The Consequences of Operation Lam Son 719 and the Search for a Settlement, April 8–October 6, 1971


235. 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–112, SRG Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.


236. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1039, Files for the President, Vietnam Negotiations, HAK II 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place at the North Vietnamese Residence in Paris, 11 Rue Darthe.


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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1039, Files For the President, Vietnam Negotiations, HAK II 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Sent for information. There is no indication that Nixon saw it. Kissinger forwarded a slightly different version to Rogers under a covering memorandum, July 27, on which there is a handwritten note indicating that Rogers reviewed it and returned it that day. (Ibid., Box 861, Camp David Memos, July-Dec 1971)


238. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Rogers and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 10, Chronological File. No classification marking.


239. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 492, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 7, Part 2. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held in General Hughes’ office in the East Wing of the White House. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting lasted from 6:38 to 8:10 p.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) This memorandum is Tab A to a covering memorandum from Kissinger to Nixon, August 9. The full text of the memorandum of conversation is printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Soviet Union, volume XIII, October 1970–October 1971, Document 303.


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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 156, Vietnam Country Files, Viet Aug 71. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”


241. Minutes of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals 1971. Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. All brackets except those that indicate omission of unrelated material are in the original. Although a Senior Review Group meeting on Laos was scheduled for August 10, no minutes have been found.


242. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, President’s Office Files, Box 85, Memoranda for the President, Beginning August 8, 1971. Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Oval Office. (Ibid., White House Central Files, President’s Daily Diary) Kissinger forwarded the memorandum to Nixon under a covering memorandum, August 10. In an August 13 memorandum to Kissinger, Froebe informed him that pursuant to his instructions, only one copy of the original memorandum was made and that a sanitized version would be sent to the Department of State. (Ibid., NSC Files, Box 512, Country Files, Far East, Cambodia, Vol. XIII)


243. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 869, For the President’s Files—Lord, Vietnam Negotiations, Camp David, Cables, October 1969–December 31, 1971. Secret; Immediate; Exdis.


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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 11, Chronological File. No classification marking.


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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1039, Files for the President, Vietnam Negotiations, HAK II 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Printed from an unsigned copy. Kissinger forwarded a slightly different version to Rogers under a covering memorandum, August 17, on which there is a note indicating that Rogers read and returned it that day. (Ibid., Box 861, Camp David Memos, July–Dec 1971)


246. Conversation Between President Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation 566–14. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. The exchange is part of a larger conversation, 2:52–3:23 p.m.


247. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to Secretary of State Rogers and Secretary of Defense Laird

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 156, Vietnam Country Files, Viet Aug 71. Secret. A copy was sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Kissinger sent this memorandum to Nixon under a covering memorandum, August 13, in which he argued that while political disadvantages of extending the phase-out of the program into December would be significant, the use of herbicides to protect U.S. troops was the overriding concern. Nixon initialed Kissinger’s August 18 covering memorandum, indicating his approval.


248. 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 11, Chronological File. No classification marking. The conversation took place at an unknown time in the evening.


249. Backchannel Message From the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 872, For the President’s Files, Winston Lord, China Trip, Vietnam, Vietnam Elections. Top Secret; Flash; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.


250. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 872, For the President’s Files, Winston Lord, China Trip, Vietnam, Vietnam Elections. Secret; Immediate; Eyes Only; Nodis; Cherokee.


251. Backchannel Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 872, For the President’s Files, Lord, Vietnam Negotiations, Vietnam Election. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.


252. Memorandum for the President’s File

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1025, Presidential/HAK Memcons, MemCon between President and Amb. William J. Porter Re: Paris Peace Talks, Aug. 24, 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the President’s office in the Western White House. According to Nixon’s Daily Diary, it ended at 11:28 a.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)


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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 153, Vietnam Country Files, Viet Sept 71. Secret. Sent for information. Printed from an unsigned copy and there is no indication that Nixon saw the memorandum. Negroponte forwarded it to Kissinger under a September 2 covering memorandum, which Haig initialed.


254. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Box 1039, Files for the President, Vietnam Negotiations, HAK II 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting took place at the North Vietnamese Residence in Paris, 11 Rue Darthe. Kissinger noted in a telephone conversation with Nixon, September 8, 3:05 p.m., that Le Duc Tho had not attended the National Day celebration in Hanoi and may have been on his way to Paris. Kissinger told Nixon, “Then it would be clear something will happen.” (Ibid., Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 11, Chronological File)


256. Conversation Among President Nixon, his Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), and his Chief of Staff (Haldeman)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation 575–7. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. The exchange is part of a larger conversation, 5:37–6:24 p.m.


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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 872, For the President’s Files—Lord, Vietnam Negotiations, Encore Sept. 71–15 Feb. 72, President’s Speech January 25, 1972. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”


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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 872, For the President’s Files, Lord, Vietnam Negotiations, Vietnam Elections. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.” The following is written on the first page: “19 September 71(?)”


259. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS–84, National Security Council, 1969–76, Meetings, NSC. Secret; Sensitive. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting took place in the Cabinet Room. (Ibid., White House Central Files) All brackets are in the original.


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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 872, For the President’s Files—Lord, Vietnam Negotiations, Encore September 1971–15 February 1972, President’s Speech January 25, 1972. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Sent for information. The date is handwritten.


261. 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 157, Vietnam Country Files, Viet Sept 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.


262. Conversation Between President Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation 579–15. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. The exchange is part of a larger conversation, 5:51–6:42 p.m.


263. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 492, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 7 [Part 1]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held at the Soviet Embassy in Washington. Kissinger forwarded the memorandum of conversation to Nixon under an October 5 covering memorandum in which he emphasized that Gromyko was interested in his proposal to meet with the North Vietnamese in Moscow. The memorandum of conversation is printed in full in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970–October 1971, Document 343.


264. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 758, Presidential Correspondence, 1969–1974, Laos, Souvanna Phouma Correspondence. Secret. The meeting took place in the Oval Office and ran until 4:10 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files, President’s Daily Diary) Holdridge forwarded the memorandum of conversation to Haig under an October 1 covering memorandum. Haig approved it and Holdridge’s recommendation that it be sent to the Departments of State and Defense and the CIA. Kissinger met with Souvanna on October 1. At one point, Kissinger stated that he considered the Soviet Union’s attitude toward Laos to be ambivalent: “it was not in the USSR’s interest to leave a vacuum in Southeast Asia that China could fill, so he thought the USSR would like to see independent countries in Laos and Cambodia.” (Ibid., Box 549, Country Files, Far East, Laos, 1 July–31 Dec 1971)