ABSTRACT
Henry Kissinger’s relationship with Defense Secretary Melvin Laird was far different. When Kissinger tried using the National Security Council (NSC)Defense Program Review Committee to try and control the Pentagon budget, Laird flooded him with staff papers that confused Kissinger and his NSC staff to the point that they gave upmuch to Richard Nixon’s amusement. Kissinger’s continued obsession with Rogers ultimately got on Nixon’s nerves and Nixon assigned Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Mitchell to find a way of dealing with the problem and “handling Henry.” The Soviets were happy with a simple cease-fire resolution “between the parties concerned” and asked Kissinger for suggestions on the technical details. Kissinger was faced with the increasingly critical problem of Egypt’s Third Army and Israel’s continued refusal to allow convoys of food, water and medical supplies to resupply the Egyptians. Kissinger briefly floated a plan to the Chinese for a coalition government in Cambodia led by the ousted Prince Sihanouk.
