{"conversationCode":"016-006","tapeNumber":16,"conversationNumber":6,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-016-006","startDateTime":"1971-12-06T00:56:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-12-06T01:03:00.000Z","startDate":"5-Dec-1971","startTime":"7:56 PM","endDate":"5-Dec-1971","endTime":"8:03 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Rogers, William P.;","description":"On December 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 7:56 pm to 8:03 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-006 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":2,"chronRelease":"Second Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"26-Oct-2000","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 16-6\n\nDate: December 5, 1971\nTime: 7:56 pm - 8:03 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with William P. Rogers.\n\n     India- Pakistan war\n           -United Nations [UN] Security Council resolution\n                 -Lack of progress\n           -US position\n                 -Mutual withdrawal\n           -Military situation\n                 -Reports\n                       -East Pakistan\n                       -Indian bombing of Karachi and Rawalpindi\n                       -Pakistan bombing\n\n                    -Evaluation of Pakistani successes in West and East\n          -George H.W. Bush\n\n     President’s schedule\n           -President’s forthcoming telephone call\n                 -Executive Office Building [EOB] meeting, December 6, 1971\n           -[Forename unknown] Mooney [?]\n           -Duration of planned meeting\n           -President’s forthcoming telephone calls\n                 -Bush\n                      -Timing\n                 -Rogers\n                      -Timing\n                 -Bush\n                 -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] coverage of meeting\n                      -”A Day in the Life of the President”\n                      -Rogers’ public comments\n                      -Meeting itinerary\n\n*****************************************************************\n\n*****************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2\n[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 06/17/2019. 1m\n16s segment cleared for release. 18s remain closed as 016-006-w002.]\n[Personal Returnable]\n[016-006-w002]\n[Duration: 18s]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2\n\n*****************************************************************\n\n[Personal Returnable]\n[016-006-w002]\n[Duration: 1m 16s]\n\n     Washington football game\n         -Offense\n         -Interceptions\n         -New York Giants\n         -Los Angeles Rams\n         -Cleveland Browns\n               -Chances to win\n               -Playoff chances\n         -Detroit Lions\n         -Playoffs\n         -Billy Kilmer\n               -Abilities\n         -Christian A. (“Sonny”) Jurgenson, III\n\n*****************************************************************","filename":["016-006.mp3"],"tapeStart":"00:11:11","tapeEnd":"00:16:59","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Rogers, William P."],"prevCode":"016-005","nextCode":"016-007","transcript":[{"start":1.18,"end":1.68,"text":"Hello."},{"start":1.88,"end":3.44,"text":"Secretary Rogers, the president."},{"start":3.82,"end":4.1,"text":"Hello."},{"start":4.28,"end":5.12,"text":"How did it go today?"},{"start":5.7,"end":7.45,"text":"Well, pretty well, as a matter of fact."},{"start":8.83,"end":18.76,"text":"Well, they didn't get started until about two hours ago, and they've been trying to figure out some resolution to be acceptable, and they haven't been able to do that."},{"start":19.24,"end":22.64,"text":"So nothing is going to happen tonight at all."},{"start":22.66,"end":25.99,"text":"We put forward our withdrawal speech by our"},{"start":26.32,"end":29.61,"text":"I guess that's the... Well, we lost last night."},{"start":29.67,"end":37,"text":"It was vetoed, but we made it clear that we would veto anything that did not have a mutual withdrawal provision."},{"start":37.02,"end":38.7,"text":"And that's been publicized."},{"start":40.18,"end":40.74,"text":"That's the bonus intention."},{"start":40.76,"end":41.79,"text":"That's right."},{"start":41.81,"end":44.51,"text":"What about the situation out there?"},{"start":44.53,"end":45.97,"text":"How is it fighting for it?"},{"start":45.99,"end":51,"text":"Well, the last reports we had were about the same as before."},{"start":51.02,"end":53.66,"text":"I haven't, of course, now since the night out there."},{"start":54.33,"end":54.73,"text":"You know, it's"},{"start":54.98,"end":62.54,"text":"But the situation in East Pakistan is bad."},{"start":64.58,"end":66.27,"text":"That's right."},{"start":66.29,"end":70.67,"text":"I think they can hold out for a while, but it's going to be very hard."},{"start":70.69,"end":75.5,"text":"Are the Indians continuing to bomb the Rockies?"},{"start":75.52,"end":79.14,"text":"Yes, but it's not the civilian population."},{"start":79.16,"end":81.32,"text":"There's not been much damage to the bombings."},{"start":81.76,"end":87.65,"text":"Most of it is against the airfields or places where we have patrolling."},{"start":87.69,"end":94,"text":"Are the Pakistanis bombing in the West?"},{"start":94.02,"end":101.65,"text":"Yes."},{"start":101.67,"end":102.51,"text":"They're bombing India, too."},{"start":102.53,"end":105.53,"text":"Are the Pakistanis doing reasonably well in the West?"