Conversation: 691-005
Prev:  691-004 Next: 691-006Start Date: 21-Mar-1972 5:10 PM
End Date: 21-Mar-1972 5:47 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Smith, Gerard C.; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:55:22
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:32:04
NARA Description:
On March 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Gerard C. Smith, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:10 pm to 5:47 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 691-005 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 691-5 Date: March 21, 1972 Time: 5:10 pm - 5:47 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with Stephen B. Bull, Gerard C. Smith and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. The President's schedule -Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr. -Meeting with Raymond P. Shafer -Forthcoming state dinner fort Nihat Erim Bull left at an unknown time before 5:47 pm. General Advisory Committee on Arms Control and Disarmament [ACDA] The President’s forthcoming Soviet trip -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] -Decisions -Agreement -Pro-arms control group -Anti-arms control troup -The People's Republic of China [PRC] trip -Communique -Arms Control Agreement -US position -Defense Department -Political reaction -Example of Taiwan, Republic of China issue -National security -Right wing -Human Events -National Review -Melvin R. Laird 8 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 691-5 (cont.) -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson -John C. Stennis -SALT delegation -Smith’s efforts -Arms control agreement -Democrats -Political opportunity -Other nations -Reelection year -Reactions -Critics -Haig -John G. Tower -Congressional reaction -Smith’s appearances before committees -Tower -Robert C. Byrd [?] -Jackson -Stennis -Submarine-launched Ballistic Missile [SLBM] -SLBMs -Defense Department -State Department -Haig's view -Defense Department -Submarines -Land based missiles -Anti-ballistic missiles -Navy -William P. Rogers’s forthcoming memorandum to the President -Aleksei N. Kosygin -Leonid I. Brezhnev -Soviets -May 20, 1971 agreement -The President’s view -Smith's talks with the Soviets -Vienna -Vladimir S. Semenov -National Security Council [NSC] -French submarines -British submarines 9 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 691-5 (cont.) -Soviets -Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles [ICBM], SLBM, ABM -Programs -Poseidon, Minuteman -Multiple Independently-Targeted Reentry Vehicle [MIRV] -Jackson -Proposal for an interim freeze -SLBMs -Congressional Record -Minuteman III -Soviets -ICBM -Hardsite defense -SLBMs -Congress -Taiwan -Dwight D. Eisenhower -Quemoy, Matsu -John Foster Dulles -China lobby -Warheads -Production ************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 [National Security] [Duration: 10s ] DEFENSE END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1 ************************************************************************** -MIRV -Power -Minuteman MIRV 10 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 691-5 (cont.) -SLBMs Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:10 pm. The President's schedule -Forthcoming meeting with Shafer Bull left at an unknown time before 5:47 pm. SALT -Hardsites -Defense Department -ACDA -Reaction of Congress -Allies -Weapons production -Interceptors -Need to keep issue open -Lasers -Soviets -Treaty -Research and Development -Laird -Components -Sites -Short range radar -Sprint missiles -ABM -Future -Interceptor -Radar -Verification of hardsites -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] -Soviets -Possible divisions in the Soviet government -Domestic compared to military expenditures -Soviet estimate of US domestic politics -Soviet military -Politics -Democratic platform -Jackson -Budget cut request 11 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 691-5 (cont.) -US bargaining power -NSC -Military budget -Soviet desire for agreement -Semenov -Timing for agreement -Haig -US desire for deal -Forthcoming US-Soviet summit -Soviet domestic politics -Hardsites -Further negotiations in Vienna -Helsinki -Smith's trip -Llewellyn E. (“Tommy”) Thompson, Jr. -SLBMs -ABMs -Finances -ABMs -Interceptors -ICBM program -Left wing reaction -Non-proliferation -Test Ban Treaty -SALT compared to Non-Proliferation Treaty and Test Ban Treaty -Arms control agreement -Announcement -Timing -The President’s forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union -Congress -The Administration -Smith -Moscow summit -Duration of agreement -Possible participation of entire arms control delegation -Smith -Haig -Smith’s view -Haig's view -Paul H. Nitze -Comparison of Soviets to Chinese -Soviets 12 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) Conv. No. 691-5 (cont.) -Drinking -SLBM -John J. Mccloy -May 20, 1971 understanding -ABMs -Land based defensive missiles -Semenov’s talks with Smith in Vienna -ICBMs -SLBMs -Forward bases ************************************************************************** BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2 [National Security] [Duration: 31s ] DEFENSE END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 ************************************************************************** -Moorer -Verification panel -NSC -Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS] -The President's instructions to Smith Smith and Haig left at 5:47 pm.