Office of the Historian

Neither War nor Peace, January 27–June 15, 1973

1. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Vietnamese Ambassador (Phuong)

Washington, January 27, 1973, 11:15 a.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Henry A. Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts, Box 18, Chronological File. No classification marking.

2. Minutes of Washington Special Actions Group Meeting

Washington, January 29, 1973, 11:36 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–117, WSAG Meeting Minutes, Originals, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the White House Situation Room.

3. Memorandum for the President’s Files by the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Washington, January 30, 1973, 9:30–10 a.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 104, Country Files, Far East, Vietnam, GVN Memcons, November 1972–April 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the Oval Office. Brackets are in the original. For an audio recording of this conversation, see ibid., White House Tapes, Conversation No. 844-03.

4. National Security Study Memorandum 167

Washington, January 30, 1973.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box H–195, NSSM Files, NSSM 167. Secret; Sensitive. According to the attached correspondence transmittal sheet, the Vice President, Scowcroft, Odeen, Kennedy, Holdridge, and Negroponte also received copies.

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

Washington, January 31, 1973.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation No. 43–6. No classification marking. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon spoke to Kissinger on the telephone from 10:10 to 10:18 a.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files) The editor transcribed the portion of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume.

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

Washington, January 31, 1973, 10:28 a.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Henry A. Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts, Box 18, Chronological File. No classification marking. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon was meeting with Ron Ziegler in the Executive Office Building when he placed the telephone call to Kissinger. (Ibid., White House Central Files)

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

Saigon, February 1, 1973, 1020Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 415, Backchannel Messages, From Ambassador Bunker, Saigon, Through April 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive; Immediate; Exclusively Eyes Only.

8. Memorandum From Richard Kennedy and John Holdridge of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Washington, February 5, 1973.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 112, Country Files, Far East, Vietnam Negotiations, Hanoi Trip, February 1973. Secret; Sensitive. Sent for action. Brackets are in the original. The memorandum summarizes the interdepartmental group paper prepared in response to NSSM 167, Document 4. The paper, February 2, is in the National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box H–195, NSSM Files, NSSM 167. A covering memorandum to the paper, February 3, from Jeanne Davis, states: “This paper will serve as the basis for discussion at the Senior Review Group meeting on Tuesday, February 6, at 3:00 p.m.” No record of that SRG meeting has been found.

9. Minutes of Washington Special Actions Group Meeting

Washington, February 6, 1973, 4:38–5:30 p.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box H–117, WSAG Meeting Minutes, Originals, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the White House Situation Room.

10. Backchannel Message From the Ambassador to Laos (Godley) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Vientiane, February 7, 1973, 0742Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 411, Backchannel Messages, Southeast Asia, 1973. Secret; Immediate; Eyes Only.

11. Memorandum of Conversation

Hanoi, February 10, 1973, 3–6:22 p.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 113, Country Files, Far East, Vietnam Negotiations, Hanoi Memcons, February 10–13, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held at the DRV President’s House. Brackets are in the original. Kissinger’s party arrived at Noi Bai airfield at 10:30 a.m. Le Duc Tho then escorted Kissinger to the Government Guest House in Hanoi, where the two men discussed procedural matters. A memorandum of that conversation, February 10, 11:10 a.m.–12 p.m., is ibid.

12. Memorandum of Conversation

Hanoi, February 11, 1973, 10:08 a.m.–1 p.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 113, Country Files, Far East, Vietnam Negotiations, Hanoi Memcons, February 10–13, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held at the DRV President’s House. Brackets are in the original.

13. Memorandum of Conversation

Hanoi, February 11, 1973, 4:35–7:43 p.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 113, Country Files, Far East, Vietnam Negotiations, Hanoi Memcons, February 10–13, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held at the DRV President’s House. Brackets are in the original. Kissinger and Le Duc Tho toured the Hanoi History Museum and other cultural sites before the session.

14. Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Ambassador to Laos (Godley)

Hanoi, February 11, 1973, 1453Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 29, HAK Trip Files, February 7–20, 1973, HAKTO 1–117. Secret; Sensitive; Flash. Sent through Scowcroft in the White House for transmittal to Godley.

15. Memorandum of Conversation

Hanoi, February 12, 1973, 9:05–10:40 a.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 113, Country Files, Far East, Vietnam Negotiations, Hanoi Memcons, February 10–13, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. The meeting was held in a private room at the DRV Government Guest House. Brackets are in the original.

16. Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft)

Hanoi, February 12, 1973, 2025Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, HAK Trip Files, Box 29, February 7–20, 1973, HAKTO 1–117. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.

17. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft) to President Nixon

Washington, February 14, 1973.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 29, HAK Trip Files, February 7–20, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. A notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “The President Has Seen.” Kissinger sent the original report to Scowcroft in message Hakto 59, February 14, 0900Z. (Ibid., HAKTO 1–117)

18. Message From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Sullivan) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) in Beijing

Saigon, February 14, 1973, 1415Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 30, HAK Trip Files, February 7–20, 1973, TOHAK 141–200. Top Secret; Sensitive; Immediate. The message was sent to the White House for transmittal exclusively to Kissinger who arrived in Beijing on February 15. Sullivan sent a second report on his final meetings in Saigon and visit to Phnom Penh in message 704/Tohak 184, February 15. (Ibid.) Message 711/Tohak 206, February 16, contains a summary of Sullivan’s conference in Vientiane. (Ibid., TOHAK 201–250)

19. Message From the Ambassador to Laos (Godley) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) in Beijing

Vientiane, February 17, 1973, 0741Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 30, HAK Trip Files, February 7–20, 1973, TOHAK 201–250. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent to the White House for transmittal to Kissinger. Also sent Eyes Only to Green and Sullivan.

20. Backchannel Message From the Ambassador to Laos (Godley) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) in Beijing

Vientiane, February 20, 1973, 1000Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 411, Backchannel Messages, Southeast Asia, 1973. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only; Flash. Sent to the White House for transmittal to Kissinger. Repeated Flash to Ambassador Green.

21. Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft)

Beijing, February 20, 1973, 1020Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Office Files, Box 29, HAK Trip Files, February 7–20, 1973, HAKTO 1–117. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.

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

Washington, February 20, 1973.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation No. 43–127. No classification marking. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Kissinger spoke with Nixon on the telephone from 7:30 to 7:41 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files) The editor transcribed the portion of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume.

23. Minutes of Washington Special Actions Group Meeting

Washington, February 23, 1973, 10:14–10:48 a.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H–Files), Box H–117, WSAG Meeting Minutes, Originals, 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the White House Situation Room.

24. Backchannel Message From the Ambassador to Laos (Godley) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Vientiane, February 24, 1973, 0748Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 411, Backchannel Messages, Southeast Asia, 1973. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only; Priority. Repeated Eyes Only Priority to Bangkok for General Vogt.

26. Memorandum From John Holdridge and Richard Kennedy of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Washington, March 7, 1973.

Source: National Security Council, Nixon Administration Intelligence Files, Subject Files, Box I–010, Vietnam, January–October 1973. Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only; Outside the System. Sent for action.

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

Washington, March 7, 1973, 12:37 p.m.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Henry A. Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts, Box 19, Chronological File. No classification marking.

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

Washington, March 9, 1973.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 163, Vietnam Country Files, Vietnam, January 1973–April 1973. Secret. Sent for information. A handwritten notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “Noted by Pres.”

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

Washington, March 14, 1973.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 163, Vietnam Country Files, Vietnam, January 1973–April 1973. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent for action. A stamped notation at the top of the memorandum reads: “The President Has Seen.” A handwritten note attached to the memorandum reads: “Henry—The JCS Need 48 Hours Notice. Brent.”

30. Backchannel Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Ambassador to Laos (Godley)

Washington, March 15, 1973, 0019Z.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 411, Backchannel Messages, Southeast Asia, 1973. Secret.