},{"start":105.55,"end":107.8,"text":"No, I think they're doing rather well in the West, yes."},{"start":108.5,"end":110.81,"text":"They're not doing so well in the U.S."},{"start":110.83,"end":111.97,"text":"They don't have anybody there."},{"start":113.99,"end":117.77,"text":"They don't have anybody there."},{"start":117.79,"end":120.94,"text":"They're just pulverizing there."},{"start":121.06,"end":123.68,"text":"Well, I don't think it's that bad, but it's not good."},{"start":123.7,"end":126.16,"text":"In the West, they're doing pretty well."},{"start":126.18,"end":128.74,"text":"It's very difficult to tell because we don't have any independent sources of information."},{"start":128.76,"end":129.66,"text":"And they're conflicting reports."},{"start":129.68,"end":130.42,"text":"Both lie."},{"start":130.44,"end":130.62,"text":"Both lie."},{"start":130.64,"end":131.99,"text":"Oh, God, yes."},{"start":132,"end":134.05,"text":"Low-slang victory and all that sort of thing."},{"start":134.77,"end":135.07,"text":"Right."},{"start":135.4,"end":137.61,"text":"Well, now, in the morning, oh, excuse me, go ahead."},{"start":137.63,"end":139.67,"text":"George Bush is doing a fine job."},{"start":139.71,"end":143.04,"text":"We're over here in the office now."},{"start":143.06,"end":143.22,"text":"Are you?"},{"start":143.24,"end":144.32,"text":"He's a hell of a good choice."},{"start":144.34,"end":144.52,"text":"Good."},{"start":144.54,"end":150.37,"text":"Let me suggest that in the morning, I will call you sometime in the morning at your office."},{"start":150.84,"end":157.87,"text":"And at that time, say that I think we should meet at 1.30."},{"start":157.89,"end":163.84,"text":"The meeting will be set up at 1.30, and we'll meet in the EOB room to make it a more private kind of a meeting."},{"start":163.86,"end":168.54,"text":"We'll have them only shoot the first five minutes of it, and then we'll talk for an hour."},{"start":168.56,"end":170.19,"text":"We have an hour and a half, as a matter of fact."},{"start":170.21,"end":172.97,"text":"Then I thought at that time, too, that..."},{"start":173.39,"end":179.64,"text":"I might give Bush a call."},{"start":179.66,"end":180.12,"text":"I think that'd be nice."},{"start":180.14,"end":180.74,"text":"From, so you alert him."},{"start":181.08,"end":186.85,"text":"I will call him, oh, sometime between 9 and 10 o'clock."},{"start":186.87,"end":191.53,"text":"I'll call him sometime in New York."},{"start":191.55,"end":192.55,"text":"For him to just get a quick report on the phone."},{"start":192.57,"end":194,"text":"Well, what time do you call me to him?"},{"start":194.32,"end":198.9,"text":"Well, I'll call, you see, I'll be true."},{"start":198.92,"end":200.64,"text":"I'll call you about 9.30."},{"start":201.33,"end":207.88,"text":"9.30, and I'll call Bush between 9.30 and 9.30, around in that period, 9.30, 9.45."},{"start":207.9,"end":208.36,"text":"I'll have it available."},{"start":208.38,"end":215.11,"text":"And then you will get together and go through this thing."},{"start":215.13,"end":223.51,"text":"1.30, but the meeting at 1.30 will be a substitute meeting, and we'll have the television shoot at the beginning, but then we'll meet for an hour and a half."},{"start":223.53,"end":226.73,"text":"I think the point that you suggested I make is a very good point."},{"start":226.75,"end":227.71,"text":"I want you to make that"},{"start":228,"end":233.42,"text":"I want you to make that in the public side of that meeting, you see."},{"start":233.9,"end":247.62,"text":"I plan to have 15 minutes, let them cover the first 15 minutes, and I'll just go around."},{"start":247.64,"end":248.54,"text":"I'll say, what do you think about this thing?"},{"start":248.56,"end":249.02,"text":"And see where we stand."},{"start":249.04,"end":249.82,"text":"And then we'll, I don't know what else."},{"start":249.84,"end":251.36,"text":"But I think you can say something in about a minute and a half, two minutes."},{"start":251.38,"end":252.82,"text":"We'll get on the program."},{"start":252.84,"end":253.23,"text":"That's what I want."},{"start":253.25,"end":253.45,"text":"All right."},{"start":347.69,"end":347.92,"text":"you"}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon and Secretary of State William P. Rogers discussed the ongoing India-Pakistan War, focusing on the deadlock at the UN Security Council and the deteriorating military situation in East Pakistan. The President reaffirmed the U.S. demand for a mutual withdrawal of forces as a condition for any resolution. They also coordinated the logistics for an upcoming high-level meeting at the Executive Office Building and scheduled follow-up communications with Ambassador George H.W. Bush.","topics":["India-Pakistan War","United Nations Security Council","US Foreign Policy","Military Strategy","George H.W. Bush"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T00:30:03.997Z"},"topicSlugs":["india-pakistan-war","united-nations-security-council","us-foreign-policy","military-strategy","george-h-w-bush"],"audioDurationSec":348,"audioFiles":[{"file":"016-006.mp3","bytes":8350196,"durationSec":347.87,"bitrate":192031,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:24.619Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/016-006.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-006","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/16/conversation-016-006","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}