Conversation: 867-038
Prev: 867-037 Next: 867-039Start Date: 2-Mar-1973 5:14 PM
End Date: 2-Mar-1973 5:40 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; White House operator; [Unknown person(s)]; Ziegler, Ronald L.;Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, unknown person(s), and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:14 pm to 5:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 867-038 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 867-38
Date: March 2, 1973
Time: 5:14 pm and 5:40 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Khartoum embassy hostage incident
-Death of US Ambassador [Cleo A. Noel, Jr.] and Charge d'Affaires [George C.
Moore]
-Belgian Charge d’Affaires [Guy Eid]
-Telegram
-Condolences
-Demands of terrorists
-Israel, Jordan
-Release of Sirhan Sirhan
-Time of incident
-Messages
-54-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-2010)
Conversation No. 867-38 (cont’d)
Ambassadorial job
-Dangers
Killing of ambassador
-Arab governments
-Control over terrorism
-Golda Meir visit
-Reason for action
-Hafiz Ismail
-Responsibility for controlling terrorists
Sudan
-Assistance from Egypt, Syria
-William B. Macomber, Jr.
-Mission to Middle East
Public relations
-President’s statement on blackmail
-Terrorist actions
-President’s news conference
US actions
-Military action
-Sudan
-Relations with US
Killing of US officials in Khartoum, Sudan
-Method
-Deliberate nature
-Compared with Libyan airliner shootdown incident
-Compared with Munich massacre at 1972 Olympics
-Demands
-Release of terrorists
-Jordan, Israel
-US position
-No negotiations
-55-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-2010)
Conversation No. 867-38 (cont’d)
-Further demands
Terrorist demands on US
-Pressure on Israel and Jordan
President's note to Mao Tse-Tung and Chou En-lai
-Kissinger's trip
-Draft
-Revisions
Noel
-Career civil service
Kenneth B. Keating
-President's conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Support from Nelson A. Rockefeller
-John N. Mitchell's telephone call
-Loyalty
-Ambassador
****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
Rockefeller
-Candidacy in 1976
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
President's meeting with Charles E. Meyer
-Replacement
-Jack B. Kubisch
-Charges d’ affaires
-Paris
-John Crimmins
-Meyer's opinion
-Carlos de Santa Maria
-56-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-2010)
Conversation No. 867-38 (cont’d)
-Meeting with president
-Latin American ambassador
-William M. Roundtree
-Brazil
-Pakistan post
-Requirements of post
-Candidate
-Henry A. Byroade
-Thailand
Admiral John S. McCain, Jr.
-Ambassadorial appointment
-Thailand, Pakistan, Taiwan
Charles S. Whitehouse
-Possible post
-Thailand
Joseph J. Sisco
-Future
-Replacement
-Kissinger
Robert C. Hill
-Ambassadorial appointment
-Canada
-Pakistan
-Importance
-Mexico
-[First name unknown] Reynolds
-Columbia
Ambassadors
-Maurice H. Stans's recommendations
-Germany
-Stuart N. Scott
-East-West trade negotiations
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Mexico
-57-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-2010)
Conversation No. 867-38 (cont’d)
-Pakistan
-John D. Lodge
-Meyer’s opinion
-Replacement for Argentina
-Loss of US ambassadors
-Latin America
-Brazil
-Kidnapping
-Guatemala
-Uruguay
-Agency for International Development
US reaction to embassy incident
-Condolences, outrage
-Sirhan Sirhan release
-Federal jurisdiction
-Formal demand
President's press conference
-Questions
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Aid to North Vietnam
-Funding
-Domestic programs
-President’s compared to Ronald L. Ziegler’s statement
-Frequency
-Atmosphere
-Television [TV]
Ziegler
-Briefing
Henry Kissinger talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:14 pm and
5:31 pm.
[Conversation No. 867-38A]
[See Conversation No. 37-33]
-58-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-2010)
Conversation No. 867-38 (cont’d)
[End of telephone conversation]
Murder of US ambassador in Sudan
-Compared with US deaths in Vietnam
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 5:14 pm.
Meeting with Ronald L. Ziegler
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 5:31 pm.
Diplomatic reception
-Frequency
-Value
-Timing
-Vietnam peace settlement
-Ambassador from Canada, Sweden, Australia
-President's reception
-Sweden
-Attitude to US
-US ambassador
Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan in India
-Communication with Kissinger
-Frequency
Helmut (“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt
-Meeting with President
-Assignment to Treasury Department
-Contacts with Kissinger
-Promotion in National Security Council [NSC]
-Deputy assistant
-Work with Kissinger
-Intelligence
-Philosophy
Statement on death of US ambassador to Sudan
-Preparation
-Information
-59-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-2010)
Conversation No. 867-38 (cont’d)
-President's position
-Blackmail
-US action
-Release of Sirhan Sirhan
-Other governments
-Contents
-Reference to President’s press conference
-Major demands
-Release of terrorists in Israel and Jordan
-US intentions
Terrorists in Sudan
-Jordan’s ambassador
-Murder of US ambassador
-Reasons
-Resolve
-Jordan’s ambassador
-Capitulation
-Egypt
-Interim settlement with Israel
-Border issues
-Palestinian issues
Ziegler's statement
-Condolences, anger
-Risks of ambassadors
-President's statement
-Compared with tour of duty in Vietnam
William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-Threats
-Possible kidnapping
-Ransom
-Ambassadors
-US policy toward terrorist demands
Terrorist groups
******************************************************************************
-60-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-2010)
Conversation No. 867-38 (cont’d)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National security]
[Duration: 20s]
COUNTERTERRORISM
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
******************************************************************************
Kissinger left at 5:35 pm.
Ziegler’s statement
-President’s review
President’s press conference
-Frequency
-Reporters reception
-Questions for President
-Answers
President’s schedule
-Week's activities
John P. (“Jack”) Southerland
-News events
Events since 1972 election
-Vietnam settlement
-Deaths
-New administration
-POWs
-State of the Union messages
-Format
Terrorist groups
-61-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. June-2010)
Conversation No. 867-38 (cont’d)
-US action
-US policy on demands
-Blackmail
Murder of US ambassador to Sudan
-Proximate cause
-President's statement
-Timing
-Audience
-Terrorists
-Access to broadcast
-International wives
Ziegler left at 5:40 pm.