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    "ocrText": "The President/Mr. Kissinger\nMarch 20, 1971 2:30 p.m.\njlj\nP: Anything later today on the Laotian operations?\nK: I have just talked to Vogt and Moorer and they are going on the\n4 hour shot tonight. They say they will have the weather. I think\nthe total impact will be favorable. There may be some criticism.\nP: This should be described as protective reaction. It is well\nknow they have been firing.\nK: I have got the word to Abrams that he should talk about this\nnews material.\nP: About the morale of the ARVN.\nK: Yes. Also talking to the chopper operation which was flying\ninto Laos.\nP: I don't doubt that a lot of the fault is with the leadership of the\nchopper pilots.\nK: Otherwise there is nothing really to report. Sir Robert Thompson\nmade a statement that he thought the Laos and Cambodia operations\nhelped the situation and withdrawal.\nP: In London?\nK: No in Tokyo.\nP: That is good. It is a good thing for me to pick up.\nK: I am sending it up to you. I have seen it on the UP wire but I have\nnot seen it on AP yet. Otherwise there aren't too many developments.\nThere is nothing of any consequence. I have talked to Moorer and Vogt.\nYou know about Eban visit. Rogers must have told you yesterday that\nit went fairly well. That is a problem. Bush was in and I told him to\nstay with your position and not to go to fixing Israeli borders as Rogers\ndid.\nP: Bush is good and will handle it all right.\nK: I did not mention Rogers.\nP: If they do get off this 4 hour -\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\n2\nK: They claim it is open. They have had reconnaissance in there.\nThis is the first time that is done. They seem to think that the\nweather may open up. I am sending you an assessment of how to\nlook at the Laos operation in the 3 p.m. pouch.\nP: Do our best. My main interest is in how is it going. I need to\nknow.\nK: If they are not all out when you speak they will almost be.\nP: They will be in there until April 7. They will not be out by then\nwill they?\nK: They are moving out smartly Mr. President.\nP: Are they coming out by helicopter?\nK: If I were over there I would try to delay on their request for\nhelos to take them out. But it would be a hell of a responsibility.\nP: No we can't do that. Abrams is making the decisions, isn't he?\nK: Yes. The press may not be up to date on the magnitude of the\nwithdrawal or timing. Hubbard called me. I do not think thaxix they\nhave any idea about the Laotian withdrawal.\nP:\nsay planned this morning.\nK: Operations still being planned. I doubt that it will happen but\nit doesn't hurt to say that they are being planned.\nP: It will keep the enemy on guard and pin down the forces.\nK: Absolutely. You will see from that paper. We believe that there\nis now 1/3 of what they need will get through this year. Between\n1/3 and 1/2. We cannot know exactly until the next years dry season.\nBy that time we will not have substantial forces in there.\nP: At that point they are fighting them.\nK: I met with a group of POW wives this morning. That is always\npsychologically difficult.\nP: But inspfring too.\nK: They are great ladies. They are praying for our success. At the\nend of the meeting they said they wished they could hang some of the\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\n3\nrepresentatives of the peace groups xrx by their heels in every square\nin our country when this is over.\nP: I wish we could. We will have to do it. in a different way. They\nway I am going to handle this Laotian report is say. Look, the same\npeople said Cambodia was going to hell and they were wrong. I just\nwant to remind everybody again that they were wrong and they must\nstep back and look at this operation. Thank you, Henry.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nDon Oberdorfer/Kissinger\n2:55 p.m.\n3/20/71\nO: The Post asked me to do this article on the emergence of HAK in the news.\nI want to keep my date with you on Tues. I was talking with McGovern this morning\nand I am doing a story on it for the paper tomorrow.\nK: I have been seeing the same number of people all the time.\nO: Tell me that Tues. That will be part of the story.\nK: I have never talked about it and kept it quiet. It's been done only to stay open\nhere. Mk Now it's a tremendous publicity thing.\nO: I don't know how tremendous it is but one story brings to another story and that\nhow it works. So what's going on and find out about it. Let me ask you about\nit (the meeting with McGovern).\nK: I won't talk about it. What does he say?\nO: You invited him to come. Talked about an hour and a half. Talked about the\nwar. He expressed his views and you showed sympathy. Nothing substantive.\nin\nThe question is xxt this case because he is a Presidential candidate for the\nDemocratic party is whether you did this at the suggestion of the President or\nwith his\nK: I have had a general instruction from the President to be prepared to talk with\nany group. I have had Humphrey here and talked with everyone. Just an effort\nto stay open to the people. Always off the record. I am pained\nO: He said that before he left you said that if he wanted to tell the press, he could.\nK: That's not my recollection but I don't remember saying it.\nO: That's his impression. He didn't call us he is not promoting the story.\nWe heard about it and called him.\nK: I have seen every week since I have come here at least one member of a\ngroup opposed to us. A member of student groups. It's been a fixed policy here.\nI have seen McGovern here before about a year ago for breakfast.\nO: This is in the general policy.\nK: I don't check every individual appoint ment. I didn't check this one but\nno reason to think there was an objection. I doort wouldn't do it. I do it because\nI want to be sure I makex know what they are saying and make sure they know\nwhat we are trying to do this is not for quotation we feel very k deeply\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nDon Oberdorfer/Kissinger\n2:55 p.m.\n3/20/71\n-2-\nK: (cont.) about divisions in this country and for those who don't agree have\na sense of being involved and keep lines of communication open.\nO: Any other prominent would-be candidates?Muskie?\nK:\nI haven't talked with him yet.\nO: How about Ted.\nK:\nI don't want to go into running down names but don't draw conclusions from\nthat.\nO: In response to questions you said that it's part of general policy in effect\nsince you came into the WH of attempting to see at least once a week some member\nof a group in opposition to Administration policy, to see students and others and\ngeneral instructions from the President also to keep lines of communication\nopen and explain Administration policy.