Conversation No. 721-1

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 8:36 am and 8:38 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

President's schedule
-Duke Law School reunion
-John W. Dean, III
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-William H. Brown, III
	-Equal Employment Opportunities Commission [EEOC]
-Charles W. Colson
-Number attending

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 8:38 am.

Conversation No. 721-2

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  8:38 am - 8:43 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

[See Conversation No. 24-1]

Conversation No. 721-3

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 8:43 am and 8:54 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with an unknown woman.

Henry A. Kissinger
-Meeting with President

The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 8:54 am.

Conversation No. 721-4

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  8:54 am - 8:56 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

Press briefings
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Time
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Ziegler's presence
-Forthcoming speech
-Text
	-Timing

Ziegler left at 8:56 am.

Conversation No. 721-5

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 8:56 am and 8:59 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with an unknown woman.

Henry A. Kissinger
-Location
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Meeting with President
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Time

The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 8:59 am.

Conversation No. 721-6

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  8:59 am - 9:06 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

Vietnam
-National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Richard M. Helms
-Briefing
-Previous Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] meeting
-Purpose
-Impact of blockade
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer briefing
-Duration
-Helms

-Previous meeting with Henry A. Kissinger
-View of blockade
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] view of shipments
	-Rail
-North Vietnam imports
-Sea
-Overland
-Feasibility
-Soviet Union and People's Republic of China [PRC] cooperation
-Rerouting of supplies
-Call from President
-Blockade
-Resistance
-Bureaucracy
-Cambodia comparison
-WSAG
		-U. Alexis Johnson
		-Health
		-Kissinger’s view
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Support
-Consequences
-Implementation
-Intensity
-Time
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s view
-Political consequences
-Necessity
-William P. Rogers
-Johnson
-Opposition
-Opposition
-Support
-Moorer
-Rush
-John B. Connally
-Opposition
-Arguments
-Effectiveness
-Impact on South Vietnam

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 8:59 am.

NSC meeting

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 9:06 am.

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Opposition
-Reasoning
-Melvin R. Laird
-View of South Vietnam
-Rogers
-Ambiguity
-South Vietnamese morale
-Kissinger’s previous meeting
-John Negroponte
-George C. Carver
-Support
-North Vietnam logistics
-Impact
-Manpower
-Command and control
-South Vietnamese morale
-Bargaining chip
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-President's peace proposals in forthcoming speech
-POWs
-US forces
-Wording
-John K. Andrews, Jr.

Kissinger left at 9:06 am.

Conversation No. 721-7

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  9:07 am - 9:08 am
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Ronald L. Ziegler's presence
-Leaks
-Decisions

Kissinger left at 9:08 am.

Conversation No. 721-8

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 12:07 pm and 12:13 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with an unknown person.

Request for meeting with Henry A. Kissinger

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:13 pm.

Conversation No. 721-9

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 12:07 pm and 12:13 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

John B. Connally
-Meeting with President
-Location
-Meeting with Henry A. Kissinger

-Location of meeting with President
-Call

Conversation No. 721-10

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 12:07 and 12:13 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with an unknown man.

*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration:  6s  ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 12:13 pm.

Conversation No. 721-11

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  12:13 pm - 1:15 pm
Location:  Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

Vietnam
-Previous National Security Council [NSC] meeting
-Kissinger's evaluation
-William P. Rogers
-Position on blockade

-Kissinger's evaluation
-Blockade discussion
-Melvin R. Laird's position
-Rogers's position
-Support compared with Laird
-John B. Connally
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-United Nations [UN]
-Kurt Waldheim
-Security Council meeting
-Significance
-State Department
-Soviet Union
-Significance
					-People’s Republic of China [PRC] and Soviet Union view of resolution
-Delay
-Waldheim
-Blockade
-President's decision
-Timing
-President's schedule
-Richard M. Helms's briefing
-Content
-President's decision
-Possible delay
-Problems
-Leaks
-Duration
-Advantages
-Public position
-Timing of NSC meeting
-24-hour delay
-Advantages
-Duration
	-The President’s schedule
-Soviet pressures
-UN resolutions
-Waldheim
-NSC meeting
-Follow-up meeting with Connally
-Location
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Laird
-Laird's position

Haldeman talked with the President between 12:21 and 12:22 pm.

