Operation Lam Son 719, February 8–April 7, 1971


124. Minutes of a Meeting of the Senior 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. 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)


125. 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. 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)


126. 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. 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)


127. 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. Top Secret.


128. Summary of Conclusions 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. 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)


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

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.”


130. Summary of Conclusions 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. 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)


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

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.


132. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Laird to President Nixon

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.”


133. Memorandum of Conversation

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.


134. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)

Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. No classification marking.


135. Memorandum for the 40 Committee

Source: Department of State, INR/IL Historical Files, 40 Committee Meetings. Secret; Eyes Only.


136. Summary of Conclusions 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. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.


137. 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. Top Secret.


138. Memorandum of Conversation

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.”


139. Summary of Conclusions 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. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.


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)

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.


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

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.”


142. 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 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.


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

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.)


144. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)

Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. No classification marking.


145. Summary of Conclusions 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. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House.


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

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.


147. 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 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.


148. Memorandum From the Director of the Joint Staff (Vogt) to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)

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


149. 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 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only.


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

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.”


151. Backchannel Message 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 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])


152. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)

Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. No classification marking.


153. Backchannel Message 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 84, Vietnam Subject Files, Special Operations File, Vol. VI. Top Secret; Sensitive; Exclusively, Eyes Only.