\nK: And not try to convince people. It's more on a philosophical level. The way\nthis meeting came to pass was that McGovern asked me to see students he was\nmeeting --\nO: I thought it was at a party --\nK: That was a long time ago and I suggested something then.\nO: Then this was set up. Subsequent to breakfast he had students he wanted you\nto see. He called you and asked you to see them.\nK: I think what bxpx happned was se met at a party two months ago and that's when\nthe meeting was arranged and when he called up about the students the date had\nto be changed and we firmed it up.\nO: This will hold us tomorrow and I want to see you Tuesday.\nK: I don't want * you to think there's a spasm here. I will get the figures for you.\nO: Get it for Tuesday. They will be good for that story.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nThe President/Mr. Kissinger\nMarch 21, 1971 11:30 a. m.\njlj\nP: Have you had a report on the strike yet?\nK: [Mr. Kissinger asking for morning reports on this subject and a\nmap from which he could talk] They had a lot of SAM sites in there\nbefore ????? [Difficult to concentrate because trying to tell people what\nHAK is talking about and what he wanted.\nP: You don't have the Navy report yet?\nK: Yes.\nWe have the Navy report. That is what I\nhave been reading to you. We do not have the Air Force yet. There\nis another report which says (reading) 50\n....\nnumerous large fires\nwith smoke rising\n....\naround the Mugia Base\n20\n17 trucks hit 1 railroad line cut. I am just reading these off to you\nMr. President. We are getting more in when we get additional reports.\nP: Action in Laos within the next week. In terms of evaluation of the\nwhole project and its effect on the enemy. Combined with this air strike.\nAir strike coming at this time is important. It is important that we are\nstill hitting them. Keep them guessing.\nK: We are making major uses of this strike. I have gotten a cable to\nBunker and Moorer got a cable to Abrams urging necessity of the\nMuong Nong plan. Moorer said that Thieu was planning to do it with\nsome special troops.\nP: That operation would take news right out from under them. This\nkind of thing effects the enemy.\nwere\nK: They are one week away in my view from having to quite themselves\nin that area. I have a cable in x from BuxkdeXX Bunker which I am\nsending to you which says [HAK reading] Only about 80 survivors came\nout -\nP: How many are in a battalion ?\nK: About 300. [HAK goes on reading]\nP: That is good. That is an honest thing. I can use this and it gives\nme a chance to hang the press.\nK: I talked to the Col. who had charge of the helo squad who were doing\nthe moving of the troops.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\n-2-\nP: What kind of a guy was he?\nK: He is the kind of a guy that makes you proud to be an American.\nP: Did he fly much?\nK: He flew every day. He said the morale was high and they improved\nas they flew more. He said that the pilots from the helos from Quang\nTri province are occasionally used and when there is an emergency these\nguys are called in and then the pilots come home and say to their buddies\nthat these guys were running hard but we got them out. He said no one\nin his unit would make remarks like that.\nP: He sounds like a wonderful guy. We should have him talk to some\nSenators. Tell Laird to have him go up and talk to some of the people\non the Hill.\nK: I think we ought to do that on Tuesday. He is not the most articulate\nguy in the world.\nP: Hell with that. He has seen it.\nK: He has seen it and been in there and could tell them the straight\nXXXX story. He said that the enemy must be taking fantastically\nheavy losses. He said\nso ихех he gave me bad as well as\nthe good. Said the enemy had high tank losses. Said that coordinating\nwas an initial problem. They had not worked without American observers\nin there before and it was hard to get used to. Said among ARVN units\nthe 1st division was outstanding. Air Force was good and Rangers\nwere not really used to that type of intense fighting and when he got\nthere he did see some panicking among the Rangers who were under very\nheavy fire.\nP: What does he think of reports he sees in the paper here? I mean\nthe origin Henry - who the hell is saying this kind of thing?\nK: He is shocked by it. He says that a 19 or 20 year old from a helicopter\ncrew comes back and says to his buddies they were running but we saved\nthem in time and the newspapers just follow them around and eat it up.\nP: Goddammit, I do not think we should have put the press in. I would\nnot have done it and taken all the heat. I mean it Henry.\nK: Abrams has a report in. It says [HAK reading Abrams report]\n(something about the guys not being able to see what they have accomplished\nbecause of TACAIR etc.)\nP: In conventional warfare you do it yourselves and here somebody\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nX 3\nelse is doing it for you and you do not know what a good job you are\ndoing.\nK: Mr. President, if those regiments had gone into II Corps\n(talking about the Laotian operation cleaning out troops that would have\nbeen used in II Corps against American troops) and we would not have\nthe crack ARVN troops in there to fight against them. As you said,\nthey were not sitting there to enjoy the scenery.\nP: I want them to get going on that second operation. Any kind of\nsecond operation would be good. It would have a good psychological\neffect on the North Vietnamese and let them know that we are not\ndefeated there. This was the plan.\nK:\n...\nusing this as one climatic effort. I do not think they have\nenough steam to keep it up themselves. I sent a very strong cable to\nBunker.\nP: I want them hit again. Even Abrams doesn't realize the significance\nof hitting them again while we are pulling out.\nK: I want to make sure you know this Mr. President. They are authorized\nto make one more strike.\nP: Yes I know that. If the weather is good.\nK: Yes and they think the weather will be good and they are going to\nuse the authority before it runs out. Tomorrow morning we will announce\nthat this is now terminated and was protective reaction.\nP: Is there any press reaction?\nK: There is some. There is a ticker item but they call it air interdiction\nand don't seem too uxxpx upset about it. [Hak reading ticker item]\nresponse to attacks on our forces.\nP: That will follow up my saying that this is not tit for tat.\nK: Navy reporting seems accurate\nP: If it is 1/10 of the truth it is pretty good. But the shock has to be\npretty substantial for them. Well, since you have your message off I just\nwanted to be sure that they would run that second think in Laos. They\nreally don't have to do much.\nK: Just in a 4 (few?) days and then get out.\nTheir units have taken\na pretty bad shallacking (?) too.