Conversation: 413-033
Prev: 413-032 Next: 413-034Start Date: 26-Feb-1973 5:40 PM
End Date: 26-Feb-1973 7:15 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Safire, William L.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Bull, Stephen B.;Recording Device: Old Executive Office Building
NARA Description:
On February 26, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, William L. Safire, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:40 pm to 7:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 413-033 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 413-33
Date: February 26, 1973
Time: 5:40 pm-7:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
William L. Safire
-Compared to Patrick J. Buchanan
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Press conference
-Question and answer [Q&A] format
-Time to complete assignment
-Compared to Raymond K. Price, Jr. and Buchanan
Press conferences
-Unanticipated questions
-Sarah McLendon
-Clark R. Mollenhoff
-Purpose
-Questions
-Submission in advance
-Follow up
-Unrehearsed format
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
-Problems
-Advanced questions
-Advantages to press
-Follow up questions
-Preparation
-Q&A
-Compared to free questioning
-Avoidance of “No comment”
Input for President
-David N. Parker
-Coordination
-Telephone calls
-Congress
-John D. Ehrlichman
-List of Cabinet
-Response to President’s ideas
Kitchen cabinet
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-John A. Scali
-New York
Franklin R. Gannon
-Article
-Qualities as a writer
John F. Kennedy administration
-President’s view of treatment of public
-Game plan
Administration’s game plan
-List
-Press
-Congress
-Political
-Labor
-[First name unknown] Kahn
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
-Business [?]
-Weekly meeting on one issue
-Competition
-White House staff input
-Buchanan
-Usefulness
-Ehrlichman
-Goals of administration
-Ehrlichman
-Gannon
-Analysis
-Logic as writer
-Price
-Analysis
-Meeting participant
-Buchanan
-Analysis
-Age
-Philosophical bent
-Price
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger
-Public relations talents
-Gannon
Reorganization
-President’s point to Ehrlichman
-Reform
Issues
-Quality of life
-Leisure
-Environment
-Crime [?]
-Polls
-Economy [?]
Healthcare [?]
-52-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
The President talked with William Safire between 6:03 pm and 6:07 pm.
[Conversation No. 413-33A]
[See Conversation No. 43-200]
[End of telephone conversation]
Safire
Kennedy’s image
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
President's image
-Enhancement
-Amnesty
-Press satisfaction
-Public reaction
-Price, Safire’s opinion
-Public reaction
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Letters from mothers [?]
-Poll numbers
-Political fallout
-William W. Scranton [?]
Vietnam settlement
-Peace with honor
-Press criticism
-Administration response
White House staff reaction to President’s Vietnam War policy
-November 3, 1969 speech
-Controversial actions
-Opposition
-Fear of failure, risks
-Riots
-53-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
Congressional and public relations
-John B. Connally
-Public pressure
-Respect for President
-Caving
-Budget
-Tax increase
-Effect on President’s popularity
-Tax increases
-President’s responsibility
-Veto messages
-Tax issues
-Democrats’ Congress
-Partisanship
-Vietnam
-Swedish television [TV]
-Unknown person’s appearance
-Legislature
-President’s appearance at Trader Vic’s [?]
-Former Presidents
-Image
-Image of President
-Public desires
Buchanan’s father-in-law
-Funeral
Press relations
-Criticism of President
-Response
-Safire
-Press
-President’s conciliation
-TV appearance
-Display of anger
-Statement about POWs being programmed
-Public response
-54-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
-Press response
-New York Times
-Editorial
-Attack on POWs
Vetoes
-Statements
-Tone
-Bryce N. Harlow’s judgment
-Wording
-Effect on Congress
-Press coverage
Public mood
-Sensitivity
-Kissinger
-Harvard University colleagues
-State Department
Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
-Weak link
-Kissinger
-Compared with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Pressures
Kissinger entered at 6:30 pm.
Greetings
Kissinger’s schedule
-Egypt
-Negotiations
Haldeman left at 6:30 pm.
-Hafiz Ismail [?]
-Compared with Gamal Abdel Nasser [?]
-55-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
Egypt
-Negotiations
-Egypt compared with Vietnam
-Duration of meeting
-Kissinger’s memo to President
-Issues
-State Department’s opinion
-Arab initiative
-President’s view
-Effect
Vietnam
-Withdrawals
-Timing
-Data
-B-52 strike
-Scowcroft
-POWs
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Withdrawal deadline
-Bunker [?]
-Quid pro quo
-William H. Sullivan
-Withdrawal and cease-fire
-Negotiations
-Laos and Cambodia
-Bombing
Middle East negotiations
-Meetings with Joseph J. Sisco and William P. Rogers
-Settlement
-Palestinians
-Negotiations
-Kissinger’s role
-Ismail [?]
