Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 016-006
Date: Sunday, December 5, 1971 at 7:56 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Rogers, William P.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-006

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Hello.
[0:01] Secretary Rogers, the president.
[0:03] Hello.
[0:04] How did it go today?
[0:05] Well, pretty well, as a matter of fact.
[0:08] 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.
[0:19] So nothing is going to happen tonight at all.
[0:22] We put forward our withdrawal speech by our
[0:26] I guess that's the... Well, we lost last night.
[0:29] It was vetoed, but we made it clear that we would veto anything that did not have a mutual withdrawal provision.
[0:37] And that's been publicized.
[0:40] That's the bonus intention.
[0:40] That's right.
[0:41] What about the situation out there?
[0:44] How is it fighting for it?
[0:45] Well, the last reports we had were about the same as before.
[0:51] I haven't, of course, now since the night out there.
[0:54] You know, it's
[0:54] But the situation in East Pakistan is bad.
[1:04] That's right.
[1:06] I think they can hold out for a while, but it's going to be very hard.
[1:10] Are the Indians continuing to bomb the Rockies?
[1:15] Yes, but it's not the civilian population.
[1:19] There's not been much damage to the bombings.
[1:21] Most of it is against the airfields or places where we have patrolling.
[1:27] Are the Pakistanis bombing in the West?
[1:34] Yes.
[1:41] They're bombing India, too.
[1:42] Are the Pakistanis doing reasonably well in the West?
[1:45] No, I think they're doing rather well in the West, yes.
[1:48] They're not doing so well in the U.S.
[1:50] They don't have anybody there.
[1:53] They don't have anybody there.
[1:57] They're just pulverizing there.
[2:01] Well, I don't think it's that bad, but it's not good.
[2:03] In the West, they're doing pretty well.
[2:06] It's very difficult to tell because we don't have any independent sources of information.
[2:08] And they're conflicting reports.
[2:09] Both lie.
[2:10] Both lie.
[2:10] Oh, God, yes.
[2:12] Low-slang victory and all that sort of thing.
[2:14] Right.
[2:15] Well, now, in the morning, oh, excuse me, go ahead.
[2:17] George Bush is doing a fine job.
[2:19] We're over here in the office now.
[2:23] Are you?
[2:23] He's a hell of a good choice.
[2:24] Good.
[2:24] Let me suggest that in the morning, I will call you sometime in the morning at your office.
[2:30] And at that time, say that I think we should meet at 1.30.
[2:37] 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.
[2:43] We'll have them only shoot the first five minutes of it, and then we'll talk for an hour.
[2:48] We have an hour and a half, as a matter of fact.
[2:50] Then I thought at that time, too, that...
[2:53] I might give Bush a call.
[2:59] I think that'd be nice.
[3:00] From, so you alert him.
[3:01] I will call him, oh, sometime between 9 and 10 o'clock.
[3:06] I'll call him sometime in New York.
[3:11] For him to just get a quick report on the phone.
[3:12] Well, what time do you call me to him?
[3:14] Well, I'll call, you see, I'll be true.
[3:18] I'll call you about 9.30.
[3:21] 9.30, and I'll call Bush between 9.30 and 9.30, around in that period, 9.30, 9.45.
[3:27] I'll have it available.
[3:28] And then you will get together and go through this thing.
[3:35] 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.
[3:43] I think the point that you suggested I make is a very good point.
[3:46] I want you to make that
[3:48] I want you to make that in the public side of that meeting, you see.
[3:53] I plan to have 15 minutes, let them cover the first 15 minutes, and I'll just go around.
[4:07] I'll say, what do you think about this thing?
[4:08] And see where we stand.
[4:09] And then we'll, I don't know what else.
[4:09] But I think you can say something in about a minute and a half, two minutes.
[4:11] We'll get on the program.
[4:12] That's what I want.
[4:13] All right.
[5:47] you