[Conversation No. 721-11A]

[See Conversation No. 24-2]

[End of telephone conversation]

Vietnam
-Blockade
-Costs
-Connally
-Delay
-Soviet pressure
-President's decision
-Discussion

Connally entered at an unknown time after 12:22 pm.

-Laird
-Connally

Connally's schedule

Vietnam
-NSC meeting
-UN
-Waldheim
-Security Council meeting
-Initiative
	-State Department, Soviet Union
-Security Council resolution 
-Ceasefire
-Rogers's schedule
-Delays
-Blockade
-President's decision
-Possible delay
-Kissinger's reasons
-Advantages
	-Public perceptions
-Disadvantages
-Soviet awareness
-UN meeting
-Waldheim
-Sources
-State Department, Soviet Union
-Reasons
-President's decision
-Delay
-Advantages
-Disadvantages
-Opposition
-Arguments
-Advantages
-Cabinet
-Rogers's position
-Laird's position
-Helms's position
-Briefing
-Support
-Connally
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Gen. George A. Lincoln
-Connally
-Lincoln
-Agnew
-Laird's position
-Rogers's position
-Timing
-Rogers
-Laird
-Opposition
-Connally’s view
-Timing
-Connally's evaluation
-Status quo
-Rogers
-Laird
-Rogers
-Soviet Summit position
-Laird's position
-Disadvantages
-Imports to North Vietnam
-Percentage by sea
-Air strikes
-Impact on supplies and rail lines
-Rail lines
-Problems with statistics
-Gauges in North Vietnam and PRC
-Impact on imports of Petroleum, oil and lubricants [POL]
-Overland shipments
-Rogers and Laird
-Conversation with Connally
	-Rogers
	-Soviet Summit concerns
	-Kissinger's trip results
	-Kissinger’s view
	-Laird's concerns
	-Costs of blockade
	-Rogers's position
	-Bombing
	-Laird's opinion
	-Targets
	-Connally's position
	-Bombing of Haiphong and Hanoi
	-Support for President
	-US foreign policy
	-Effect of South Vietnam
	-Rogers and Laird
	-Support
-South Vietnamese collapse
-US position
-Advantages
-Rogers's assessment
-Connally's assessment
-Message of retribution
-Bombing of North Vietnam
-Targets
-Civilians
-Fear of deaths
-US message to aggressors
-Kissinger's assessment
-Consequences of failure
-US troops in South Vietnam
-Speed of possible South Vietnam collapse
-Agnew's theory
-Laird's theory
-North Vietnamese objectives
-Kissinger's assessment
-Kissinger’s return from Soviet Union
	-Camp David
-Provincial capitals
-Army of Republic of Vietnam [ARVN] collapse
-Dangers
-South Vietnam-US fighting
-Coalition government in Saigon
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Bargaining chip
-Possible ARVN collapse
-Blockade advantages
-Bargaining chip
	-POWs
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-South Vietnamese morale
-Impact
-Laird's assessment
	-Kissinger’s view
-Moorer's assessment
-POL supplies
-Overland shipments
-PRC and Soviet Union coordination
-Air strikes
-North Vietnamese reaction
-Kissinger’s view
-North Vietnamese leadership considerations
-Division supplies
-Impact
-North Vietnam logistical system
-Difficulty in changing
-North Vietnamese campaign
-Hue
-South Vietnam response
-North Vietnam method of operation
	-Inflexibility
-Reaction of Soviet Union and PRC
-US domestic support
-Soviet reaction
-Pressure on North Vietnam
-Summit
-Cancellation
-US statement
-Ronald L. Ziegler's release
-Kissinger’s possible briefing
-Rogers's position
	-Connally's view
-Announcement of agreements
-North Vietnam offensive
-South Vietnam military situation
-Laird's assessments
-Cambodia, Laos comparisons

