Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume VII, Vietnam, July 1970–January 1972
Operation Lam Son 719, February 8–April 7, 1971: Document List
Document 124: Minutes of a Meeting of the Senior Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, February 8, 1971, 10:35 a.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. According to a chronology attached to a February 9 memorandum from Howe to Haig, the meeting ended at 11:17. (Ibid., Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. IV)
Document 125: Minutes of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, February 9, 1971, 3:15 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting ended at 4:37. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76)
Document 126: Minutes of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, February 10, 1971, 11 a.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H-115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting ended at 12:11 p.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968-76)
Document 127: Diary Entry by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)
Washington, February 12, 1971.
Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970-July 1974. Top Secret.
Document 128: Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, February 12, 1971, 6 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H-115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. According to a February 16 memorandum for the record by Doolin, the meeting ended at 7:10. (Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 330-76-207, Box 4, 334 WSAG)
Document 129: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, February 14, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 81, Vietnam Subject Files, Viet Operations in Laos and Cambodia, Vol. III. Top Secret; Specat; Exclusively Eyes Only. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”
Document 130: Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, February 16, 1971, noon.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H-115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting began at 12:07 p.m ended at 1:06. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968-76)
Document 131: Conversation Between President Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Washington, February 18, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation 451–23. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portions of the tape recording printed here specifically for this volume. This exchange is part of a larger conversation, 6:16–6:37 p.m.
Document 132: Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Laird to President Nixon
Washington, February 22, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 153, Vietnam Country Files, Vietnam, 11 Feb 1971–28 March 1971. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Kissinger forwarded the memorandum to Nixon under a covering memorandum, February 22. A stamped notation on Laird’s memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”
Document 133: Memorandum of Conversation
Washington, February 22, 1971, 7:15–8:25 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 490, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 4 [Part 2]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the Map Room at the White House. The time of the meeting is taken from Kissinger’s Record of Schedule. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) Kissinger forwarded the memorandum of conversation to Nixon under a covering memorandum, February 27. The full text is in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970–October 1971, Document 121.
Document 134: Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)
Washington, February 22, 1971.
Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. No classification marking.
Document 135: Memorandum for the 40 Committee
Washington, February 22, 1971.
Source: Department of State, INR/IL Historical Files, 40 Committee Meetings. Secret; Eyes Only.
Document 136: Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, February 23, 1971, 2:20 p.m.–3:10 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.
Document 137: Diary Entry by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)
Washington, February 25, 1971.
Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. Top Secret.
Document 138: Memorandum of Conversation
Washington, February 26, 1971, 10:40–11:45 a.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–110, Minutes of Meetings, NSC Minutes, Originals 1971. Secret. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room of the White House. All brackets are in the original. A handwritten notation at the top of the first page reads, “NSC Meeting: Laos.”
Document 139: Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, February 26, 1971, 3:49–4:32 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.
Document 140: Conversation Among President Nixon, Secretary of State Rogers, Secretary of Defense Laird, the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)
Washington, February 27, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation 459–2. 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, 9:18–11:57 a.m.
Document 141: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, March 1, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Secret; Codeword. Sent for information. A stamped note reads, “The President has seen.”
Document 142: Backchannel Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker)
Washington, March 1, 1971, 2224Z.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.
Document 143: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, undated.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Nixon wrote at the top of the memorandum: “Tell him—from RN, ‘excellent—honest report. His worst enemy seems to be the press!’” Kissinger relayed Nixon’s comment in backchannel message WH1011 to Bunker, March 5, and instructed him to update his message and forward it through regular channels to Rogers and Laird so they could “benefit greatly from this assessment, modified of course to reflect that it has been prepared at your initiative.” (Ibid.)
Document 144: Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)
Washington, March 3, 1971, 1:30 p.m.
Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. No classification marking.
Document 145: Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, March 4, 1971, 3–3:47 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.
Document 146: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, March 5, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 512, Country Files, Far East, Cambodia, Vol. XII. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.” Smyser sent it to Kissinger under a covering memorandum, March 2, recommending that he forward it to Nixon. Haig approved for Kissinger.
Document 147: Backchannel Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker)
Washington, March 9, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The original is the message as approved by Haig for transmission. Transmitted as message WHS1013.
Document 148: Memorandum From the Director of the Joint Staff (Vogt) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)
Washington, March 12, 1971.
Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. Top Secret. Prepared by Vogt.
Document 149: Backchannel Message From the Ambassador to Vietnam(Bunker) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Saigon, March 12, 1971, 1120Z.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.
Document 150: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, March 15, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”
Document 151: Backchannel Message From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Saigon, March 16, 1971, 0834Z.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 853, For the President’s Files—Lord, Vietnam Negotiations, Sensitive, Camp David, Vol. VII. Top Secret; Sensitive. In a backchannel message to Bunker, March 12, Kissinger informed him that Nixon had instructed Haig to travel to Phnom Penh, I Corps, and Saigon from March 16 to 20, to assess the situation and speak with Bunker about a number of long-range issues. (Ibid., Box 1013, Haig Special File, Haig Trip File, Haig SEA Trip—Mar 71 [1 of 2])
Document 152: Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)
Washington, March 16, 1971, 8:58 a.m.
Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. No classification marking.
Document 153: Backchannel Message From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Saigon, March 16, 1971, 1230Z.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively, Eyes Only.
Document 154: Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, March 16, 1971, 5:10–6:40 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis; COMINT. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.
