Office of the Historian

281. Diary Entry by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer)1

Washington, January 16, 1973.

1027 Telecon/In—from Dr. Kissinger (Secure)

HAK said that he had a cable from Haig2 saying that Weyand is asking for authority to double the B52’s (I believe that is double target or double load). I said that I had already talked to Weyand about it and we decided that we are going to let him do that. HAK wanted to be sure that we didn’t have any falling off of the effort because we had about a week to go. We have plenty of bombs and the area of the ceasefire is a little shaky (Cambodia), HAK said, so we have to hurt them a little. Give them a warning. Of course we will only hit reasonable targets and we are going to try to avoid flattening villages. Also, maximum tacair effect during the next week, HAK said. We are trying to help out Godley, hit the Steel Tiger area3 and Cambodia. The South Vietnamese are also holding up their share.

HAK mentioned again he didn’t want any leaks on this and he wanted to shut up the military briefing officers. I said that we will try, but the reporters figure these things out for themselves. HAK said if there is any hold-up in this, get in touch with me directly. We don’t have time to play bureaucratic discussions on this.

I said that I sure need to get ahold of that protocol business and go over my check list. HAK said that I could get it tomorrow. I said that we are going to check over the Chup plantation in Cambodia and see if there are some good targets in it and HAK said that he didn’t care if we hurt some of the French Embassy installations in the process.

HAK said after Saturday4 you have direct access to the White House and that is laid down by law to Richardson5 in my presence. I said that will save us a lot of trouble. HAK said any order to the contrary, you let me know.

  1. Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Moorer Diary, July 1970–July 1974. Secret. This diary entry summarizes a telephone conversation between Moorer and Kissinger at 10:27 a.m. Transcript of the conversation is attached to the diary but not printed.↩
  2. Haig’s backchannel message Haigto 8/331 from Saigon, January 16, 1125Z, to Kissinger. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 860, For the President’s Files (Winston Lord)—China Trip/Vietnam, Sensitive Camp David, Vol. XXIV)↩
  3. A reference to the U.S. bombing campaign, 1965 to 1968, to interdict the infiltration of men and matériel on the Ho Chi Minh Trail within southeastern Laos.↩
  4. January 27.↩
  5. Elliot L. Richardson, Secretary of Defense-designate.↩