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nPresident/Kissinger\n9:30 a. m. 3/22/71\nP: Anything new this morning?\nK: They got off part of the strike before the weather closed in yesterday. They\nonly got 60 planes up. We haven't got the results yet. The psychological impact\nof the first day's strike was good.\nP: How about the other operations?\nK: Goin out in orderby say. Another calbe on from Bunker. Nothing changed\nthat he said earlier.\nP: Among the SVN population?\nK: No, troops. Operation X is good. Haig is back and given me a preliminary\nreport. We have had command problems out there. In retrospect you can xax\nsee things that went wrong but that doesn't help now. Southerland in I Corps is not\non top of that action.\nP: You could sense that from Abrams briefing.\nK: They wasted two weeks at the beginning as they were foxx floundering around\nand then going to Tchepone.\nP: That's done now. They are moving out in good order?\nK: Yes, with isolated incidents where they get a shelling and want to get right\nout of there. But the British did that at Dunkirk.\n(or ARVN)\nP: American/ troops get scared when they are under fire and especially when\nthey are moving out. Any idea ? ? ? ?\nK: I will have it in an hour. You should get that into your comments this evening\nso it won't be a surprise when it happens.\nP: A week to 10 days.\nK: I got another cable from Bunker saying that\ntalked to Thieu and\nThieu \"(quoted from cable)''.\nP: OK.\nK: I briefed some of our senior staff to give them a line on your performance\ntonight. I will talk to other WH people so we will track on the same line.\nWe will stress distructions of enemy su pplies, preemption of enemy SO action forth. and\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nPresident/Kissinger\n9:30 a.m.\n3/22/71\n-2-\nP: I don't know if they will have much opportunity.\nK: + hey are talking around the press and they should say the same thing.\nP: I didn't know they were talking around. They should know what they are\ntalking about. But generally speaking I didn't think they were talking with the\npress.\nK: Just so they are propoerly positioned.\nP: OK for tomorrow?\nK: Laird, Moorer and that colonel are all set up. Laisd is a good x fighter.\nI had a go od talk with him this morning.\nP: Going all out?\nK: Yes.\nP: When he gets cornered, no question how he will go.\nK: I don't doubt thst in the months ahead this will vid vindicate ourselves.\nWithout that they would have taken Hue by Aug, which would have been a disaster.\nP: And we have truned up a lot of stuff there. We have taken the pressure off\nthe southern half of SVN and Cambodia.\nK: And First and Second Corps will die down soon. They are shooting their wad\nnow.\nP: Takes a lot of time to mount it again. What About Bunker and Abrams.\nK: I am wondering if it gives the impression of panicky reassessment.\nP: You should have thought of that last night.\nK: I go back and forth. We havn't done anything on it.\nP: Maybe we should wait until Monday.\nK: Or Friday.\nP: No, Monday and hold the meeting on Friday. I think we should wait - too\ntied in to talking about troops plans.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nPresident/Kissinger\n9:30 a.m.\n3/22/71\n-3-\nK: I know I said the opposite yesterday but reflecting mor e --\nP: That's the problem I had and why I suggested Bunker only. I think we let\nit go.\nK: We can always lay it on.\nP: Thank you.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nPresident/Kissinger\n9:50 a. m.\n3/22/71\nP: In reading the entire Abrams thing, I think it's impressive thing. I don't\nthink much got through in the press.\nK: That's right.\nP: I suppose you are writing everything up and the Saigon press didn't get it.\nK: I asked that Weyand do the same thing for I Corps press.\nP: Our people do get on the back of Cambodia. They do seem to be inept at\ngetting it to the people who print it in the right way. It's a very reassuring\nreport. Says they are inadequate in some areas 4 of 22 were below par.\nThat's a good average. The whole balance was extreme 1y effective As far\nas I can see the press, pare hasn't been\nK: Not as vicious as I thought.\nP: They can see something happened at the end.\nK: I hear Mansfield this morning say he would not say it was a failure.\nThat\nP: He did? They better not say it's a XK failure. They will put them out on a\nlimb.\nK: I am meeting at a lunch with John Chanceloor today and I thought I would\ntake a positive line that's off the record.\nP: I would use the Abrams report. Say here it is. As if they have never seen\nit.\nK: Which I can safely assume.\nP: Report I received from Abrams. Don't assume they have seen a thing. Pre-\ntend it's secret. It can be taken as something new and will take as the gasplex gosp\nIt's probably the most important decision taken during the war because of the\ndecisive impact because if not taken we would have a real disaster this fall.\nK: Without question. This summer or early fall and I still believe that analysis\nwe made before this was clear. I told you I felt good about the impact. They\nwill only get 50% throught that they need.\nP: Make that to the press people. The main point is not to indicate there's any\ndoubt. No pessimism. It's all psychological. The only military pinch we can\ngive them. Don't tell them that. We might give them a boot in the north but\ndifficult so now it's a PX, battle of psychology, wits and morale. Whoever plays up\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nPresident/Kissinger\n9:50 am.\n3/22/71\n-2-\nP: (cont) beat line. Did Helms do the black thing on how many killed?\nK: I will check.\nP: It seems the psychological\nis doing poorly.\nK: In SVN Thieu is sitting on the press and moraleis high.\nP: His own judgement is --\nK: It's roughly what I gave you because I have had daily reports from him. (Haig)\nP: What did he think of the last couple of days.\nK: They are not as surprising to him as us because in I Corps he saw the\nsituation. The withdrawal is as orderly as it can be under the circumstances.\nP: One story indicated that the NVN might attack our people in I Corps.\nK: They would have done it anyway. One cannot exclude it will spill over a\ncouple of weeks.\nP: I will guard what I say.\nK: You can be confident.\nP: But not indicate the fighting is over. Even on casualties we will have to\nbe careful.\nK: This week they will be about 50. That's what it is today.\nP: Still holding low. One thing we have particularly to fight against this moeemen\nin House Democrats to end the war before Dec. of this year. In my opinion we\ncan they cannot get majority for that but it really is, in advance, to come out\nfor ending it now which would hurt Vietnamese but make what we do seem\nimpotent. That's scheduled for the 31st and we can't beat that. I will do the\npress earlier next week and pull the teeth on that.