Document 155: Summary of Conclusions for a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, March 18, 1971, 5:05–6:07 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis; COMINT. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. Smith informed Kissinger in a March 18 memorandum that the “intelligence community is obsessed with preparing for today’s WSAG and would not accomplish the analytical tasks we set out.” Smith assured Kissinger that the NSC staff and CIA analysts had devised a simple model to assess Lam Son’s effects but that the CIA believed it needed a White House order to gain DIA’s cooperation in doing the calculations. Smith wrote that the underlying problem was that CIA, unlike DIA, believed that the operation did not cut off all enemy supplies. (Ibid, Box H–80, WSAG Meeting File, Intelligence on NVSM 3–18–71)
Document 156: Backchannel Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker)
Washington, March 18, 1971, 1719Z.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. In Ending the Vietnam War, pp. 203–204, Kissinger wrote that this backchannel message was in response to Bunker’s March 12 message, Document 149.
Document 157: Conversation Among President Nixon, the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), and the White House Chief of Staff (Haldeman)
Washington, March 18, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Oval Office, Conversation 469–13. No classification marking. The editors transcribed the portion of the conversation printed here specifically for this volume. The conversation was part of a larger conversation that took place between 6:25 and 7:32 p.m.
Document 158: Backchannel Message From the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Saigon, March 19, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 549, Vietnam Country Files, Laos, Vol. VII. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The original is a retyped copy of backchannel message 640 from Saigon, 1310Z.
Document 159: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, March 20, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 82, Vietnam Subject Files, Vietnam Operations in Laos and Cambodia, Vol. V. Top Secret. Sent for information. A stamped notation reads, “President has seen.” According to a March 27 memorandum from Kennedy to Kissinger, the President requested that a summary of this memorandum be sent to Congressmen Boggs, Albert, and Ford. (Ibid., Box 314, Subject Files, Congressional Jan–Jul 1971, Vol. II [2 of 2]) Haig also sent a modified version to Klein under an April 15 covering memorandum authorizing him to share the information with columnist Jack Anderson. (Ibid., Box 154, Vietnam Country Files, Viet 9 Apr 71–30 Apr 71)
Document 160: Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of Defense Laird and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Washington, March 21, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 9, Chronological File. No classification marking. There is no indication on the original what time the call was placed. Transcribed on March 22.
Document 161: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, March 22, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 153, Vietnam Country Files, Vietnam, 11 February–28 March 1971. Secret. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”
Document 162: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, March 22, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 549, Country Files, Far East, Laos, Vol. VII. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”
Document 163: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, undated.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 85, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, 20 March 71. Secret; Sensitive.
Document 164: Minutes of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, March 23, 1971, 3:06–4:30 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. All brackets except those that indicate the omission of unrelated material are in the original. In a March 23 briefing memorandum to Kissinger, Kennedy and Holdridge noted that the purpose of the meeting was to make a preliminary assessment of Lam Son 719, but that the participants would not be informed of this until the morning of the meeting to ensure that they “will not be armed with arguments or pre-cooked factual base.” (Ibid., Box H–80, WSAG Meetings, Evaluation of Lam Son Operation 3–23–71)
Document 165: Memorandum of Conversation
Washington, March 25, 1971, 5–6:50 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 491, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 5, Part 1. Top Secret; Sensitive; Nodis. The meeting was held in the Map Room of the White House. The ending time of the meeting is taken from Kissinger’s Record of Schedule. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) The memorandum of conversation was forwarded to Nixon under a March 30 covering memorandum in which Kissinger wrote, “Dobrynin pressed me repeatedly on March 25 for a possible communication for him to carry to the North Vietnamese leaders who would be in Moscow for the Party Congress.” Kissinger added that he refused to provide a specific message that exceeded the January 9 terms, namely “that a separation of political and military issues was a possible negotiating approach.” Both memoranda are printed in full in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970–October 1971, Documents 154 and 164.
Document 166: Memorandum From K. Wayne Smith of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Washington, March 25, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–80, WSAG Meetings, Lam Son 3–26–71. Top Secret. Sent for information.
Document 167: Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, March 26, 1971, 10:09–11:29 a.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. Part II is Document 168.
Document 168: Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group
Washington, March 26, 1971, 10:09–11:29 a.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. Part I is Document 167.
Document 169: Memorandum for the President’s File by the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Haig)
Washington, March 26, 1971, 4 p.m.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 997, Haig Chronological Files, Haig Memcons, 12/70–12/71, 3 of 3. Top Secret; Nodis.
Document 170: Backchannel Message From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker)
Washington, March 27, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 85, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File March 20 on. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. Drafted by Kissinger and Haig. The original is the text as approved for transmission. It was sent as message WHS 1026.
Document 171: Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon
Washington, March 29, 1971.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 153, Vietnam Country Files, Viet 29 Mar 71–8 Apr 71. Top Secret; Sensitive. Sent for information. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads, “The President has seen.”
Document 172: Minutes of a Meeting of the 40 Committee
San Clemente, March 31, 1971, 10:26–11:55 a.m.
Source: Department of State, INR/IL Historical Files, 40 Committee Meetings. Top Secret; Nodis; Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the Conference Room of the Western White House. All brackets except those that indicate omissions are in the original.
Document 173: Backchannel Message From the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Saigon, April 5, 1971, 1020Z.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only. A note indicates that it was sent to San Clemente.