31. Editorial Note

32. Diary Entry by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)

Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. Secret.

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

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 5, Chronological File, Mar.–Aug. 1972. Top Secret; Sensitive.

34. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Laird to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–062, Senior Review Group Meetings, SRG Meeting Vietnam Assessment 1/24/72. Top Secret; Sensitive. See Nixon’s marginal comment in footnote 1, Document 18.

35. Message From the Commander, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (Abrams) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer) and the Commander in Chief, Pacific (McCain)

Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Records of Thomas Moorer, Box 62, COMUSMACV General Service Messages, March 1972. Top Secret; Flash; Specat; Exclusive.

36. Memorandum From Richard T. Kennedy and John D. Negroponte of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box CL 21, Chronological File, March 1972. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent for action. Sent through Howe. Haig initialed the memorandum.

37. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Helms to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI Files, Job 80–R01284A, Box 6, 1 January–31 May 1972. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.

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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 341, Subject Files, HAK/President Memos, 1971. Eyes Only.

39. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 13, Chronological File, March 11–17, 1972. No classification marking. Nixon was at Camp David; Kissinger was in Washington.

40. Memorandum From the Special Assistant for Vietnamese Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency (Carver), to Director of Central Intelligence Helms

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Files of the Deputy Director for Intelligence, Job 80–R01720R, Box 7, GAC [George A. Carver] Chronology, March 1972. Top Secret. Copies were sent to Colby, Karamessines, and Nelson.

41. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense’s Military Assistant (Pursley) to the Special Assistant for Vietnamese Affairs, Central Intelligence Agency (Carver)

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Files of the Deputy Director for Intelligence, Job 80–R01720R, Box 7, GAC [George A. Carver] Chronology, March 1972. Secret; Sensitive. Carver sent Pursley’s memorandum to members of the CIA Ad Hoc Indochina Group, informally called “the brethren,” to obtain their views on the scope of the study as defined by Pursley. In his March 15 transmittal memorandum, Carver wrote: “My intent is to see if we can arrive at a consensus view on what we are prepared to undertake, a view I would then present to the Director for his approval and subsequently communicate to Secretary Laird.” (Ibid.)

42. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Laird to President Nixon

Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330–77–0095, 385.1, Viet. Top Secret; Sensitive.

43. Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation 685–2. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. The transcript is part of a larger conversation, 9:03–9:51 a.m.

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

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 97, Vietnam Subject Files, Air Activity in Southeast Asia, Vol. IV, Sep–Dec 1972. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent for action. A stamped notation on the memorandum indicates the President saw it.

45. Editorial Note

46. Backchannel Message From the Head of the Delegation to the Paris Peace Talks (Porter) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 419, Backchannel, Backchannel Messages 1972, Paris, Watson and Porter. Secret; Eyes Only.