▁South ▁Vietnam ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁cons olid ate ▁control ▁of ▁as ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁as ▁possible ▁before ▁the ▁on set ▁of ▁serious ▁peace ▁tal ks . ▁Tal ks ▁began ▁in ▁Paris ▁in ▁May , ▁but ▁failed ▁to ▁yield ▁any ▁results . ▁Two ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁obst acles ▁in ▁negoti ations ▁were ▁the ▁unw illing ness ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁allow ▁the ▁V iet ▁Cong ▁to ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁Vietnam ese ▁government , ▁and ▁the ▁unw illing ness ▁of ▁North ▁Vietnam ▁to ▁recognize ▁the ▁legit im acy ▁of ▁South ▁Vietnam . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁when ▁the ▁parties ▁came ▁close ▁to ▁an ▁agreement ▁on ▁a ▁bomb ing ▁halt , ▁Republican ▁president ial ▁nom ine e ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁interven ed ▁with ▁the ▁South ▁Vietnam ese , ▁prom ising ▁better ▁terms ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁delay ▁a ▁settlement ▁on ▁the ▁issue ▁until ▁after ▁the ▁election . ▁Johnson ▁sought ▁a ▁continu ation ▁of ▁tal ks ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁election , ▁but ▁the ▁North ▁Vietnam ese ▁argued ▁about ▁proced ural ▁matters ▁until ▁after ▁N ixon ▁took ▁office . ▁▁ ▁Johnson ▁once ▁sum med ▁up ▁his ▁perspective ▁of ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁Middle ▁East ▁ ▁Johnson ' s ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁policy ▁re lied ▁on ▁the ▁" three ▁pill ars " ▁of ▁Israel , ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia , ▁and ▁Iran . ▁In ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s , ▁concerns ▁about ▁the ▁Isra eli ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁program ▁led ▁to