the initial u.s. response to the offensive was lackadaisical and confused. the pentagon was not unduly alarmed and the u.s. ambassador and the commander of u.s. forces, general creighton w. abrams, were both out of the country. president richard m. nixon's first response was to consider a three-day attack by b-52 stratofortress bombers on hanoi and the port city of haiphong. his national security advisor, dr. henry kissinger, convinced the president to reconsider, since he did not want to jeopardize the formalization of the strategic arms limitation treaty (salt i) with the soviets, that was due to be signed in may. another stumbling block to the plan was general abrams' desire to utilize the available bombers (with their all-weather capability) to support the arvn defense.