-US position
-Promises
-56-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
-Agreements
-Negotiations
-Back channel compared with official channel
-Negotiations
-Emotion
-Procedure
-General agreement of principles between Egypt and US
-Talks with Israel
-Interim settlement
-Egypt
-Detailed negotiations
-Timing of first two stages
-State Department’s knowledge
-Israel
-General principles
-Interim agreement
-Egypt-Israel negotiations
-Syria, Jordan negotiations with Israel
-Leverage for Israel, Egypt settlement
-Jordan
-Timing
-Israel
-US negotiations
-Egypt
-April 10 meeting
-“Heads of an agreement”
-Fundamental principles
-US talks with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Ismail’s opinion
-Heads of agreement
-Israel’s agreement
-Leonid I. Brezhnev’s role
-Joint communication
-US recommendations
-Importance
-Negotiations
-Common principles between US and Egypt
-Israel
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
-US, Brezhnev joint communication
-Interim settlement
-Compared with full settlement
-Syria, Jordan, Egypt
-Israel’s withdrawal
-Kissinger’s talks with Ismail
-Israel’s security
-Egypt’s sovereignty
-Golda Meir
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 3s]
ISRAEL
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
******************************************************************************
-Kissinger’s discussions with Brezhnev
-State Department’s role
-Rogers
-USSR, People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-State Department
-Sullivan
-Position on Middle East
-Israel
-Administration strategy
Stephen B. Bull [?] entered at an unknown time after 6:31 pm.
Schedule
-Departure
Bull [?] left at an unknown time before 7:15 pm.
-58-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
Kissinger’s talks with Israel
-Egypt’s negotiating position
-US position
-Conflict with Israel
-Timing of negotiations
-State Department
-Interim settlement with Anwar el-Sadat, Israel
-Kissinger’s strategy
-Interim settlement
-Principles
-Arab cooperation
-USSR support
-May 1972 summit
-Israel’s agreement
-Two tracks
-Interim settlement
-Direct talks
-Timing of settlements
-Jordan, Egypt
-US aid to Israel
-US relations with Israel
-Domestic support
-Jews
Criticism of President's policies
-Time magazine [?]
-News story
-Success
-Jealousy
-Europe
-US-USSR relations
-December 1972 bombing
-Justifications
-POWs
-New York Times [?] editorial
-Attack on POWs’ integrity
-Public reaction
-59-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
-Credibility gap
Vietnam War
-Solicitation of opinion of McGeorge Bundy, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Scranton
New York Times
-Opposition to Soviet gas deal
-Economic arguments
-USSR’s persecution of scientists [?]
-John B. Oakes
-Position on USSR, PRC
-Attacks on President’s foreign policy
-Motives
-John Kennedy
-US liaison office
-Support
-Brezhnev’s visit to US
-US-USSR trade relations
-Private company
-Wheat deal
-US losses
-Oil deal
-US losses
-New deal
-Outrage
-Market rate
-US shipping
-Opposition to President
Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Relations with Taiwan
-PRC relations with Taiwan
-Kissinger’s conversation with Chou en-Lai
-Satisfaction
Attacks on President
-Kissinger
-India-Pakistan
-60-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
-Press frustrations
-Kissinger’s stories
-Women
-Attacks on Kissinger
-Public reactions
-Average citizenship
-Attention
-New York Times
Foreign policy
-PRC, USSR, Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] agreement, Vietnam
settlement
-Public support
-Establishment opposition
-Thomas W. Braden
-Tokyo
-Article
-PRC initiative
-Nuclear test bans
-John Kennedy
-Treaty
-Chemical and biological warfare
-Testing
-Compared with [Supersonic Transport] SST [?]
-Cancer
-Radioactivity
-Issue
-Value
-Press relations
-POWs
-Political benefits
-Statements in support of President, December bombing
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer’s story
-Clapping
-December 1972 bombing
-Washington Star, Chicago Tribune
-Congressional opposition
-Negotiations
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 413-33 (cont’d)
-Breakthrough
-POWs
-Release
-Bombing
-Leverage
-Deadline to North Vietnam
Vietnam settlement
-Success
-Cambodia
-Phnom Penh
-Communist forces
-Coalition [?]
-Cambodia’s self-determination
-Diplomatic protests
-PRC [?]
Kissinger
-Report on Ismail meetings
-President’s press conference
-Talking paper for President’s Golda Meir meeting
-Meeting with President
Golda Meir
-Talks with Kissinger
-Meeting with President
-Length
-Dinner
-Purchases
-Effects
-Kissinger’s opinion
-Negotiating leverage
Kissinger left at 7:15 pm.
-62-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Mar.-09)