Conversation: 943-001
Prev: 942-009 Next: 943-002Start Date: 18-Jun-1973 9:20 AM
End Date: 18-Jun-1973 10:13 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]; Ziegler, Ronald L.;Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On June 18, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:20 am to 10:13 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 943-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 943-1
Date: June 18, 1973
Time: 9:20 am - 10:13 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
President’s schedule
-Leonid I. Brezhnev visit
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Beltsville, Maryland
-Signing ceremony
-Signing of agreements
-Cultural, scientific
-Tax, agriculture
-Camp David
-Andrei A. Gromyko, William P. Rogers
-Travel arrangements
-Middle East communique
-Private meeting between President and Brezhnev
-Blair House
-Impromptu meeting
-Kissinger
-4:00 pm meeting
-Private meeting between President and Brezhnev
-Rogers, Kissinger, Gromyko
-President’s concerns about Rogers
-President’s forthcoming toast, June 18, 1973
-Coverage
-Text of toast
-Preparation
-San Clemente
-Departure time
-Blair house
-Dinner arrangements
-2-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
-Air Force One
-El Toro Air Force Base
-Farewell ceremony
-Helicopter trip
-Signing ceremony
-Communique
-Housing arrangements
-Gromyko, Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Kissinger’s evaluation
-Release of dissident Jewish leaders
-Leak to media
-Afternoon meeting
-Time, location
-Media coverage
-Meeting at Blair House
Watergate
-Washington Post story, June 18, 1973
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman
-J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.’s forthcoming conversation with John J. Wilson
-News summary
-Gordon C. Strachan
-Haldeman
-Possible leaks
-Leonard Garment
-Telephone call from Haig
-David R. Gergen
-Relationship with Robert U. (“Bob”) Woodward
-White House employment
-Capabilities
-President’s view
-Buzhardt, Charles Allen Wright
-Gergen
-Forthcoming conversation with Haig
-Capabilities
-Haig’s view
-Washington Post story, June 18, 1973
-3-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
-Ehrlichman, Haldeman, Wilson
-President’s strategy
-President’s knowledge
-John N. Mitchell
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell, Helen A. Thomas
Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 9:20 am.
President’s schedule
Kissinger left at an unknown time before 9:45 am.
Watergate
-Brezhnev visit
-Editorials
-President’s negotiating position
-Content
-Roman L. Hruska’s editorial
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson’s statement
-Allegations concerning President’s role
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-John W. Dean, III
-Break-in of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office
-Krogh’s letter concerning Ehrlichman
-President’s knowledge
-Effect on Brezhnev visit
-Dean
-Fred D. Thompson
-Possible immunity
-Buzhardt
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 9:20 am.
President’s schedule
-Meeting with Kissinger [?]
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 9:45 am.
-4-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
Watergate
-Washington Post story, June 18, 1973
-Buzhardt’s view
-Goal
-Mitchell, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Dean
-White House strategy
-Haig’s forthcoming call to Wilson
-Dean
-Allegations concerning President’s role in funds for defendants
-Krogh
-Buzhardt’s view
-Possible cross-examination
-Meeting with President, Mitchell, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, March 21, 1973
-Need for full disclosure
-Haldeman’s possible statement
-Buzhardt’s conversation with Wilson
-Ervin Committee hearings
-Witness schedule
-White House strategy
-Buzhardt
-Haldeman’s possible statement
-White House strategy
-Buzhardt, Garment, Ronald Ziegler
-President’s schedule
-Dean’s possible allegations
-Buzhardt’s statement
-Dean
-March 21, 1973 conversation with President concerning funds
-Possible documents
-Buzhardt’s views
-Statement
-Possible effect on Brezhnev visit
-Press
-Washington Post, Baltimore Sun
-Jackson
-White House statement
-5-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
-Buzhardt
-Haldeman’s possible statement
-President’s possible statement
-President’s March 21, 1973 meeting with Dean
-President’s investigation
-Buzhardt and staff
-President’s methodology
-William O. Bittman
-Howard H. Baker, Jr.’s statement, June 17, 1973
-Buzhardt’s reply
-Ervin Committee hearings
-President’s possible appearance
Melvin R. Laird’s schedule
-Visits to officials
President’s schedule
-Brezhnev
-Planes to California
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Idanell(Brill) (“Nellie”) Connally, Adele (Langston) Rogers, John B.
Connally
-San Clemente
-Arrival
-Tour
Watergate
-Buzhardt
-Thompson’s views concerning Dean
-Questions
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 9:20 am.
President’s schedule
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 9:45 am.
