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Conversation: 633-004

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Start Date: 9-Dec-1971 9:13 AM

End Date: 9-Dec-1971 10:04 AM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Ziegler, Ronald L.Kissinger, Henry A.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:16:56

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 00:54:10

633a.mp3

633b.mp3

633c.mp3

NARA Description:

On December 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:13 am and 10:04 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 633-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 633-4

Date: December 9, 1971
Time: Unknown between 9:13 am and 10:04 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     The President's schedule
          -Executive Office Building [EOB]
          -Meetings with Adm. Thomas H. Moorer and David Packard
                -Defense personnel
                      -Melvin R. Laird
                            -Packard’s possible resignation
          -December 10, 1971
                -Report of the President’s Commission on Federal Statistics
                      -W. Allen Wallis
          -Ceremony on Farm Credit Act
                -The President’s view
                -Possible postponement
          -Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO] appointments
                -Swearings-in
                      -Philip V. Sanchez
                      -Romana A. Banuelos
          -California
                -John B. Connally
                -Willy Brandt
                -Eisaku Sato meeting
          -Supreme Court
                -Press story
                      -Appointments
          -OEO
                -Appointments
                      -Mexican-Americans
          -Wallis
          -Packard
                -Defense personnel
                      -Henry A. Kissinger
                            -Forthcoming talks with the President
                -Banuelos
                      -Appointment
                                               4

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/10)
                                                                Conversation No. 633-4 (cont.)


                           -Connally

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 9:33 am.

     Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
         -Ziegler’s previous conversation with CBS executives
         -Television special
              -New York
              -Julie Nixon Eisenhower Christmas special
              -Possible one-on-one interview
                     -Potential problems
                          -William Small
                          -Unwillingness by CBS
              -Concerns
              -American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
              -Julie Eisenhower Christmas special
                     -One-on-one interview
              -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
                     -Stance on interview
              -One-on-one interview
                     -Timing
                          -The President’s forthcoming trip to the Peoples Republic of China
                                  [PRC]
                          -Importance of interview
                                 -Ziegler’s previous conversation with CBS
                     -Dan Rather
                          -Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
                                 -Commitment to Rather
              -New York
                     -Concern from CBS
              -Julie Eisenhower Christmas special
              -Tricia Nixon Cox's wedding coverage
                     -Seeking balance
              -Potential problem with the networks
              -NBC
              -ABC
              -One-on-one interview
                     -To be done in alphabetical order
                     -Timing
                          -President’s availability
                          -President’s trip to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                                                 5

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/10)
                                                                   Conversation No. 633-4 (cont.)


                                  -PRC
                 -CBS
                 -Small
                 -Particular type of interview
                       -Commitment

     NBC
           -“A Day in the Life of the President”
           -Ziegler’s previous telephone conversation with Small

     The President’s telephone call to Ruth H. Bunche
          -Timing
               -Purpose of call

Ziegler left and Kissinger entered at 9:47 am.

     Kissinger's visit to the Brazilian Embassy
          -Talk with Foreign Minister
                -Support
                -Organization of American States [OAS] and Cuba
                       -Maintain public support
                       -Possible change in US policy
                             -Fidel Castro
                             -USSR
                -Emilio Garrastazu Medici
                       -Issue to be discussed by the President
                             -Castro

     India-Pakistan situation
           -USSR
                -Letter to the President
                -Old proposal
                      -Possible ceasefire
                      -Negotiations between Pakistan and Awami League
                -US response
                      -Pakistan
                            -West compared to the East
                      -Islamabad
                      -Forms of negotiation
                            -Specific goals
                                  -Hard line
                                        6

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                               Tape Subject Log
                                 (rev. 10/10)
                                                           Conversation No. 633-4 (cont.)


               -Jordanians
                    -Planes
                          -Forthcoming meeting
         -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
               -Message for the President
               -Meeting with Agricultural Minister
                    -Topic for discussion
     -Rowland Evans
         -Backgrounder
         -Foreign policy article
              -Opinion
     -USSR Agricultural Minister
         -Message from Leonid I. Brezhnev
         -Meeting with the President

The President's schedule
     -Meetings
          -Moorer
          -Packard
          -Kissinger
          -Laird
                 -Department of Defense [DOD] personnel
                       -Robert C. Seamans, Jr.
                       -Robert F. Froehlke
          -Packard
                 -Personnel issue
                       -Possible resignation
                            -The President’s involvement
          -Laird's schedule
                 -Location
          -India-Pakistan situation
                 -Richard M. Helms
                 -Packard
                 -Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]

World situation
    -Crises
           -Cambodia
           -Laos
           -Cienfuegos
           -Middle East
                                              7

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/10)
                                                                    Conversation No. 633-4 (cont.)


                -India-Pakistan
                      -Numbers
                      -New York Times
                      -Evans
                            -Previous conversation with Kissinger
          -President’s instructions
                -Kissinger’s call to the State Department
                      -Diplomats
                      -Articles
                            -Wire
                            -Forthcoming meeting
                      -USSR
                      -United Nations [UN] vote
                            -George H.W. Bush
                                  -Press conference on UN vote
                      -Kissinger's backgrounder
                            -Washington Post
                                  -Front page article
                                        -Stance on India
                            -New York Times
                      -Broadcast media [?]
                      -UN vote
                            -Bush
                                  -Difficulty
                            -India
                            -General Assembly
                                  -Importance of vote
                            -Press coverage
                            -South Africa comparison

Haldeman and Kissinger left at 10:04 am.