Nixon had ordered Linebacker II acutely aware that time was short. Kissinger imagined they had another six months of bombing if the North Vietnamese proved stubborn, but Nixon knew better. Whatever happened in Hanoi or Saigon, he was determined to reach a peace agreement by early January. If this meant going back to Kissinger’s October deal, he was fully prepared to do this. And if President Thieu withheld his consent, Nixon would proceed bilaterally. However, knowing the time was limited, he was determined to inflict as much devastation on North Vietnam as possible.