**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration:  18s  ]

	CAMBODIA

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

**************************************************************************

-Effect of blockade
-Diplomatic
-On South Vietnam collapse
-On bargaining for POWs
-Military operations
-North Vietnam
-South Vietnam morale
-North Vietnam
-POL supplies
-Air strikes
-Impact
	-Utilities
	-Communications
	-Latest strikes
	-Damage reports
-President's options
-South Vietnam collapse
-US efforts to prevent
-Rogers
-Protests
-Domestic
-Senate
-UN
-PRC and Soviet Union
-President's East-West policies
-Impact
	-Press
-American people
-Support for President
-Opposition to war
-American spirit
	-Connally’s view
-Possible US withdrawal
-Timing
	-Forthcoming election
-Means
-Diplomatic efforts 
-North Vietnamese response
-Military efforts
-POWs, troop withdrawal
-Intensity
-Laos, Cambodia
-Necessity
-Support
-Duration
-Time
-Possible US withdrawal
-North Vietnamese offensive
-Duration
-Impact of blockade
-Weather
-Hue
-Future strategy
-Time
-Democratic National Convention
-Movement of roops
-B-3 front
-Cambodia
-October offensive
-Effect of blockade
-Blockade
-Necessity
-President's speech
-Haldeman
-Time
-Forthcoming briefing for Congressional leaders
-Content
	-Notification of Rogers and Laird
-Peace offer
-POW exchange
-Ceasefire
-US withdrawal
-Time
-Hugh Scott
-POWs
-Ceasefire
-US withdrawal
-Trade
-Advantages for North Vietnam
-Rogers's and Laird's notification
-Use of term blockade
-Domestic response
-Soviet response
-Press use
-Mining
-Interception of ships
-Contents
-Mining
-Instructions for US forces
-Interdiction

Connally left at 12:59 pm.

-Drafting
-Kissinger's schedule
-Haldeman
-Notification of Rogers and Laird
-Kissinger
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Time
-Rogers
-Soviet Summit
-The President’s view

Haldeman and Manolo Sanchez entered at 1:00 pm.

President's schedule
	-Executive Office Building [EOB]

Kissinger's schedule
	-Soviet embassy

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:02 pm.

Vietnam
-Democrats
-Senate caucus
-Possible meeting with President
-Arrangements
-Clifford P. Case-Frank F. Church amendment
-Michael J. Mansfield's role
-Blockade
-President's speech
-Television time
-Notification
-Cabinet
-NSC
-Andrews
-Time
-Rogers and Laird

Kissinger left at 1:02 pm.

-President's possible meeting with Democratic leaders
-Mansfield
-Time
-Press reports
-NSC meeting
-Democratic leaders
-J. William Fulbright, John C. Stennis
-Delay in antiwar amendment vote
-Soviet summit
-Hawks' position
-Stennis
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson's statement
	-Ground troops
	-Bombing
		-Hanoi, Haiphong
-Time
-Need
-President's speech
-Briefing of Senate Democratic leaders
-Time
-Mansfield's call
-Delay in response
-Notification
-Announcement of television time
-Time to release
	-Ziegler
-Briefing for Congressional leaders
-Attendees
-Kissinger's opinion
-Allen J. Ellender
-Fulbright
-Mansfield
-The President’s view
-Briefing for committee chairmen
-Rogers
-Blockade
-Chances of success
-Rogers's assessment
	-Support for the President
	-US military strength
-Options
-Laird's view
-South Vietnam's strengths
-Deterioration
-Rogers's argument compared with Laird’s argument
-Alternatives
-Connally's view
-Need to try
	-US credibility
-POWs
-US credibility
-Rogers's view
-Compared with Connally’s view
-PRC
-Soviet Union
-Soviet Summit
-President's strengths
-Chance of success
-Outcry
-Rogers's view
-Connally’s view
-Soviet Summit
	-Kissinger’s role
-The President’s view
-Laird
-The President’s view
-Opposition to blockade
-President's decision
-Chances of success in Vietnam
-Effect on Summit
-Cancellation
-Probability
-Timing
-Public opinion
-Expectations
-Separability
-Effect of military situation
-Time
-North Vietnam offensive
-President's forthcoming speech
-Arrangements
-Cabinet meeting

The President and Haldeman left at 1:15 pm.

Conversation No. 721-12

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 1:15 pm and 8:40 pm
Location:  Oval Office

Unknown persons met.

	Oval Office tour
		-The President’s location
			-Executive Office Building [EOB]
		-The President’s Senate campaign
		-President’s office in the EOB
		-Roosevelt Room

Unknown persons left at an unknown time before 8:40 pm.

Conversation No. 721-13

Date:  May 8, 1972
Time:  Unknown between 1:15 pm and 8:40 pm
Location:  Oval Office

Stephen B. Bull met with unknown persons [Secret Service agents].

	[Unintelligible]

Bull and the unknown agents left at an unknown time before 8:40 pm.