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nSANITIZED COPY\nTELCON\nHelsm/Kissinger\n10:45 a. m.\n3/22/71\nSANITIZED\npeR 3.3(b)(i)\nH: I was going to give you areport at the end of the day. They are working on it\nall x weekend.\nK: Also in NVN?\nH: We have turned it on already and I will get you ax written report by tonight.\nK: The other paper is probably over here.\nH: I got it to you at 8:30. We don't have all the facts but I think it's responsive.\nK: Did you see the Jos. Kraft column yesterday? If it came from some of your\npeople -- that the CIA refuses to certify.\nH: That's just his junk. None could come from our people.\nK: Walsh is turning into a great theologian.\nH: kxlox He doesn't know Joe. It's his way of sticking his finger in someone's\neye.\nK: A lot of stuff Walsh is doing is Theological and technological. You cannot\nhave people saying we think there is more but no evidence to indicate it.\nSecondly, his own figures tend to show the opposite. Says we are meeting our\nobjectives and\n.\nI don't consider that conclusive.\nH: By the end df the week we hope to have something.\nK: Look in terms of requirements, something has to have happened. Two perce\nor 98 or 4 of something. If we could button up and stick togehter it would be\nhelpful.\nH: Don't be concerned about people out there. We are only publishing what you\nsee. I agree with you.\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 13526, Section 3.5\nper 3.3(b) HR. 4/23/12\nBy MIH NARA, Date 5/18/12\nSANITIZED the Richard Nixon Presidential Library NIN 08-08/2127 Tp. lof\nISSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nHaldeman/Kissinger\n11:42 a.m.\n3/22/71\nK: Are you arranging a meeting with the SH staff for some time?\nH: Do you want me to? Do we have enought to say?\nK: Just so they can askx act with confidence and calm . Otherwise they will flap.\nH: Stay on the positive side. You have your cover negatives. They don't\nmeet expectations.\nK: It's better than improvising answers. How about 3 or 4:00?\nH: Will do it.\nK: I think we should do it.\nH: How about 4:00?\nK: Fine. I can make it positive. At least it will give them something.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSecretary Rogers\n3/22/71 12:45 p.m.\nR: I'm calling because I got a call from Gerry Smith; he was asking\nme my interpretation of the letter. He said the President said I would be\nback to him about it. The question he raised was, the President said he\nwanted this presented at least on equal terms with the other two. He\nwanted to know if he should use that \"at least. 11\nK: No.\nR: I said I didn't think that was the President's intention. I said\nthe idea was that it should be presented forcefully as if it's a serious\nissue.\nK: That's exactly right.\nR: Then he said he wondered if he should present it now before the\nother fellow left.\nK: Yes.\nR: I said yes.\nK: That's right.\nR: The other thing: Phil Farley regarding the backstopping group.\nWhat he has in mind was that the backstopping group will think Gerry didn't\nfollow the NSDM.\nK: I think he should just tell the backstopping group what the facts are.\nR: I said he should tell them that Gerry has presented this in accordanc\nwith the President's wishes. I told him not to show the letter around, just to\nsay the President conveyed his wishes to Gerry. I don't want the letter to be\nfloating all around.\nK: I think that's absolutely right.\nR: Okay, thank you Henry.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nBrian McDonnell\n3/22/71 3:00 p.m.\nM: I was thinking if you would have a chance to have dinner this week\nK: This week is impossible because the President is going to the West Coast.\nM: Okay.\nK: But we get back the week of the 6th and I'd be delighted.\nM: I will give you a call then.\nK: What did you decide to do about that interview?\nM: I didn't do it\nWhich interview Henry?\nK: The TV one.\nM: What? Oh God no.\nK: No, no, not TV. The one for the Bullitin.\nM: No. What happened was Sandy Grady asked me if I'd do it. I said\nwhy did you call. He said he knew Winston Lord. I said if Winston thinks\nI should I would like him to call me.\nK: Oh. There must have been a misunderstanding. Brian I have a 3:15\nmeeting I must prepare for.\nM: You prepare for it then. Henry, about that\nK: No, I'm relaxed about it. My word to him thas that it was up to you.\nM: And I said no.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nDr. Lincoln Gordon/Kissinger\n3:21 p.m.\n3/22/71\nG: Sorry to bother you. I know you have things to do. You have read I resigned\nfrom here. I am going to Washington in April temporarily and taking a desk\nat SAIS. The first discussions I have had in NY and Washington suggest that I\nwould make a candidate as Paul Hoffman's job.\nK: That's a good idea.\nG: I don't know if it's good for UNDP or me.\nK: They have made tentative judgements but let me see what I can do about it.\nG: I heard you were in train.\nK: I will make an attempt at it. Let me know when you are coming down.\nG: About the 12th of April.\nK: Call me when you have a base and le'ts have lunch.\nG: I most certainly will.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nPresident/Kissinger\n3:35 p.m.\n3/22/71\nP: How did your meeting go?\nK: Well. I was on the defesnive. I said I was in the Battle of the Bulge and\nif someone asked what was going on I would have said it was two armored divisior\nbut in fact it was two tanks. We achieved the logistics of what we want after.\nthe fixixg fighting was harder than we expected but the achievements for a variety\nof reasons were considerable and a period where it will be obvious that we are ending\nthe war. I used what you used earlier that we are close to doing it with our\nheads high. They didn't harrass me. Chancellor was a little prissy and Kraslov\nwas there. I told them that the reporting was one-sided. I skwx said the\nreporters only saw one side and not what casualties we inflect. They are\nAmericans and they don't like to run down they didn't harrass me. I took\nthe line we talked about before I went. I thought it went well.\nP: That's good. We will keep after them. I talked with Laird, He is tough.\nK: When the chips are down --\nP: When he is cornered he knows it's a big deal. If only a way to get a\nlittle more\n.\nAll reporters are competing to get the bad news in. They\ndon't believe the ARVN.\nK: I quoted from Abrams backgrounder and you were right, they hand't heard\nof it.\nP: I will be careful not to use victory or success so it won't look like whistling\nin the dark. I will use confidence but not a word that X they can grab. Just\na shade difference.\nK: Don't use a phrase that can haunt you with. They asked about the President's\nphrase -- apparently Vogt gave an optimistic briefing the day we went in there.