Conversation: 866-015
Prev: 866-014 Next: 866-016Start Date: 1-Mar-1973 11:00 AM
End Date: 1-Mar-1973 12:39 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]; Scowcroft, Brent G. (Gen.); Meir, Golda; Dinitz, Simcha; Rabin, Yitzhak;Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On March 1, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, Golda Meir, Simcha Dinitz, and Yitzhak Rabin met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 12:39 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 866-015 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 866-15
Date: March 1, 1973
Time: 11:00 am - 12:39 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.
William P. Rogers
President's telephone call to William L. White
Press conference
-Reactions
-Robert Pierpont
-Comments
-Vietnam settlement
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
President’s press conference
-Henry A. Kissinger's opinion
-Timing
-Reasons
-Story on POWs and cease-fire
-Possible questions on Watergate, George P. Shultz, George
Meany
-Timing
-Rogers’s
-Nine point agreement
-POWs
-Public relations [PR]
-News magazine
-Press reaction
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT], Berlin agreement
-Economic questions
-21-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-Preparation
-William L. Safire, Patrick J. Buchanan
-Length
-Content
-Kissinger
-Kevin Phillips
Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 11:00 am.
Yitzhak Rabin's birthday
Photographs
Notes
-Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
Photographs
-Kissinger's appearance
-Golda Meir
-Scowcroft
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 11:00 am.
Meir’s arrival
Scowcroft
-Schedule
Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft entered at an unknown time after 11:00 am.
Phyllis Gallante (?)
-Talk with President
-Missing In Action [MIA] families
Prime Minister Golda Meir, Rabin, and Simcha Dinitz entered at 11:06 am. The White House
photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting. The
unknown man left at 11:06 am.
Arrangements for photograph
-22-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
Kissinger’s schedule
[Photograph session]
-Rabin’s birthday
-President’s first meeting with Rabin
-1967
Ziegler, the White House photographer, and the press left at 11:10 am.
Dinitz’s [?] work with Meir
Presidential gifts
-Pens
International security
-US role in world
-Peace
-American idealism
-President's meetings with Mao Tse-Tung and Chou En-lai
- Leonid I Brezhnev
-SALT
-Scientific exchanges
-Changes in world
-Communists
-Security
-Dialogue
-Chances of peace
-Misunderstandings
-Vietnam Settlement
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Reduction of US armaments
-Spending on Ghettos
-Mutual reductions
-USSR
-Israel’s idealism
-Need for realism
-Dangers
-Public optimism
-Vietnam settlement
-23-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-Dialogue with PRC
-USSR
-Brezhnev
-Willy Brandt
-Socialist
-Need for realism
-European socialists
Europe’s leadership
-Edward R. G. Heath
-Georges J. R. Pompidou
-Socialists
-Italy
-Giulio Andreotti
-Germany
US defense posture
-Europe
-Need to maintain
-Cold War
-USSR
-Golden rule
Peaceful coexistence
-Interpretations
Vietnam cease-fire
-Socialist International
-Meir’s role
-Kissinger’s press conference
-Questions
-United Nations [UN] observers
-Meir’s view
Socialist conference
-Alaf Palme
-Bruno Kreisky
-Austria
-Germany
-Brandt
-Pompideau
-24-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-Belgium
-Shadow cabinet
-Great Britain
-[First name unknown] Wilson [?]
-[First name unknown] Gallager [?]
Idealism and pragmatism
-[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
-Religiosity
-World War I
-Fourteen points
-Versailles conference
-Treaty
-Effect on Germany
-Adolf Hitler
-Compared with US role in reconstruction
-World War II
-France
-USSR
Kissinger's talk with Rabin
Libyan airplane incident
-President’s viewpoint
-Israel’s statements
-Uneasy truce
-Israel’s intentions
-UN resolution
-Amendment
-POWs
-Investigation
-John A. Scali
-State department
-Israel’s UN ambassador [Yosef Tekoah]
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[NATIONAL SECURITY]
-25-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
[DURATION: 13 S]
COMMUNICATIONS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
******************************************************************************
Black September
-Warnings
-Plans
-Airplane
-Suicide bombing
-Tel Aviv, Bersheeba
-Kamikazis
-Japanese terrorists at airport
Airplane incident
-Israel’s explanation
-Passengers
-Meir's reaction
-US concern
-Israel's standing in world
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Hospital
-Non-military targets
-US-Israeli cooperation
-Public relations
Israel’s raid in Lebanon
-Strategy
-Airplanes compared with ground troops
-Safety
-Terrorist training camps
-Proximity to refugee camps
-Casualties
-Soldiers and civilians
