin

-Opponents’ complaints

-Peace terms

-Quality

-Polls

The President’s schedule

-Kissinger’s schedule

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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY

Tape Subject Log

(rev. Mar.-08)

-Health

-Trip to California

-Campaign trips

-Duration

-California

-North Carolina

-New Mexico

-Chicago

-Oklahoma City

-Ziegler’s statement

-Vietnam

Kissinger left at 12:16 p.m.