Tape 496, Conversation 009 (496-009)

On May 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:57 pm to 1:30 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 496-009 of the White House Tapes. Topics include: The President met with Henry A. Kissinger Institute of world politics, Moscow - Kissinger's meeting with Director Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] position - Proposal - Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Anatoliy F. Dobrynin A message Vietnam - Negotiations - Dobrynin - Hanoi - Le Duan - USSR, People's Republic of China [PRC] - Xuan Thuy SALT - Dobrynin - US instructions Vietnam - President's meeting with Nguyen Van Thieu - Timing SALT - USSR - Politburo Vietnam - Negotiations - Congress - Howard K. Smith - Possible proposal by President to Congress - Dobrynin - US position - Draft - Meeting with Thieu SALT - USSR Vietnam - Negotiations - President's meeting with Thieu - Congress - Cooper- Church Amendment, McGovern- Hatfield amendment - Effect - Negotiations - David K. E. Bruce - Possible deadline - President's meeting with Thieu - Deadline - Prisoners of War [POWs] - Congress - Briefings - Kissinger - Haig - Agriculture representatives, May 7, 1971 - Kissinger - Meeting with Ronald W. Reagan, May 8, 1971 - President's April 7, 1971 Speech - President's April 7, 1971 Speech - President's policies - Public opinion SALT - USSR -"Doves and Hawks" - USSR - Berlin - D[avid] Kenneth Rush, Kissinger, William P. Rogers, USSR ambassador - US position - Instructions to Rush - PRC - Possible speech by President - Proposal -"National command" - Antiballistic Missile [ABM] - Gerard C. Smith - USSR - Schedule -"Doves" - USSR position - Dobrynin - Berlin - Possible public opinion - Sino- Soviet relations - Rogers' Statement - Possible effect - Kissinger's conversation with H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman - President's statement - Dobrynin Vietnam - US role - Thieu - Le Duan - Moscow - President's meeting with Thieu - Midway - Date - PRC - US role - Vietnamization - Troop withdrawals - Casualties - Numbers for week - Senate - Frank F. Church's statements - Administration - SALT, Summit - Negotiations - US offer - Dates - Thieu - POWs - North Vietnamese position - Bombing - Negotiations - Timing - Xuan Thuy, Kissinger - US offer - North Vietnamese Response [A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums, et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.] [End of transcript] - Demonstrations - Press coverage USSR PRC initiative - Kissinger forthcoming trip [Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN- T- MDR-2012-001. Segment declassified on 03/09/2015. Archivist: DR] [National Security] [496-009- W001] [Duration: 22s] People's Republic of China [PRC] initiative - Pakistan - US Ambassador - Worried about Pakistani's taping meeting - New government having access to tape - Preference for People's Republic of China [PRC] taping PRC initiative - Meeting arrangements [Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN- T- MDR-2012-001. Segment declassified on 03/09/2015. Archivist: DR] [National Security] [496-009- W002] [Duration: 13s] People's Republic of China [PRC] initiative - Pakistan - US Ambassador - Zulfikar Ali Bhutto - Tape of meeting PRC initiative - USSR - Pakistan - US ambassador Joseph S. Farland - Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan - Idea of "Special Emissary" - USSR - Possible trip - Arrangements -"Special Emissary" - Bruce - Robert D. Murphy Vietnam - Demonstrations - President's policy - President's critics USSR, PRC - Meeting - Arrangements SALT Kissinger left at 1:30 pm. Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.