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On November 1, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Melvin R. Laird, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:54 pm to 4:04 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 302-032 of the White House Tapes. Topics include: The President met with Henry A. Kissinger. Kissinger's conversation with William F. Buckley - Defense budget Kissinger's meeting William P. Rogers - Role with administration Possible State Department action - J. William Fulbright - Clark MacGregor Vietnam - Troop withdrawals - Timing Melvin R. Laird entered at 2:55 pm. Laird's schedule - Press - Foreign aid - The President's previous conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler Senate vote on foreign aid program - Laird's forthcoming statement to press - Kissinger's conversation with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. - Foreign Relations Committee's actions Foreign aid program - Future administration handling - Fulbright, Michael J. Mansfield - Defense authorization bill - Robert J. Dole's vote - Laird's possible statement - Foreign military aid - Thailand, Korea - Vietnam - Future administration handling - Laird's possible statement - Forthcoming negotiations with Soviet Union and People's Republic of China [PRC] - Possible Congressional action - Vietnam - John B. Connally - The President's opponents' view - Charles W. Colson's memorandum to Connally - Hugh Scott - Senate opponents - House's possible action - Gerald R. Ford - Allen J. Ellender - Thomas E. ("Doc") Morgan - George H. Mahon, F. Edward Herbert - Otto E. Passman - Rogers - Fulbright - Handling of legislation - Israel, Pakistan - Cambodia - Israel - Compared to Social Security and Welfare Reform [HR 1] - Laird's possible statement - US role in world - Vietnam - Korea Laird's schedule - Vietnam - Cambodia, Thailand BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 [National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN- T- MDR-2014-018. Segment excluded under the Atomic Energy Act on 05/03/2019. Archivist: MM] [National Security] [302-032- W002] [Duration: 53s] NUCLEAR PLANNING GROUP END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 US relations with Soviet Union - Europeans' view - Laird's meetings with Europeans - US Soviet Union treaty - European concern - The President's statements - Europeans' view - Ireland - Germany - Helmut H.W. Schmidt - Schmidt - West German Foreign Minister - Views - German financial support for US forces in Europe - Congress - Ludwig Erhard - Connally Financial support for West European defense - Germany - Great Britain - US relations with Soviet Union - Role of US allies - The President's schedule Kissinger's schedule - George R.S. Baring, Earl of Cromer - Possible message to Edward R.G. Heath US relations with Soviet Union - Concerns of European Defense Ministers Moshe Carmel - Willy F. Brandt's Nobel Peace Prize - Schmidt Laird's schedule US commitment to North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] - Congress - Laird's comments - Buckley - Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson - US negotiations with Soviet Union Federal budget - The President's meeting with George P. Shultz and Caspar W. Weinberger - National Defense - Strategic weapons - Laird's memorandum to Kissinger - Recommendations - Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] - US negotiations - PRC - Soviet Union - Impact on national economy - Laird's conversation with Shultz - Kissinger's forthcoming meeting with Shultz and Weinberger - Kissinger's subsequent meeting with David Packard Vietnam - Connally - Nguyen Van Thieu's election - Laird's possible statement - Scott's view - Prisoners of War [POWs] - Forthcoming troop withdrawal announcement - POWs - Troop withdrawal - Timing - Laird's possible statement - US military C5A aircraft - Robert S. McNamara - Government contract - Lockheed - Packard - Current procurement practices Lockheed - Airbus - Frank E. Borman - Eastern AirlineS C5A aircraft - Laird's conversation with Shultz - Responsibility Vietnam - Forthcoming troop withdrawals - Announcement - Timing - Recruitment of volunteers German financial support for us forces in Europe Laird's meeting with William J. Porter - NATO - Appointment - President of John Deere Defense Department - Staffing requirements Charles D. ("Tex") Thornton - Possible action Mansfield D. Sprague - Confirmation - Dwight D. Eisenhower's administration - Peter M. Flanigan's forthcoming investigation Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:55 pm. Ziegler Bull left at an unknown time before 3:55 pm. Departure - Photo opportunity The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 2:55 pm and 3:55 pm. [Conversation No. 302-32A] [See Conversation No. 13-57] Request for a call to Ronald L. Ziegler [End of telephone conversation] Meeting Henry A. Kissinger talked with Ronald L. Ziegler between 3:55 pm and 3:56 pm. [Conversation No. 302-32B] [See Conversation No. 13-58] [End of telephone conversation] Vietnam - Troop withdrawal announcement Sprague - Finances - Relationship with John N. Irwin - Possible role with the administration Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR] - Negotiating strategy Unknown man Kissinger's staff - Job prospects Lawrence F. Eagleburger Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 3:59 pm. Laird's schedule Ziegler left at 4:00 pm. Photograph of two children George Sherman, Washington Star - Report for Kissinger The President, et al. left at 4:04 pm. Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Laird, Melvin R.; Bull, Stephen B.; White House operator; Ziegler, Ronald L.