179. Summary of Conclusions of a Washington Special Actions Group Meeting1
Washington, May 30, 1972, 11:14–11:40 a.m.
SUBJECT
- Vietnam
PARTICIPATION
- Chairman
- Major Gen. Alexander M. Haig
- State
- John N. Irwin
- William Sullivan
- DOD
- Kenneth Rush
- G. Warren Nutter
- Major Gen. David Ott
- JCS
- Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
- Capt. Kinnaird McKee
- CIA
- Richard Helms
- George Carver
- [name not declassified] (only for Mr. Helms’ briefing)
- NSC
- Richard T. Kennedy
- John H. Holdridge
- Mark Wandler
It was agreed that:
- —We will try to obtain more precise information about the report that two North Vietnamese divisions are leaving III Corps and returning to Cambodia.
- —We agree with the way our Delegation in Paris proposes to inform the other side that we do not agree to another plenary session.
- —Now that we have Presidential guidance on the number of B–52s to be sent to Guam, State and Defense should prepare a package for the Thai, articulating our requirements in Thailand.2
- —We should continue to hold off on the leafletting operations over Hanoi until we have Presidential guidance on the subject.
- —Amb. Sullivan’s group should staff out the plan for preempting Radio Hanoi. When the plan is complete, it should be brought before the WSAG.
[Omitted here are conclusions unrelated to Vietnam and the minutes of the meeting.]
- Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 79, National Security Council, Committees and Panels, Washington Special Actions Group, May 1972. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the White House Situation Room.↩
- On May 23, Haig conveyed to Rush the President’s guidance and approval to deploy an additional 58 B–52s to Guam. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–088, Washington Special Actions Group Meetings, WSAG Meeting Vietnam 5/24/72) Haig, U. Alexis Johnson, Moorer, and Rush also discussed the B–52 issue thoroughly in the May 24 WSAG meeting. (Minutes of Washington Special Actions Group Meeting, May 24; Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 79, National Security Council, Committees and Panels, Washington Special Actions Group, May 1972) The minutes are printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XX, Southeast Asia, 1969–1972, Document 166.↩