\nYou said we expect them to stand and fight there. I said of course because they\nwere standing and fighting and we knew it wasn't Cambodia. I said the President\nmade that judgment and it turned out 100% right. It was quitean interesting --\n(not much ) copping. When I spoke of achievements and I went through what\nwe had done in interrupting supplies, they didn't harrass me on that.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSecretary Laird\n3/22/71 5:45 p.m.\nL: On this briefing matter we discussed yesterday. We've been briefing\nthe Appropriations and Armed Services committees. These guys aren't\nrunning out with joy over the operation. They are keeping their mouths shut --\nplaying to coy. Who else should be briefed in the Senate?\nK: I don't know. I was just transmitting what the President said.\nL: Should we just make a general offer?\nK: You got Stennis didn't you?\nL: Yes and Mansfield. Case was there. Haven't got Fulbright yet.\nShould we brief him?\nK: I wouldn't brief him, would you?\nL: I don't think it would be a plus. He'd use it as a vehicle to make\nanother statement. We got in touch with MacGregor.\nK: Why don't you work with him on this. I just don't have a lot of\nsuggestions.\nL: We got Ellender today.\nK: You got Jackson didn't you?\nL: No, we didn't, but we can -- he was not in town.\nK: I would do Jackson. What is the mood on the Hill?\nL: Rather restless. These guys are going home andgetting a little\nheat, and they are a rather restless bunch. They don't want to say too much\nin support of our policy. They're watching out for themselves.\nK: Yes.\nL: Okay, I just wanted to get your ideas.\nK: Okay. I wish I could be more helpful.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nAmbassador Rabin\n3/22/71 5:35 p.m.\npage 2\nK: Let me check our secords to make sure they are consistent with that.\nR: This was the position that was decided, but since Argov cabled back\nhome that this was left obscure\nX I would like to make it clear that\nthe Foreign Minister has not committed the Israeli government to spell out\nour detailed territorial demand.\nK: I understand that.\nR: All he said was that he would transmit it back home.\nK: Don't worry. I understand.\nR: Fine. Second, when you have more time during the week I would like\nto come and talk about certain things -- not urgent.\nK: I will set a time for Wednesday or Thursday.\nR: Good.\nK: I look forward to seeing you.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nAmbassador Rabin\n3/22/71 5:38 p.m.\nK: Let me tell you you are a good general. When I saw you at Joe\nAlsop's you said \"I don't understand why they don't come up from the south. I\nThey did.\nR: They did?\nK: Yes.\nR: The situation there is not very encouraging.\nK: That's not completely correct. I don't think they defeated the South\nVietnamese, but in order to stay they would have had to pay a price inordinately\nhigh for what could be achieved.\nR: It doesn't seem that way to one who doesn't know everything and only\nreads the papers.\nK: The papers are vicious.\nR: It seems then at the beginning it was done not taking into account all\nthe possibilities.\nK: That's true.\nR: That's a problem for you.\nK: I have got few periods without problems.\nR: For Israel it is a period without problems\nK: Without problems?\nR: Some Aminor problems. Everyone says no attempt to twist the hand\nand no pressures will be applied. I phoned you for two/ purposes: one,\nin the talk we had with you according to our\nyou concluded the\ntalk by saying you understand thatIsrael is ready to discuss a special\nsettlement in the Canal Area which is true. Second, that Israel is ready to\npresent to the U.S. our territorial demands\nK: No, I didn't.\nR: I didn't remember this, but Argov wrote it down. The Foreign Minister\ngave a positive answer about the readiness to discuss a special arrangement\nabout the Canal\nWe would spell out either to you or Jarring\nwhat our demands are in positive terms\nNot saying we will now\nwithdraw to '67 lines. We didn't commit ourselves to answer it.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nCollier/Kissinger\n5:55 p.m.\n3/22/71\nC: I wonder if we might arrange a few moments to discuss Mr. Alsop.\nK: How long will you be in town?\nC: I live here.\nK: It's hectic now. Could I call you in a few days? I will call you by the\nend of the week.\nC: You have the number.\nK: I will call you because I think it would be good for us to talk.\nC: I will await your call.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nPresident/Kissinger\n5:57 p.m.\n3/22/71\nP: Are you through with your stuff today? Nothing new?\nThat\nK: Nothing new of any consequente. Txbrexyx figure I gave you earlier of huge\namount of ammunition captured is confirmed.\nP: Let that build up over the week. Laord can put it out. I am playing more\nfor the broader strokes.\nK: I think it's required. I x briefed the WH staff to get them positioned\nproperly. McGregor will bring in some Congressmen tomorrow who want\na beeifing. Ford and Ahrens.\nP: We won't di it at the Leader's meeting then. That's better. It should be\ndone another way. The thing we xxxx want to follow up on is the situation with\nregard to their actions for the balance of the week. It seems to be in the\nbest shape we can do.\nK: Nothing more we can do right now. From a publicity point of view we will\nhave to plug away for the rest of the week.\nP: But with some credibility. To be sure we are credible. The problem\nwe have is this when you are telling things they are true if it's against\na barrage of material in another direction it cannot be sound at the time. (?)\nNext week we will have it. We have to do it as a counter attack on a lower\nkey and step it up. We figure it at the end of the week it will calm down some.\nK: It depends on SVN making another strike. I x wouldn't bet on that.\nP: Of course not.\nK: It could build us up a few days. I think the doves will be out in full\ncry.\nP: I imagine they are today.\nK: They have been constrained but I think they will come out.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTelecon\nMr. Kissinger\nThe President\n3/22/71; 6:35 p.m. (Conversation had already begun)\nP: I don't plan to say anything about it particularly.\nK: That was something we always knew they could do. The only thing\nthat restrained them was reverence for the King. It is possible, Mr.\nPresident, that as an outgrowth of this operation they may want to flex\ntheir muscles. Attack on Long Thien could come about. We had a good\nB-52 strike there lately which has probably set them back. If you\nremember, we expected that attack on Long Thien in February\nThat's the royal capital has not been heavily defended.\nP: Okay. Now the other thing which gets back to my talk about Helms.