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TELECON
Stuart Loory/Mr. Kissinger
9:45 p.m., May 6, 1970
L:
I have been working several days N trying to piece together
the story of what has been going on during the last few months.
K:
What conclusion did you draw?
L:
I think I know what happened.
K:
I thought you were going to tell me a story.
L:
I would like to ask you some questions.
K:
I will neither
KUNYK
confirm nor deny. I don't want to give
checklists.
L:
The story as I have reconstructed it is: The President during
the week before his April 20 speech had made up his mind to withdraw
150,000 troops over a year which is one of the options given to him on
one of several schedules in the plan for troop withdrawals which was
finished sometime after the Midway meeting. I am told there were
5
options that he could pick or choose at various times. I was told
that
General Abrams was arguing for a 35, 000 withdrawal over 4 months
which would be roughly 8, 000 men per month, as opposed to 11, 000-
12,000 in the 150,0 figure. When the President went to Honolulu,
Admiral McCain got one last crack to represent General Abrams' view
and bring the President's views in line with Abrams'. The President
remained firm with 150, 000, but agreed to hear new arguments
previously rejected on cleaning out the sanctuaries. McCain came to
San Clemente on Monday and presented the same story to you that
day. During the following week, the President was turned around
not to go into the sanctuaries and by Saturday night had all been
decided on a boatride on the Potomac.
K:
The greater part of that is nonsense. McCain, at least in the
briefing to me (I wasn't present when he talked to the President) --
didn't even mention the sanctuaries. I am practically certain sanctuaries
were not mentioned in any context. I only saw him for 20 minutes.
No one could have told you that -- he and I were the only two present.
I had never heard sanctuaries mentioned in connection with withdrawal.
It may kill a good story. Second, it is not true that any decisions were
made on the boatride -- it was purely social.
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"ocrText": "TELECON\nStuart Loory/Mr. Kissinger\n9:45 p.m., May 6, 1970\nL:\nI have been working several days N trying to piece together\nthe story of what has been going on during the last few months.\nK:\nWhat conclusion did you draw?\nL:\nI think I know what happened.\nK:\nI thought you were going to tell me a story.\nL:\nI would like to ask you some questions.\nK:\nI will neither\nKUNYK\nconfirm nor deny. I don't want to give\nchecklists.\nL:\nThe story as I have reconstructed it is: The President during\nthe week before his April 20 speech had made up his mind to withdraw\n150,000 troops over a year which is one of the options given to him on\none of several schedules in the plan for troop withdrawals which was\nfinished sometime after the Midway meeting. I am told there were\n5\noptions that he could pick or choose at various times. I was told\nthat\nGeneral Abrams was arguing for a 35, 000 withdrawal over 4 months\nwhich would be roughly 8, 000 men per month, as opposed to 11, 000-\n12,000 in the 150,0 figure. When the President went to Honolulu,\nAdmiral McCain got one last crack to represent General Abrams' view\nand bring the President's views in line with Abrams'. The President\nremained firm with 150, 000, but agreed to hear new arguments\npreviously rejected on cleaning out the sanctuaries. McCain came to\nSan Clemente on Monday and presented the same story to you that\nday. During the following week, the President was turned around\nnot to go into the sanctuaries and by Saturday night had all been\ndecided on a boatride on the Potomac.\nK:\nThe greater part of that is nonsense. McCain, at least in the\nbriefing to me (I wasn't present when he talked to the President) --\ndidn't even mention the sanctuaries. I am practically certain sanctuaries\nwere not mentioned in any context. I only saw him for 20 minutes.\nNo one could have told you that -- he and I were the only two present.\nI had never heard sanctuaries mentioned in connection with withdrawal.\nIt may kill a good story. Second, it is not true that any decisions were\nmade on the boatride -- it was purely social."
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