US arms and economic aid to Israel
-26-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-US government's position
-Administration's commitment to Israel
-Arab-Israeli negotiations
-Israel's position
-US commitments
-Arms for self-defense
-Prevention of war
-Suez Canal
-Egyptian front
Arab-Israeli negotiations
-US involvement
-Vietnam war
-Intentions of Arabs
-Israel’s negotiating position
-Rumania
-Deputy foreign minister's visit to Israel
-Meeting with Sadat
-Meir's visit to Bucharest
-Sadat
-Meeting
-Meir's response to Nicolai Ceausescu
-Sadat’s reply
-Israel's desire for peace negotiations
-Proximity talks
-Domestic opinion
-Egypt
-Jordan
-Hussein Ibn Talal [King of Jordan]
-Message to Meir
-Two tracks
-Public talks
-Pressure to succeed
-Private talks
-US dealings with PRC and USSR
-Exploratory discussions
-Summits
-Israel’s position
-Election
-US position
-27-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-Energy crisis
-Israel’s bargaining position
-Middle East, USSR
-Desire for settlement
-Egypt’s desire for settlement
-Opening to US
-USSR’s desire for settlement
-Egypt’s position
-Kissinger’s role
-Private talks
-Egypt, USSR
-Brezhnev’s visit
-Change in position
-Talks with Andrei A. Gromyko, Brezhnev
-Troop withdrawal
-Confidentiality
-Goal
-Egypt’s position
-Overall settlement
-Sovereignty, security
-Interim settlement
-Vagueness
-Sadat
-Kissinger’s role
-Chou’s remarks about Kissinger
-President’s two-track plan
-Advantages
-Preparation
-Confidentiality
-US contacts with USSR and Egypt
-Israel’s strength
-Egypt’s goals
-US consultation with Israel
-Security compared to sovereignty
-Egypt’s goals
-Peace
-Insincerity
-Sovereignty
-1967, 1947 territorial borders
-Palestinians
-28-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-Yassar Arafat
-Terrorists
-Suez Canal
-Israel’s withdrawal
-Interim step
-Peace treaty
-natural border
-Fortifications
-Israel’s need for air force
-Clearing and operation
-Cease-fire
-Civilian reconstruction, rehabilitation
-Technical support
-Police presence
-Israel’s right of transshipment
-Egypt’s recognition
-Israel’s use of canal
-Sadat
-Interim settlement talks
-State Department
-Proximity talks
-Confidentiality
-Public talks
-State Department
-Egypt
-Israel’s withdrawal from Suez Canal
-Private talks
-Overall agreement
-Egypt’s position
-Hafez Ismail
-USSR’s role
-Kissinger's talk with Hafez Ismail
-US role
-Egypt’s proposals
-Gromyko and Brezhnev
-US position toward USSR
-Analoyiy F. Dobrynin
-Effect on Israel
-Egypt
-Ismail's visit to moscow
-29-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-USSR’s position
-Inflexibility
-War
-Brezhnev’s promise
-MiG-23s
-Training of pilots
-Transcripts
-Information exchange
-Inflexibility
-Sadat
-1957 negotiations
-Support for radicals
-Syria, Iraq
-Syria
-Equipment from USSR
-Mammar Qaddafi
-“Madman”
-Syria
-Sadat
-US-Israeli contacts
-Kissinger's role
-Dinitz's role
-Access to Meir
Fighters
-Israel’s production
-Prototypes
-Defense Department
-Israel’s needs
-US military aid
-Phantoms, Skyhawks
-Number
-Confidentiality of decision
-Number
-Negotiations at later date
-Recommendations
-State Department, Defense Department
-Linkage
-US position
-Public statements
-30-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-Balance of power
-Private agreement
-Airplane delivery
Israel’s production of airplanes
-Numbers
-Israel’s economy
-Israel’s situation
-Technological knowledge
-US corporations
-Spare parts
-Numbers
-Limitations
-US commitments
-Defense Department
-Elliot L. Richardson
US-Israeli economic relations
-Israel’s finance minister’s meetings with George P. Shultz
-US budget problems
-Aid to Israel
-Cuts
Schedule
-Break
USSR
-Emigration to Israel
-Condition of Jews
-Prisons
-Anti-Semitism
-Treatment of Jews requesting emigration
-Exorbitant fees
-Loss of employment
-Legal status as parasite
-Trial
-Prison
-Anti-Semitism
-Eugene Lyons
-American Jews
-31-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-Hitler
-US role
-Talks with Dobrynin
-Confrontation
-Congress
-Most Favored Nation [MFN]
-American Jewish communities
-Vietnam War
-December 1972 bombing
-US concern
-Inhumane treatment
-Rumanians
-Private negotiations
-Leverage
-Wheat
-Confrontation on Cuba
-Treatment of Jews
-Russian people
-President’s attitude
-Communists
-Public pressure
-Problems
-Congress
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Congress
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Trade
-Meir’s appeal to American Jewish communities
-Soviet Jews
-Emigration
-Exit visas
-Soviet policy toward Jews
-Jackson amendment
-Israel’s influence on Congress
-Proper use of US influence
-Confrontation with USSR
-Cuba
-“Mutual suicide”
-Israel
-Strengths
-32-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)
-Military
-Brezhnev
-Toughness
Meir's appearance at National Press Club
-Questions on Libyan airplane incident
Gifts
-Rabin's birthday
-Value
Coat
The President, et al., left at 12:39 pm.