Conversation: 921-003
Prev: 921-002 Next: 921-004Start Date: 17-May-1973 8:44 AM
End Date: 17-May-1973 9:36 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Buzhardt, J. Fred, Jr.;Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On May 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:44 am to 9:36 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 921-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 921-3
Date: May 17, 1973
Time: 8:44 am - 9:36 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
Buzhardt’s role on White House staff
Watergate
-President’s conversation with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-4-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
-Buzhardt’s possible conversation regarding Huston Plan
-Henry E. Petersen
-James R. Schlesinger
-William D. Ruckelshaus
-Buzhardt’s conversation with Schlesinger, May 13
-Huston Plan
-Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters’s memoranda of conversation [memcons]
-Huston Plan
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 35 s ]
SURVELLIANCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Huston Plan
-1968 meeting
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] and National Security
Agency [NSA]
-Clark Clifford
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
-5-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
[Duration: 7 s ]
SURVELLIANCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Huston Plan
-1970 meetings
-Post-Cambodia action civil disturbances in United States
-J. Edgar Hoover’s meeting with Noel Gayler and Louis W.
Tordella
-Decision
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National security]
[Duration: 12 s ]
SURVELLIANCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Huston Plan
-6-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
-1970 meetings
-Tordella
-Possible testimony
-Richard M. Helms, Hoover, Gayler and Donald Bennett
-President’s approval
-Hoover’s objections
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s note to Tom C. Huston
-Hoover’s objections
-Clyde A. Tolson
-Termination
-President’s meeting with Mitchell or Hoover
-Suspension of previous approval
-William C. Sullivan’s role
-Tordella’s conversation with Buzhardt
-Implementation
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Termination
-Sullivan’s role
-Defense Intelligence Agency [DIA]
-Bennett
-Location
-Korea
-Directive
-Forthcoming call from Buzhardt
-Washington Post story, May 17
-Plumbers operation
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.’s testimony
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.’s affidavit
-Cubans
-John W. Dean III’s documents
-Possible White House response
-Sullivan, Robert Mardian and Tordella
-Vincent P. DePoix
-DIA
-CIA
-7-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National security]
[Duration: 42 s ]
SURVELLIANCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Dean’s documents
-Possible White House response
-Affidavits
-Tordella and Sullivan
-Gayler and Bennett
-Bernie Welles
-Coordinating committee
-President’s meeting with Hoover and Helms
-Intelligence coordination
-Huston Plan
-Termination
-Tordella’s notes
-Taped conversations
-NSA compared to FBI
-Hoover
-Taping conversations
-White House taping system
-President
-Use
-Lyndon B. Johnson and John F. Kennedy
-President’s use
-8-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
Watergate
-Dean’s documents
-Possible White House response
-Sullivan
-Location
-Possible affidavit
-Huston
-Location
-Conversation with Buzhardt
-Possible memo
-Need for truth
-Huston Plan
-Termination
-DIA
-Gen. Richard G. Stilwell
-Possible White House response
-Historical background
-Termination of plan
-Implementation of plan
-Compared with other plans
-Buzhardt’s forthcoming conversation with Schlesinger
-Role of NSA
-Washington Post story
-President’s knowledge of White House activities
-Krogh
Press leaks
-President’s house
-President’s knowledge
-Defense-related
-India-Pakistan
-Buzhardt’s report to Melvin R. Laird
-Investigation
-Navy yeoman [Charles E. Radford]
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Henry A. Kissinger
-9-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
-Chairmen of Joint Chiefs of Staff
-Jack N. Anderson
-Investigation
-Knowledge
-Yeoman
-Anderson
-Circumstantial evidence
-Laird’s knowledge
-Possible effect of release of investigation results
-National security
-Moorer
-Military
-Industrial complex
-Anderson
-Lack of evidence
Watergate
-Huston Plan
-Buzhardt’s forthcoming conversations
-Schlesinger
-Petersen
-Dean’s documents
-Schlesinger’s knowledge
-[William] Stuart Symington’s possible action
-Possible public release
-Impact
-National security
-Symington’s forthcoming meeting with intelligence leaders
-Termination of plan
-Historical background
-Symington
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s possible statement
-Buzhardt’s role in White House staff response
-Charles W. Colson
-Possible witness
-David Shapiro’s opinion
-Activities
-10-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
-Grand jury
-FBI interview
-Ervin Committee
-Ervin Committee hearings
-Ziegler
-White House staff attendance
-Witnesses
-Possible duration
-Effect
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
-John McClellan
-Interrogators
-Committee members and counsel
-McClellan
-John C. Stennis
-Conversation with Buzhardt
-Dean
-CIA involvement
-Stennis
-Forthcoming conversation with Buzhardt
-Executive privilege
-Categories
-Ehrlichman’s possible conversation with Richard G. Kleindienst
-President’s conversations
-Criminal offenses
-Walters’s memcons
-National security
-Walters’s memcons
-Status
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National security]
[Duration: 29 s ]
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
SURVELLIANCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Walters’s memcons
-Contents
-Haldeman
-Possible testimony
-L[ouis] Patrick Gray’s statement concerning President
-Ziegler’s possible press statement
-President’s concern regarding CIA
-Gray’s statement concerning President
-President’s possible conversation with Gray
-President’s motive
-Richard M. Helms and Walters
-Helms
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[National security]
[Duration: 24 s ]
SURVELLIANCE
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Helms
-Conversation with President regarding CIA involvement
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
[National security]
[Duration: 4 s ]
SURVELLIANCE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 11
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Helms
-Use of CIA
-Domestic purposes
-David R. Young’s request
-Removal
-Possible testimony
-CIA involvement
-Mistake
-Possible conversation with Symington
-CIA involvement
-Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy
-13-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 921-3 (cont’d)
-Hunt’s camera, [recorder]
-Personal direction
-Gen. Robert E. Cushman [?]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[National security]
[Duration: 20 s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Ellsberg
-Pentagon Papers
-Helms
-Forthcoming conversation with Buzhardt
-Possible testimony
-Propriety
- Ellsberg
-J. Strom Thurmond’s statement, May 16
-Edmund S. Muskie
Buzhardt left at 9:36 am.
-14-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)