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Conversation: 691-005

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Start 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

691a.mp3

691b.mp3

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.