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Conversation: 501-019

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Start Date: 19-May-1971 3:09 PM

End Date: 19-May-1971 3:45 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Kissinger, Henry A.Smith, Gerard C.Allison, Royal B. (Gen.)Nitze, Paul J.Brown, HaroldThompson, Llewellyn E. ("Tommy"), Jr.Farley, Philip J.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:58:27

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 04:23:41

501a.mp3

501b.mp3

501c.mp3

501d.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Gerard C. Smith, Gen. Royal B. Allison, Paul J. Nitze, Harold Brown, Llewellyn E. ("Tommy") Thompson, Jr., and Philip J. Farley met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:09 pm to 3:45 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 501-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 501-19

Date: May 19, 1971
Time: 3:09 pm - 3:45 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Strategic Arms Limitation Talk [SALT] agreement
           -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
           -Texts in Russian and English
           -Announcement
           -Delegation's knowledge
                -Gerard C. Smith
                      -Meeting with delegation
                -President's meeting
                      -Congressional leaders
                                             43

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)



                     -Smith's report


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Privacy]
[Duration: 11s ]                                                    Conv. No. 501-18 (cont.)


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

******************************************************************************


     President's schedule
          -Meeting with SALT delegation
                 -Cabinet Room
          -Possible trip to Midway
                 -William P. Rogers
                 -Possible leak
                 -Rogers
                 -Ellsworth F. Bunker [?]

Smith, Gen. Royal B. Allison, Paul J. Nitze, Harold Brown, Llewellyn E. (“Tommy”)
Thompson, Jr., and Philip J. Farley entered at 3:12 pm.

     Greetings and introductions

     President's previous meeting with Melvin R. Laird

     Congress
         -Upcoming vote
              -Michael J. Mansfield Amendment

     SALT
         -Smith's schedule
         -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
         -Anti-ballistic missile [ABM] agreement
              -Time-frame
              -Effects
                     -Build-ups
                                           44

                        NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 9/08)



             -Forward Base System [FBS]
             -Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicle's [MIRV]
             -USSR
                   -View on MIRV
                   -Defense systems
             -Laird
             -USSR
             -Verification                                          Conv. No. 501-19 (cont.)
         -USSR arms
         -USSR goals
             -Technology
             -President's press conference
             -Strategy
             -Desire for ABM agreement
                   -Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles [ICBM] program
             -Party Congress
             -Troop levels in Germany and Czechoslovakia
                   -State Department report
                   -Possibility of unilateral withdrawal
         -Conventional forces in Europe
             -European Security Conference
             -Warsaw Pact
             -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
             -Dobrynin
             -Possible reductions
                   -Political effect
                   -US
                   -USSR
                   -Great Britain


******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 25s ]


    DEFENSE


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
                                             45

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 9/08)




******************************************************************************


    SALT
        -Progress of talks
             -Compared with Vietnam Peace talks
                   -David K.E. Bruce                          Conv. No. 501-19 (cont.)
        -USSR
             -Goals
             -Position
        -US policy
        -USSR
             -Government bureaucracy
                   -Effect on decision-making
                   -Lack of public scrutiny
                   -Army
                   -Foreign Office

    Foreign policy
         -People's Republic of China [PRC]

    [Unintelligible]

    USSR and PRC relations
        -US position
             -Neutrality

    USSR
        -Suggested overture by US
        -Ongoing negotiations
             -Computers [?]
             -Trucks
             -Credit certification
             -Kissinger’s efforts
             -Aviation
                  -Possible purchase
                         -Kissinger’s call to Dobrynin
                  -South America
                  -Possible purchase
                         -Dobrynin
                         -Alaskan Airlines
                                               46

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                            (rev. 9/08)



                        -American airplanes
                              -Inspections
                        -Department of Commerce action
                        -Certification
                        -Supersonic Transport [SST]
                        -White House

      SST                                                         Conv. No. 501-19 (cont.)
            -Tokyo
            -Europe
            -SST
            -South America
            -Effect
                  -Moscow to New York
            -Kissinger
            -Aviation Russian planes
                  -President's 1967 flight
            -747's
            -President's 1967 flight
                  -Russian plane
                  -Stewardesses

      President's schedule
           -May 21, 1971 meeting with delegation
                  -Laird

      Weather
          -Golf
                 -Burning Tree Country Club
            -Water shortage
                 -Secretary of Agriculture [Clifford M. Hardin]
                 -Florida

      President's schedule
           -May 21, 1971 meeting

Kissinger, et al., left at 3:45 pm.
                                               47

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)