-6-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 9:20 am.
President’s schedule
-Kissinger
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 9:45 am.
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 9:45 am.
Brezhnev visit
-Story concerning 17 soviet journalists
-Kissinger
-President’s conversation with Dobrynin
-Arrangements for photos
-Media coverage
-Comments during photos
-President’s forthcoming toast, June 18, 1973
-Coverage
-Length
-Preparation
-Transcript for translation
-President’s composition of the toast
-Kissinger
Kissinger entered at 9:49 am.
Brezhnev visit
-Length
-Preparation, length
-President’s assessment of the toast
-Gergen
-Speechwriters
-Toast prepared by Kissinger’s staff
-Length
-Brezhnev’s toast
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Advance copy for the President
-7-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
-Length
-Interpretation
-President’s toast
-Length
Ziegler left at 9:50 am.
Brezhnev visit
-President’s meeting
-Helmut (“Hal”) Sonnenfeldt
-Note taking
-Soviet interpreter
-Brezhnev’s children’s letter to Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon Cox
-Fatherly advice
-Graduation ceremony
-Blair house meeting
-Time
-Improvised meeting
-Rogers’s possible meeting with Gromyko
-European Security Conference
-Media coverage
-Photographs
-Gromyko, Dobrynin, Kissinger, Rogers
-Release of Jewish dissidents
-Kissinger’s conversation with Garment
-US Jewish leaders
-Possible meeting with President, Kissinger, or Garment
-Previous meetings with Jewish leaders
-Credit for release
-Previous meeting with Kissinger
-Garment’s request for President
-Jewish support for President
-Jewish emigration
-President’s image
-Effect on Soviet policy
-Demeanor
-Soviet actions toward PRC
-8-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
-Strength
-US domestic situation
-President’s visit to Soviet Union in 1972
-Toughness
-Soviet goals
-Europe
-China
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 1 s ]
PRC
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Brezhnev visit
-Sequoia
-Brezhnev
-State dinner, June 18, 1973
-Kissinger’s discussion with Dobrynin
-Lincoln memorial
-Rogers’s possible meeting with Gromyko
-Camp David
-Assignments
-European Security Conference
-Communique
-Middle East
-Schedule
-9-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
-Brezhnev’s schedule
-Invitation to Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Forthcoming toast
-Transcript for President
-President’s forthcoming toast
-Content
-Family
-Diplomacy
-Results of summit
-Schedule
-Brezhnev’s evaluation of president
-Effect of Dean’s Ervin Committee testimony
-Kissinger’s assessment
-Patriotism
-Dean
-Goals of Soviets
-US national interest
-Publicity of summit
-Press coverage
-Time and Newsweek
-Final summit agreements
-Oceanography
-US and Soviet Agreements
-Oceanography
-Number of agreements
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Negotiations
-Principles
-Compared to President’s 1972 visit to Soviet Union
-Preliminary work for summit
-Agreements
-Communique
-Nuclear treaty
-Principles
-Speed of negotiations
-Brezhnev’s forthcoming toast
-President forthcoming toast
-10-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
-Kissinger’s staff
-Length of toast
-Speechwriters
-Quality
-Private meeting between President and Brezhnev
-Dobrynin, Gromyko
-President’s forthcoming toast
-Length
-Schedule
-President’s remarks
-Soviet and American relations
-Future negotiations
-SALT
-Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction [MBFR]
-Dates
-Nuclear treaty
-Brezhnev’s toast
-Rogers
-European Security Conference
-SALT agreement
-1974
-Southeast Asia
-Cambodia
-Vietnam
-Cease-fire violations
-Middle East
-Far East
-China
-Japan
-Economics
-Long term relationship
-Reaction of Politburo
-Lunch
-Photographs
-Sonnenfeldt, Dobrynin
-Blair House meeting
-Brezhnev
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 943-1 (cont’d)
-Remarks
-Support for President
-Watergate
-Brezhnev reaction
-Future visits
-Form of address
-President’s remarks
-US-Soviet relations
-Europe
-Brezhnev’s trip
-France, Warsaw, Poland
-SALT
-Far East
-Middle East
-Economics relations between US and USSR
-Forthcoming nuclear agreement
-Letter to Brezhnev from President
-Brezhnev’s forthcoming trip to Paris
-French criticism
-President’s forthcoming toast
-Text of toast
-President’s preference for extemporaneous speech
-Pravda
-Zielger [?]
-Kissinger’s efforts
Watergate
-Kissinger’s outrage
President’s schedule
Kissinger and Haig left at 10:13 am.
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)