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On March 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, John N. Mitchell, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Richard M. Helms, Henry A. Kissinger, John B. Connally, David Packard, and Paul H. Nitze, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 8:32 am and 10:27 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 049-012 of the White House Tapes. Topics include: The President met with Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, John N. Mitchell, Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, Richard M. Helms, Henry A. Kissinger, John B. Connally, David Packard, and Paul H. Nitze [This segment was declassified on 02/28/2002.] [National Security] [049-012- W001] [Duration: 2h 5m 12s] [Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and released 07/18/2023.] [Unintelligible] [049-012- W001] [Duration: 1m 38s] Briefing Timing [Unknown first name] [Henry M. ("Scoop")?] Jackson Anwar el- Sadat Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations - Status - Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson - John J. McCloy - John B. Connally - Henry A. Kissinger - Gerard C. Smith - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] military capabilities - Inter- Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) - Construction - Research and development - Construction - Types - Multiple Independently Retargetable Re- Entry Vehicles [MIRVs] - Multiple Re- Entry Vehicles [MRVs] - Numbers - Types and numbers - Locations - Anti- Ballistic Missiles [ABM] - Location - Throw weight compared with US - Multiple Retargetable Re- Entry Vehicles [MIRVs] - Accuracy compared with US weapons - US military capabilities - Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles [IRBMs] - Basing - Kill capacity - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] military capabilities - New construction - US military capabilities - Minuteman Anti- Ballistic Missile [ABM] - Command center - Importance - Possible termination date - Effect on weapons funding - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] objectives - Anti- Ballistic Missile [ABM] - Importance - Basing - North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] alliance - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] military capabilities - US capabilities - Anti- Ballistic Missiles [ABM] - Forward basing - North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] alliance - British and French - US consultation with allies - Goals - Budgetary effects - US capabilities - New technology - Dwight D. Eisenhower - Multiple attacks - Compared with Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] - Compared with People's Republic of China [PRC] - US response to possible agreement - Department of State views compared with Department of Defense views - Possible limitations - Expiration date - US strategy - Congress - Continuation and support for negotiations - Nuclear parity - Importance - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] and US preparedness - Helsinki Conference - Possible future talks - Anti- Ballistic Missiles [ABM] - Importance - Effect - US expectations - Congressional response - W[illiam] Stuart Symington - Committees - US position - Minuteman - Anti- Ballistic Missile [ABM] alternatives - National Command Authority [NCA] - Possible congressional response - Surface to Air [SAM] missiles - Isolationism - Possible ban - Verification - National Command Authority [NCA] - Joint Chiefs' position - Anti- Ballistic Missile [ABM] - National Command Authority [NCA] - Escape clause - US expectations John B. Connally's schedule - Compared with domestic considerations - Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson and Senate "doves" - The President's position - US expectations - Significance - Future meeting between the President and US negotiators - US military strength - Europeans' views - North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] - Central Treaty Organization [CENTO] - An unidentified representative - Effect of geography - Compared with Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] - Throw weight compared with Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] - Budget - Vietnam - North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] compared with Warsaw Pact - Japan - Naval strength - Marvin R. Laird's forthcoming testimony - Tone - Joe Frazier and Cassius Clay [Muhammad Ali] - Importance - The President's discussion with Dutch foreign minister - An unknown man's discussion with the Shah of Iran - A committee - Areas of possible escalation - Verification - Multiple Retargetable Re- Entry Vehicles [MIRVs] - Prospects for agreement - Effects on US leadership position - Multiple Retargetable Re- Entry Vehicles [MIRVs] - Objectives - Press coverage - US naval power - Importance - Diplomatic considerations - British and South Africa - Domestic political considerations Vietnam - Laos operation - South Vietnamese operations - Tchepone - Results - Cambodia operation - Future - Area of operations - Morale of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] - Tchepone - North Vietnamese operations - General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. - Future - Army of the Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] - Tchepone - Highways - Military operations in history -[Napoleon, King of France] Napoleon [Bonaparte] I and Moscow - Germans and Verdun - Comparison with Tchepone - Tchepone - Press coverage - Washington Post - Objective The President left at 10:27 a.m. [General conversation] [Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and released 07/18/2023.] [Unintelligible] [049-012- W002] [Duration: 2m 2s] H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman [?] Proposal [?] Military installation [?] Recovery [?] Unknown man's comment - Reason Energy - Oil in Mideast - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] - Europe - Japan - Strategic considerations for US - Middle East and African oil sources - Alaskan oil - Synthetic fuels - Alaskan oil - Priorities - Nobel Prize winner - Rudyard Kipling [?] - Potential energy crisis - Possible media attention - Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] and William S. Paley - Alaskan oil potential - US reserves - Coal, oil, shale - Prices - US reserves - Shale - Environmental considerations - Canada - Kuwaiti and Saudi Arabian sources - US West Coast - Suez Canal [?] - Libya - Paul W. McCracken - Prospects Recording was cut off at an unknown time after 10:27 am. Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); National Security Council; Agnew, Spiro T. (Vice President); Rogers, William P.; Laird, Melvin R.; Mitchell, John N.; Moorer, Thomas H. (Adm.); Helms, Richard M.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Connally, John B.; Packard, David; Nitze, Paul H.