Planning and Decisions for Operations in Cambodia and Laos, October 9, 1970–February 7, 1971


47. Letter From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Chief of the Delegation to the Peace Talks on Vietnam (Bruce)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 190, Paris Talks/Meetings, 1 Oct–Dec 70. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Lord sent a draft of this letter to Kissinger under cover of an October 7 memorandum, noting it was “redone & amplified per your instructions.” (Ibid.)


48. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 95, Vietnam Subject Files, Viet: Troop Redeployment 1970. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”


49. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 92, Vietnam Subject Files, Sir Robert Thompson 1970. Secret. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.” According to the President’s Daily Diary, Kissinger, Nixon, and Thompson met in the Oval Office from 5:46 to 6:17 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files) No other record of the meeting has been found.


50. Memorandum From John H. Holdridge and Richard T. Kennedy to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 548, Country Files, Far East, Laos, Vol. VI, 12 Aug–Dec 31 ‘70. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. A handwritten note indicates the memorandum was “unlogged, outside system.”


51. Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Senior Review Group

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–111, Senior Review Group Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1970. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.


52. Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–114, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1969–1970. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.


53. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of State Rogers, Secretary of Defense Laird, Director of Central Intelligence Helms, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 66, Vietnam Subject Files, Cease-Fire, Vol. II 1970. Secret.


54. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 490, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1970, Vol. 2. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the Map Room at the White House. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting ended at 7:15 p.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1969–1976) The full text of the memorandum of conversation is in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970–October 1971, Document 14.


55. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 149, Vietnam Country Files, Viet 1 Oct 70. Secret; Sensitive; Nodis. Sent for information. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting ended at 3:45 p.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1969–76) The memorandum of conversation was prepared on October 20 and Smyser forwarded it to Kissinger under a covering memorandum on that day. Kissinger approved it, and wrote that there should be no further distribution.


56. Memorandum for the President’s File by the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, President’s Office Files, Box 82, Memoranda for the President, Beginning October 18, 1970. Secret; Nodis. According to a briefing memorandum from Irwin to Nixon, October 20, Souvanna arrived in the United States on October 15, addressed the UN General Assembly on October 19, spoke with Rogers in New York on October 19, and also met there with Irwin on October 17 and Green on October 16. He planned to return to Laos on October 22. (National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 7 LAOS)


57. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 490, President’s Trip Files, DobryninKissinger, 1970, Vol. 2. Secret; Sensitive; Nodis. Sent for information.


58. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 71, Country Files, Europe, USSR, Gromyko 1970. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the Oval Office. The full text of the memorandum of conversation is printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Soviet Union, volume XIII, October 1970–October 1971, Document 23.


59. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 149, Vietnam Country Files, Vietnam, 1 Oct 70. Secret; SPOKE. Sent for information. A stamped notation reads, “The President has seen.”


60. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–219, NSDMs, NSDM 89. Top Secret. Sent for action. K. Wayne Smith sent a copy of this memorandum to Kissinger on October 21, recommending that he sign it. (Ibid., Box 511, Country Files, Far East, Cambodia, Vol. X)


61. National Security Decision Memorandum 89

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–219, Policy Papers (1969–1974), National Security Decision Memorandums, NSDM 89. Top Secret. Copies were sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of Central Intelligence.


62. Report Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 88, Vietnam Subject Files, CIA Report, November 1970, Post Mortem: The Role of Cambodia in Supplying VC/NVA Forces in South Vietnam. Secret; SPOKE.


63. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 208, Agency Files, CIA, Vol. III. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information.


64. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Cambodia

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 511, Country Files, Far East, Cambodia, Vol. XI, 11/70–1/71. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by P. J. Bennett in EA/LC, cleared by Thomas Corcoran in EA/LC and Holdridge, and approved by Green. Repeated to Saigon, Vientiane, and CINCPAC.


65. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of State Rogers, Secretary of Defense Laird, and Director of Central Intelligence Helms

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 530, Country Files, Far East, Indochina, Vol. I. Top Secret; Sensitive. A copy was sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Kennedy and Holdridge forwarded a draft of this memorandum to Haig on November 2 noting that, “There is already considerable thrashing around the bureaucracy at the moment. This draft should help focus the effort and get some realistic options and scenarios which we can begin to refine (our own people are already working to this end).” On an attached note, Kissinger wrote, “OK.”


66. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 997, Haig Chronological Files, Haig Memcons 12/70–12/71, 1 of 3. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. According to Kissinger’s schedule, he met with Laird at the Pentagon between 10:17 and 11:45 a.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76, Record of Schedule) No further record of the meeting was found.


67. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and Secretary of Defense Laird

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 7, Chronological File. No classification marking.


68. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 150, Vietnam Country Files, Vietnam, 1 Nov 70. Secret; Sensitive. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”


69. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 150, Vietnam Country Files, Vietnam, 1 Nov 70. Secret. Sent for information. K. Wayne Smith forwarded this memorandum to Kissinger under a November 10 covering memorandum in which he indicated that he had revised it pursuant to Kissinger’s request to give more details on the enemy’s plans for 1970. He recommended that Kissinger sign it.


71. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 87, Vietnam Subject Files, North Vietnam Raid 11 Nov 1970. Top Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by Kissinger and Haig.


73. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 87, Vietnam Subject Files, North Vietnam Raid 11 Nov 1970. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent for information. The memorandum was attached as Tab A to a November 23 memorandum from Kissinger to Nixon briefing him for his meeting that day with the leaders of Operation King Pin. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.” According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon met with the leaders on November 23 from 4:58 to 6:05 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files) He also presented medals to the team members in a public ceremony at the White House on November 25. The text of Nixon’s remarks is in Public Papers: Nixon, 1970, p. 1081.


74. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 7, Chronological File. No classification marking. A typewritten notation on the first page reads, “(paraphrased).”


75. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 189, Paris Talks/Meetings, Paris Talks Aug 70–. Secret; Nodis; Paris Meetings; Plus. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.” Holdridge sent the memorandum to Kissinger under a November 18 covering memorandum and recommended that he sign it.


76. Memorandum for the President’s File

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, President’s Office Files, Memorandums for the President, Beginning 11/22/70. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. The meeting occurred in the White House and ran from 8:31 to 10:09 a.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files, President’s Daily Diary) Holdridge forwarded a copy of this memorandum to Kissinger under a November 25 covering memorandum, recommending that he approve it. Kissinger approved. (Ibid., NSC Files, Box 150, Vietnam Country Files, Viet 1 Nov 70) Ky arrived in the United States on November 15 for a 17-day visit. (The New York Times, November 16, 1970, p. A10)