Conversation: 637-003
Prev: 637-002 Next: 637-004Start Date: 10-Dec-1971 8:45 AM
End Date: 10-Dec-1971 9:42 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:06:19
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:13:16
NARA Description:
On December 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:45 am to 9:42 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 637-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 637-3
Date: December 12, 1971
Time: 8:45 am - 9:42 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
India-Pakistan situation
-Messages
-Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
-Leonid I. Brezhnev proposal
-Acceptance
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Cease-fire
-US-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Possible setback
-The president's meeting with Vladimir V. Matskevich
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 27s ]
INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**************************************************************************
-Public relations
-Press conferences and backgrounders
-John A. Scali
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Departments
-Usefulness
-George H.W. Bush
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 637-3 (cont.)
-John A. Scali and Ziegler
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 2m 41s ]
INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**************************************************************************
-USSR
-Military aid to India
-Numbers and amounts
-Scali
-Ziegler
-Yahya Khan
-Alignment with the US
-Kissinger call to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
-PRC
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 637-3 (cont.)
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 15s ]
PRC
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**************************************************************************
-Kissinger’s refusal to talk with the PRC
-PRC-USSR
-Comparisons
-Thomas W. Braden article
-Kissinger and the President
-PRC trip
-Kissinger’s previous visit with Roy H. Jenkins
-Jenkins accomplishments
-Common Market
-Braden
-PRC trip
-Braden’s opinion
-Indian ambassador
-Press campaign
-East Pakistan
-The President's possible statement
-Labeling India as the aggressors
-Indians
-Press
-Susceptibility to public opinion
-Rowland Evans
-USSR support
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 637-3 (cont.)
-Press
-United Nations [UN] vote
-Backgrounder
-Washington Post
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 3s ]
INDIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
**************************************************************************
-The President's statement
-Kissinger’s disagreement with the President
-Kissinger’s previous conversation with Bhutto
-PRC
-Pakistan refugee situation
-Proposed action
-Indian foreign minister
-Refusal to grant reassurances
-Kashmir
-USSR response
-Yuli M. Vorontsov
-Talk with Kissinger
-UN Security Council
-Press statement from White House
-UN General Assembly resolution
-Results
-India’s refusal to accept
-Kissinger’s meeting at the State Department
-Timing
-East Pakistan
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 637-3 (cont.)
-Dacca
-Contents
-Wording of statement
-Draft
-Backgrounder
-Leaders’ meeting
-Aid to India
-Purpose of statement
-PRC
-USSR
-Indians
-American public opinion
-American apathy towards India-Pakistan conflict
-Statement
-Ziegler
-William P. Rogers
-Yahya Khan
-Gandhi
-Public apathy
-Brezhnev
-Hotline
-Great Britain
-Contents
-Security Council
-Joint action with the USSR
-Ceasefire
-Advantage
-Urgency
-Public record
-State Department
-British
-Earl of Cromer [George R.S. Baring]
-Edward R.G. Heath
-Sir Alexander F. (“Alec”) Douglas-Home
-USSR Naval presence in the Indian ocean
-British concern
-Kissinger's talk with Cromer
-Discussing the President’s options
[Pause]
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 637-3 (cont.)
India-Pakistan situation
-British and French
-US relations
-Singapore
-Indian Ocean
-Cromer
-US message to the British
-UN Security Council
-State Department
-Ceasefire and withdrawal
-UN General Assembly resolution
-Timing
-Ceasefire resolution
-Public statement
-Purpose and importance
-USSR
-PRC
-Bhutto
-American public opinion
-Rogers
-Ziegler
-Cambodia comparison
-Cromer
-Call from Kissinger
-Importance of discussions with the British
-French
-Involvement
-USSR
-Hotline
-The President’s meeting with Matskevich
-Vorontsov
-Possible reply from the USSR
-PRC
-US fleet
-USSR tanks and ships
-India
-Lack of response from “liberal” media
-US policy
-Comparisons to current situation
-Czechoslovakia
-South Africa
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 637-3 (cont.)
-“Exposure” of liberals
-Morality
Vietnam negotiations
-Meeting
-William J. Porter
-Cancellation
-Duration
-USSR
-North Vietnamese
-Bombing halt
-Kissinger's trip to Paris
-Peace talks
-Porter
-Public statement
-Paris
-January 1972 announcement
-Sign of strength
-Advantages
-PRC trip
-Porter
-Bombing halt
-Henry Cabot Lodge
-Unknown person
-David K.E. Bruce
-American public opinion
-Percentage of support
-January 1972
-Two months announcement
-Reasoning for delay
-Infiltration
-PRC trip
-Prisoners of war [POW] issue
-US troops
-Numbers
-Porter's return from Paris
-Immediacy
-January announcement
-North Vietnam
-Strikes
-PRC
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 637-3 (cont.)
-Kissinger
-UN
India-Pakistan situation
-PRC, USSR, Indians
-Effect of Vietnam bombing
-Toughness
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 3s ]
PRC
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
**************************************************************************
-UN
-President’s instructions
-Deadline
Haig entered at an unknown time after 8:45 am.
-PRC meeting
-New York
-Timing
-Kissinger’s availability
-Haig’s schedule
-Huang Hua
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 637-3 (cont.)
[Duration: 13s ]
PRC
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
**************************************************************************
-Haig’s schedule
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Haig’s schedule
-Upcoming meeting with Huang Hua
-Timing
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Azores
-Press release
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[National Security]
[Duration: 4m 18s ]
INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
**************************************************************************
-Pakistan
-India
-USSR
-Balance of power
-Possible changes
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 637-3 (cont.)
-Middle East
-Indonesia
-Japanese
-Europeans
-US
-Latin America
-Television
-Cambodia
-Laos
-Kissinger's schedule
-Azores trip
-Haig
-Attendance at PRC meeting
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[National Security]
[Duration: 5m 55s ]
INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
**************************************************************************
Kissinger and Haig left at 9:42 am.