\nI noticed Hanoi Radio U. S. losses biggest Helms, is really pounding\nour own stuff in there, isn't he?\nK: Yes.\nP: He should hit that really hard. A lot of this is psychological warfare.\nK: I was interested, Mr. President, in talking to Chalmers Roberts - -\njust to bring him up to date on some of the things he had a report from\nDavid Broder about my luncheon meeting a good report of course,\nhe may just be buttering me up. I think we came out alright on that.\nP: Let's not indicate it ourselves. You understand we have two different\nproblems we have to remember that about 2/3 of it is what somebody\nclaims\nthe enemy casualties that have been inflicted chocked\noff supply is going to have its effect. The other thing I was going to\nask report out of Saigon said ARVN had 25% casualties that seemed\nto be higher.\nK: They have suffered about\nP: That's killed and wounded. That's not too high.\nK: About 4, 000 wounded and 1, 000 killed.\nP: That gives us some indication of what casualties the other side has.\nK: If you assume five to one that would be between 25, 000 and 30, 000\nwhich is only about 1/2 of what we claim.\nP: I think sometimes the claims are so high they are not credible.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTelecon\nMr. Kissinger\nThe President\n3/22/71; 6:35 p.m.\n-2-\nK: We should not make claims ourselves.\nas\nP: Okay. Anything else as far /we know?\nK: No, it is just turning daylight. I just checked with Admiral Moorer's\nliaison man no sign of panic or withdrawal. Almost all of those came\nfrom battalions that were hit.\nP: I noticed one story here that it says that tank column are following\none\nas it goes up. It certainly seems that our aircraft could be\nthere.\nK: I don't know which tank column they are talking about. Vietnamese\nMarines got under heavy attack in that area today. They lost 85 dead\nbut they claim 350 dead and picked up weapons.\nP: They are now coming within artillery range of Khe Sanh?\nK: Yes. If they come on over they are going to suffer quite a lot in\ncasualties.\nP: Well, we want to remember that Freidheim has taken a stronger line\non the successes. Let's get some of our guys talking those terms. I\nwon't go that far tonight because I have to be more credible.\nK: It is more to show confidence that/n how much you claim was done.\nWe have been flying air strikes but there aren't any troops we could put\nup there it is not in the area of Long Thien. They might now begin\nto flex their muscles. They might go for broke in the next month or\ntwo\nP: Our troop withdrawal will seem somewhat strange won't it?\nK: That won't affect anything, Mr. President, because it won't start until\nMay 1. I think we should stick with it. I would not call Abrams and\nBunker back. I think the more calm we can appear the better -- the less\nVietnam is on the front page\nP: Agreed.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nMr. Kissinger/Ron Ziegler (I.O.)\n7:15 p.m., March 22, 1971\nZ:\nI wondered what your views were about John Scalli coming in.\nK:\nI think it is too far down the road to have any views.\nZ:\nThan you are not concerned about it.\nK:\nI rather like him.\nZ:\nWell, I just wondered what your thoughts are.\nK:\nIf they need a TV image, he is as good as anyone.\nZ:\nThe overall counsel from foreign policy is what Scalli has in\nhis head.\nK:\nBob tells me it would be on domestic also.\nZ:\nIt would be an additional point of view. You feel comfortable\nthough don't you?\nK:\nThey won't get rid of my job for another 6 months.\nZ:\nYou don't have to worry about that Henry. You would be the\nlast to go.\nK:\nI am not worried, look how pretty I would have sat if I had\ngotten out in January.\nZ:\nI know. I just hope\nKhe Sanh\nK:\nI wouldn't say this to anybody else but the military screwed us.\nThey were a selfish bunch of incompetents.\nZ:\nJust between you and I, I share your view. I sensed it when\nMoorer kept coming in and giving the same briefing and the\narrows on the charts never changed.\nK:\nMoorer -- Haig is right, we should never have had a Navy guy\nin charge of a ground operation.\nwgh\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSecretary Labrd\n3/23/71 9:16 a. m.\nL: We are sending these figures to you on MACV estimates of tonnage.\nBut be sure you say they are from MACV because DIA and CIA W ill both\nbe coming in here with figures and shooting us out of the water.\nK: We won't use them.\nL: Well Houdek wanted them\nK: I told Ziegler we are not going to use tonnages. We will take them\nbut we are not going to use them. Don't you think it's the wrong thing to do?\nWhat the President was thinking of was throughput.\nL: We have them too, but we sent over MACV's tonnages.\nK: We will now use them. I assure you.\nL: Wel 1 it doesn't bother me if you use them as long as you say they\nare MACV's.\nK: We are not going to play that game we've got more theologians\naround. I had breakfast with a great admirer of yours this morning,\nRowland Evans. His assessment is that you have got to work harder to\nget around me than anyone else in town.\nL: One other thing. On the level of effort on these strikes we\nshould just say they are about the same as last November.\nK: Absolutely. The President doesn't want to use any figures.\nL: Y es, and they terminated at 12:00 yesterday. I think it worked\nout okay to have the announcement before he went on the air. That way\nhe wasn't hit too hard on that. But he sure nailed down a timetable on\nthe 12, 500.\nK: He didn't think he nailed it done. He said the next increment\nL: No, he didn't.\nK: That was what he meant to say\nhe doesn't want anyone else\nto go out and project ait over the next 19 months.\nL: Read the transcript.\nK: We are just going to go through the same agone all over again.\nL: I think you should go to Paris and get some mileage on it there.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nSecretary Laird\n3/23/71 9:16 a. m.\npage 2\nK: Let him get over the next announcement.\nL: It's ha rd to back away from the strong language he used.\nK: I know what he wanted to say.\nL: Look at the headline in the Washington Post and the whole story\nby Roberts. He's got to watch his language. But that tonnage thing is\ncomign over; I didn't want to just float it over without warning you.\nK: It will not be used.\nL: You make that decision -- it doesn't bothemme if you limit it to\nMACV .\nK: It's not worth it.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nSen. Miller/Kissinger\n10:31 am\n3/23/71\nM: I had an interesting bacwax breakfast THIS mornign with x3x 3\n:\nMayor Don Canney, John Naughton, and Rev. Schilling. Canney is mayor of\nCedar Rapids. They are members of 11 man delegation that went to Paris and\ntwo got into see the NVN delegate general on prisoners. A unique meeting. They\nhad a 2 hour meeting with Bruce after and he was very impressed dith what took\nplace. Yesterday they met with an assistant secretary of State.