Biographer Claims Tape Shows Nixon Prolonged War

[Zen Democrat]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/front/2724977

Aug. 8, 2004

Biographer Claims Tape Shows Nixon Prolonged War

1972 recording reveals president weighed election in policy talks

By CHRIS KAHN
Associated Press

ROANOKE, VA. - Three months before the 1972 presidential election, Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger huddled together in the Oval Office to discuss when and how to get out of Vietnam. Despite a massive bombing campaign during the spring and summer in the north, the Republican president had concluded that U.S.-backed "South Vietnam probably can never even survive anyway."

"We also have to realize, Henry, that winning an election is terribly important," Nixon told his national security adviser. "It's terribly important this year, but can we have a viable foreign policy if a year from now or two years from now, North Vietnam gobbles up South Vietnam? That's the real question."

The conversation, recorded by Nixon's voice-activated taping system, was transcribed by the University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs to be released today, the 30th anniversary of Nixon's resignation.

Some historians, including biographer Jeffrey Kimball, consider it evidence that Nixon sacrificed American forces in his quest for a second term, keeping them engaged to ensure that the South Vietnamese government wouldn't collapse before the election. "It became increasingly apparent to them by 1972, if not before, that they couldn't win the war, and they'd have to end it," said Kimball, who has compiled similar conversations and documents. ....

[bluestateguy]

1. Most Nixon tapes are still closed

The Nixon family fights every release tooth and nail, but something like 80% of those tapes are still closed. And I can see why. Everytime one of those tapes comes out we are reminded of just how bad Nixon was.

In contrast, the Johnson Library is in the process of releasing all tapes, with the blessing of the Johnson family. They are doing it chronologically and are currently in the middle of 1966.

[Melodybe]

3. Are we surprised by this, the same war profiteering bunch that pulled

Nixon's strings is running the country now.

Honestly, the Nixon bunch is a live and well: Poppy Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, heck even Bob Woodward is still around.

I can't wait until those assholes are in jail.

[T Bone]

4. really, Rumsfeld and Cheney were a team for Nixon too

gutting, and redirecting 'war on poverty' funds into 'privatization' schemes.

no shit.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Did not know this. Thanks for posting it, as it allows us time

to hate them as much as they deserve before they leave next January!

I had no idea they had that much access to decision making then.










Julie Nixon Eisenhower presents Architect of Peace Award to Vice President and Lynne Cheney
www.nixonlibrary.org

[goclark]

12. Poppy in the Middle Again!

Once again I find a thread that clearly demonstrates who runs our government. It's Poppy then and it's poppy now.

Glad to see Bob Woodward;s name mentioned again. He is clearly in the mix then and now.

I read a post at DU that talked about the possiblity of Bob Woodward working with the CIA at one time. That would not surprise me one bit.

Edit for spelling

[Brucey]

2. Nixon and Kissinger are two of the most

horrible, disgusting people who ever lived in this universe. I have often said of George W. that his ONLY accomplishment is that he knocked Nixon out of first place on the list of WORST presidents in US history. It's starting to seem like a tie.

[nolabels]

7. One is still living and advising people all over the world

The trails of Henry Kissinger is a very informative documentary

http://www.thetrialsofhenrykissinger.com/trials.html

[JohnnyRingo]

5. The 18 minute erasure may be recovered using modern tech

These people proved to a judge that they can bring back sounds that were taped over and thus got access to the archival tapes:

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa081301a.htm

Dateline: 06/17/02

Thirty years after the Watergate scandal brought down a presidency, America may soon know what was said during the famous "18 1/2-Minute Gap" in the Nixon-Watergate audio tapes if the National Archives and Record Administration (NARA) succeeds in its restoration efforts.

*snip*

According to a NARA press release, the goal of the project is not to determine how the tape was erased or who erased it. "Those factors are not in question," states NARA, "The goal is recovery of intelligible speech."

[dbt]

11. The HELL "those factors are not in question!"

If one believes the original "explanation," Rose Mary Woods was a contortionist who would have been able to pass through the eye of a needle!

There are a few of us who still very much want to know "how the tape was erased and who erased it," thankyouverymuch!

:freak:
dbt

[Zen Democrat]

6. This could be very good for John Kerry

With something like this coming out, his 1971 statement "Who wants to be the last man to die for a mistake" is even more compelling.

This could go a long way to shut up the detractors who are so incensed about his activities with Vietnam Veterans Against The War and want to paint him as a traitor. He was a PATRIOT!

[LauraK]

8. I thought that too.

This war is so similar and the re-election factor is very timely.

[Moderator]

9. Kick

kick

[indepat]

10. Perhaps a graduate thesis on the number killed/maimed for partisan

political gain at the behest of the leaders our nation, including those of its own people killed/maimed, would be an eye-opener/make interesting reading.

[struggle4progress]

14. Meanwhile, in the fall of 1972, there were just enough news stories ...

... about "Nixon getting US out of Vietnam" for the conservatives to gush constantly about Nixon as a great peacemaker and the now-certain honorable ending of the war. A lot of idiots believed it, too.

[JohnnyFianna1]

15. However you must realize, he was a hero of the poor and middle class, he

may have been pure evil, but he did have massively ambitious world peace plans, he hated Reagun; he did huge things for the enviroment, and he didn't punish labor, he was the first president since FDR to try to run a balanced budget and his failure with Wage controls saved at least one president who was going to try them on his own. At least his privatization schemes were more along the lines " Hey let's let the states deal with it, if the want to privatise it so be it" as opposed to let's gamble with your social security as is Reagund