Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 9 › Conversation 009-017

Nixon phone call with Haig on State Department and Foreign aid

Wednesday, September 15, 1971 · 12:18 PM–12:20 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation009-017 on Tape 9 (tape position 00:32:33–00:34:00)StartWednesday, September 15, 1971 at 12:18 PMEndWednesday, September 15, 1971 at 12:20 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 009-017 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed Alexander Haig to demand an immediate report from the State Department regarding the legitimacy of current foreign leaders in countries receiving U.S. aid. Nixon expressed frustration with the State Department's interpretation of his request, clarifying that he wanted to specifically identify which leaders had participated in contested elections that met American standards. He ordered Haig to ensure the department delivered this prioritized list within 15 minutes.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
General Hicks.
You are.
Al, the state people missed the point I was trying to make.
Oh, yes.
It isn't the democratic process.
Look, for God's sakes, Zambia and all those places have a democratic process.
Now, let me give you the question very specifically.
I want, first, who is the present head of government of the country?
Second, in his last election...
Did he have a contested election?
Right.
Which meets U.S. standards.
All right, now go over that list, tell them I want it in 15 minutes from state, and tell those assholes to get going on it.
I expect it in 15 minutes.
All right.
Go over it.
They know who the president of everyone in this country, and some of them, I know some of these countries, they didn't have an election last time.
They didn't have an election.
that's the last time they may have had it now the democratic process is something altogether different right i want to know how many of the present leaders of the countries now they've gotten we've given aid no but i want that too that's something else the one on aid that's a better question that'll come later but i want on this particular list that they already have of the ones that have become independent
and some of them we've given aid to and some we haven't.
But I want them to say, now look here, how many of these countries' present leaders in his last election had a contested election meeting American standards.
Right, sir.
All right.
Now tell them to get off their butts.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On September 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 12:18 pm to 12:20 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 009-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 9-17

Date: September 15, 1971
Time: 12:18 pm - 12:20 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 277-6]

     Foreign leaders
          -Report
                -State Department
                      -Zambia
          -Leaders
                -Elected in a contested elections
                      -US standards
                      -List
                            -Delivery time

                                 -State Department

Also recorded on September 15, 1971

  • 009-015 11:59 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:59 am to 12:01 pm.
  • 009-016 12:01 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:01 pm and 12:18 pm.
  • 277-033 12:01 PM · 11 sec — Taft Schreiber met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:01 pm and 12:18 pm.
  • 277-006 12:18 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:18 pm to 12:20 pm.
  • 009-018 12:20 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:20 pm and 12:24 pm.
  • 009-019 12:24 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 12:24 pm to 12:25 pm.
  • 277-007 12:24 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:24 pm to 12:25 pm.
  • 009-020 12:25 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:25 pm and 12:37 pm.

All 57 conversations from September 15, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 009-017, September 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/009-017 (accessed October 24, 2026).