\nK: Green?\nM: No.\nK: Sullivan?\nM: No.\nK: Sieverts?\nM: Sieverts, that's the one. A very cordial meeting and Bruce apparently\nreported and Sieverts knew about it. What they had in mind because of the\nrapport was to try to get an invitation to go to SVN to visit NVN prisoners and\nthen try to get an invitation from the NVN for the same thing. It seemed to me\nit was in your ball park and it might be helpful to visit with them.\nK: How long are they here?\nM: All day today and possibly tomorrow.\nK: I can make sure that they see a staff member and I will drop in for a few\nminutes.\nM: The modus operandi is important. They thought of writing the SVN ambassad\nI don't know. I know Amb. Diem well enough for him to see them and generate\nan invitation from him.\nK: What do they want from the SVN?\nM: Visit the prisoners of war at least some and then prevail on NVN to\ngo up north for the same xpxxx purpose.\nK: I will call you before 2:00. I will try to find half an hour.\nM: I have heard a lot of storeis and I thought it was unique enough to see you.\nK: I will try.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nAmb. Annenberg/Kissinger\n10:42 a.m.\n3/23/71\nA: I did ascertain that the spring ministerail meeting is in Lisbon on June 3-4.\nK: My problem is that I would like an opportunity to go to Europe but I can't\ncome on such an invitation in which people say if you are in Europe --\nfor Presidential reasons I would like an excuse to come to Europe.\nA: Comex here -- the oratory for the English Speaking Union. You don't\nneed to come under the auspices of the English Speaking Union.\nK: I don't want to come on my own because everyone flags it as a big visit.\nMy impression was that there was a dinner where they invited a distinguished\nAmerican but if it's just a dinner to speak --\nA: Last year was the 25th Anniv. dinner. They had Borman, Scott and Mount-\nbatten and they all spoke on Churchill. But it was the 25 Anniv. It's not an\nannual event. Certainly, you an old European hand, can come and stay at\nWinfield House.\nK: I understand. I don't want to tie myself to the June 9 date.\nA: I think I should indicate to Sir John Beh as early as I can SO they are not\nwaiting. I have to remind you that if you come here and speak they want\npublicity and I understand your position. You have reasons why you want to\navoid the appearance of what they are interested in. Figurex some other\nbasis and get back to me later on.\nK: I will do that.\nA: Come on a private visit and see anyone you want here. The government here\nwould be delighted to visit with you.\nK: Leave it on that basis.\nA: If you want to come and stay at Winfield House, whe would be delighted to\nhave you.\nK: That's nice.\nA: We are going to Calif. on the 29th for two weeks and Phila. for 3 days\ninbetween for university business. But my wife can always find me.\nK: I will be in touch.\nA: I will indicate to Sir John Ben your unavailability.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nLaird/Kissinger\n11:15 a. m.\n3/23/71\nL: On the military assistance program before the Sen. Appropriations Committee.\nK: I suppose they haven't talked with you. G D ! We wanted it delayed\nbefore the legislature came up.\nL: No, just discuss figures. I am going to be asked about the position of trans-\nfering military assistance authority to Defense or as it is or putting it in State.\nI feel k pretty strongly about this. I hope the President doesn't come to a\ndecision giving it to State. I am ticked about the memos going to Ambassadors\nall over the world re-designing\nand a interdepartmental study and\ntold not to talk with the military about this when the Soviet Union is going in\nthe opposite direction we have cut back to 4000 on military --\nK: The President put it under State because doing otherwise would be too bloody.\nL: xlxwiklx Hell no because military assistance package will not be passed unless\nit meets military requirements.\nK: You should talk to the President. Can you delay your appearance?\nL: I will avoid testifying on that point. We should maintain it on present level.\nK: We need to get you and me and Rogers and Shultz together after the NSC on\nThursday.\nL: Proxmire Bill is cracy. It shouldn't go in that direction.\nK: If there's one agency I don't want to have their hands on the military, it's\nState.\nL: I will get you a memo x today on it. I sent one to the President giving\nexceptions on the Secy. of State direction.\nK: We will have a meeting after the NSC.\nL: If you have to compromise, fine, keep it the way it is. I willbring a few\nof the memos around that they are sending.\nK: Could you?\nL: Some of our ambassadors don't agree with this. I will bring it to you at the\nmeeting.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nRogers/Kissinger\n12:05 p.m.\n3/23/71\nR: I took care of what I called about. It was security assistance. Mel claimed\nhe hadn't gotten the word which I talked with Schlessinger --\nK: He was mad but WEX he didn't understand. He wanted a meeting with you\nand me and the President after the NSC but we can call this off.\nR: I don't think we should bother the President. How do you think he did last\nnight?\nK: Well, Ithought. Except for the withdrawal figure. Mel was back on the phone\nfirst thing this morning.\nR: I chuckled at that. It's better to have the Presdient say it rather than\na Cabinet member.\nK: He didn't indicate the time period.\nR: I was surprised that Howard K. Smith took SO long on SEA -- 40 mins. out\nof an hour. Nothing about the hemisphere. And he didn't give the President\nenough time to philosophise, which he is SO good at. I thought his last\nanswer was good but the choice of questions, while well put --\nK: More aggressive than usual.\nR: But it shows no matter what you talk about --\nK: It goes in phases. One phase when you couldn't /ask get about Indochina\nI think Laos will subside in the next few weeks.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nMrs. Mitchell/Kissinger\n12:45 p.m.\n3/23/71\nM: I have told everyone there to tell you to go to hell. (crying)\nK: You can't say that to your old frined. What's wrong?\nM: I don't think I can talk to you. You have sent my sone to VN in the worst\nposition. The whole thing has been set up.\nK: I didn't do it.\nM: I don't care. Someone set it up. It stinks to high heaven.\nK: I don't know enough about it.\nM: John received a memo from Gen. Hughes which he didn't give me. We\nreceived a letter from Jay saying he didn't volunteer and Hughes says he did\nand the Under Secy. of State said he did.\nK: I don't know enough about it myself.