Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-039

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on India-Pakistan War and United Nations

Tuesday, December 7, 1971 · 11:45 PM–11:46 PM ET · White House Telephone · 23 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation016-039 on Tape 16 (tape position 01:21:33–01:21:56)StartTuesday, December 7, 1971 at 11:45 PMEndTuesday, December 7, 1971 at 11:46 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-039 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger spoke briefly to address the ongoing India-Pakistan War as it played out at the United Nations. Nixon inquired specifically about how Canada cast its vote during a UN General Assembly session regarding the conflict. Kissinger committed to verifying this information immediately and reporting back to the President.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.

Henry, I'm just curious, how did Canada vote?

I can find out for you in a minute.

You understand, I'm just curious.

All of our collaborative evidence is good.

Yes, let me check on that immediately.

All right.

Want to call me back?

I'll call you right back.

It's time.

NARA Description

On December 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 11:45 pm to 11:46 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-039 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-39

Date: December 7, 1971
Time: 11:45 pm - 11:46 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

     India-Pakistan War
           -United Nations [UN] General Assembly session
                -Vote
                     -Canada

     Kissinger’s return call to the President

Also recorded on December 8, 1971

631-012 7:04 PM · 19 sec — Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:04 pm and 7:07 pm.
016-037 11:31 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone from 11:31 pm to 11:41 pm.
016-038 11:41 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:41 pm and 11:45 pm.
016-040 11:52 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 11:52 pm to 11:54 pm.
632-012 12:30 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:30 am and 12:34 pm.
632-013 12:34 AM · 34 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:34 am and 11:59 pm.
632-001 9:19 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:19 am to 9:20 am.
632-002 9:25 AM · 53 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:25 am to 10:18 am.

All 76 conversations from December 8, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-039, December 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-039 (accessed October 12, 2026).