Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-107

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Pakistan

Saturday, December 18, 1971 · 12:42 PM–12:43 PM ET · White House Telephone · 50 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation016-107 on Tape 16 (tape position 03:47:03–03:47:54)StartSaturday, December 18, 1971 at 12:42 PMEndSaturday, December 18, 1971 at 12:43 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-107 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discussed the protocol for an upcoming meeting with Pakistani leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Nixon instructed Ziegler to maintain a low-key approach regarding media presence, specifically requesting that the press not be granted access for a formal photo opportunity. Instead, they decided that White House photographer Oliver Atkins would take the picture, which would be released to the press later to avoid elevating Bhutto's political standing in Pakistan.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Mr. Zaker.
Yes, sir.
Have you announced a press picture?
No.
No, for Butoh, no, sir.
I think this would be a low-key situation.
I mean, it's one of those things where he's just paying a brief courtesy call, and I don't think we want to build...
He's got to...
He's trying to build himself up politically in Pakistan, you see.
Will there be any problem on it?
No.
Not having a picture?
No, sir.
Ali will take one, and you can...
They ask for it.
You can say, here's one.
You see what I mean?
So they're not trying to cover it, but let's just don't have the press go in, you know, with a big...
I don't want them to build that up that much, see?
Fine, no problem, sir.
So we'll just have Ollie do it, and you can cover it, and Haig will fill you in on what to say, okay?
Yes, sir.
Fine, thank you.
Very good.

NARA Description

On December 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 12:42 pm to 12:43 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-107 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-107

Date: December 18, 1971
Time: 12:42 pm - 12:43 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 639-4]

     Press picture
           -Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
                 -President's wishes
                       -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
                       -Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Also recorded on December 18, 1971

  • 016-106 12:37 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:42 pm.
  • 639-001 12:37 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:42 pm.
  • 639-002 12:37 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:42 pm.
  • 639-004 12:42 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:42 pm to 12:43 pm.
  • 016-108 12:43 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:43 pm.
  • 639-005 12:43 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:43 pm to 12:50 pm.
  • 016-109 12:44 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 12:44 pm to 12:45 pm.
  • 016-110 12:45 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:45 pm and 1:40 pm.

All 52 conversations from December 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-107, December 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-107 (accessed October 11, 2026).