\nM: I think they are trying to get me -- you know. Did you seeCBS this morning?\nK: No, what happened?\nM: They showed a picutre of me and said something about the outspoken\nMartha Mitchell. I am so sure it was set up. And someone is trying to get\nme to say things. They are trying to get me to emparass the President.\nK: But you wouldn't.\nM: I could.\nK: But you wouldn't. Let me look into it.\nM: I am terribly up set.\nK: I will look into it myself.\nM: Dh, shut up! I -- I could kiss you!\nK: I will look into it and call you.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nAtty. Gen. /Kissinger\n2:22 p.m.\n3/23/71\nAG: Say, I was just watching Martha's son on TV over there and a thought\noccured to me. It doesn't concern any worry for him but with events over\nthere, particularly as the ARVN get out and Americans take the casualties,\nit will really blow everything into a cocked hat. I presume.someone has\ngiven consideration to this one. It might really give him some problems.\nK: I agree.\nAG: I think it would probably be determined by the casualty rate.\nK: Right and it may be the opponent's strategy.\nAG: I imagine you thought of it.\nK: I talked to Martha.\nAG: She is going up the wall.\nK: That's right. I understand it if you see your son on TV.\nAG: Rightin the middle of it. One of those things that cannot be avoided but it's\nhaving a traumatic problem. I hope everything has been thought of in this\nrespect so it doesn't blow right up.\nK: Right.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nOsbwrne/Kissinger\n2:43 p.m.\n3/23/71\nK: Don Oberdorfer is doing an article on these meetings and I just wanted\nto tell you that I would like to give him some of the gxix figures I gave you.\nO: I figured you would give them to someone else.\nK: I don't want you to think I was ???. . But I won't go into detail as I\ndid with you. That was personal. It won't offend you?\nO: No and I assumed you would.\nK: I will/volunteer not information but people are writing articles.\nD: Of course. Thanks for telling me.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nCong. Ford/Kissinger\n2:58 p.m.\n3/23/71\nF: I apologize for having to leave this morning.\nK: I appreciated your coming over.\nF: Bearing in mind the briefing you gave me before on what we have done I\nthink we have done well and I fully support what we have achieved and I\nthink XXX the end result will be beneficial. I watched the news last night and\nNBC talking to some poor, tired GI.\nK: It turns your stomach!\nF: It makes no sense. Let me ask you something -- I am sure you have\nread that there's some action most likely in the Democratic causus on\nTues. Might be a battle and may end in a resolution despite Albert oppostion\non date of withdrawal, etc., on VN. I have had a couple of people ask if\nthere's any alternative resolution txx that we can do prior to that time to take\nthe sting from what they might do without undercutting the President but\nendorsing what's been done. H. Robinson on the record last\n--\nhe is a very sound guy has a discussion on March 11 which we should\napprove that by July 7 XX all combat concluded except for Americans still\nremaining. Another is \"that substantial reductions in force already achieved\nin VN, in the national interest and , should be supported to continue\nwithdrawal without interruption and not less than the present rate and ???\n???. . ???? and secure prisoners of war by said date. 11\nK: Part is all right but a certain date should XEX not be used. the earliest\npracticable date but take certain out.\nF: I see, without certain. OK.\nK: I am not a\no\nWe have a chance of negotiating this this summer\nand will be turned away if we take all the incentive away from the opponent\nto negotiate. But if you take out certain I will go along with it. Send it over.\nF: I will -- as it is.\nK: Let me look at it.\nF: I would appreciate knowing by tomorrow or the next day.\nK: I will let you know tomorrow.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELCON\nRogers/Kissinger\n5:09 p.m.\n3/23/71\nR: I just talked to John about Khe Sanh. The thing that concerns me about it\nand probably you too is whether we will carry the whole load in Khe Sanh.\nOur casualties will be hight.\nK: We will have to be sure our casualties are iaside the VN perimeter.\nR: But we have to make sure the SVN take the casualties because otherwise\nit will look as if they lost and we are trying to help.\nK: I will talk with Moorer about it.\nR: It could be a serious setback. Particularly because of Khe Sanh last\ntime. We are in good shape now.\nK: By the end of April we will be out of Khe Sanh. It will look awful if we get\nthrouwn back to the coast.\nR: Also if we put our tails between our leys and run.\nK: I will call Laird and Moorer immediately because I think it's essential.\nI will call Moorer in the next 10 mins.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nAmb. Dobrynin\n3/23/71 5:30 p.m.\nD: I hope you arrived on time at your office last night.\nK: You should know with your intelligence network.\nD: Yes, but I received mixed reports. According to one you want\nstraight to your office; according to the others you went other places.\nK: You keep only the agents who said I went to my office. The others\naren't worth their pay.\nD: Butthe other things sounded too official.\nK: I'll let you know when I am doing something unofficial. I am going\nto send over some partial comments.\nD: That would be helpful.\nK: On the draft.\nD: I remember.\nK: But I want you to understand these are not phrased in polite diplomatic\nlanguage.\nD: I understand.\nK: They are phrased in terms of what is acceptable and what is not.\nWe will instruct our Ambassador accordingly.\nD: Just indicates the direction of your thinking?\nK: Yes, they are not formal and are all negative.\nD: They are all negative. There must have been something positive.\nK: I told you the positives yesterday - these are the things we want\nchanged. But we do not have an exact formulation. We will try to have that\ntomorrow, but have indicated what we want.\nD: Those four major things?\nK: They are in there. Was that all you wanted? I gave you comments on\nevery section.\nD: That is fine.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.\nTELECON\nAmb. Dobrynin\n3/23/71 5:30 p.m.\npage 2\nK: But we will approach it in a positive spirit. One point on which I may have\nmisled you. We prepared to upgrade the commercial representation you have\nther, but we cannot do anything that has diplomatic status. But this is informal--\nnot in the document.\nD: Okay. I understand. I am going to Moscow on Saturday. kfx I know\nyou are leaving on Friday. If I have any questions I will drop them in the\nmail to you before Friday.\nK: Okay, Friday afternoon is when I leave.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified."
}