Nixon White House TapesTape 37 › Conversation 037-036

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Sudan hostage crisis and Black September

Friday, March 2, 1973 · 8:05 PM–8:06 PM ET · White House Telephone ·55 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation037-036 onTape 37StartFriday, March 2, 1973 at 8:05 PMEndFriday, March 2, 1973 at 8:06 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 037-036 ↗

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger spoke to discuss the hostage crisis in Sudan involving the Black September organization and the status of American and Belgian diplomats. Nixon sought clarification on conflicting reports regarding the casualties provided by Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler. Kissinger agreed to verify the details of the incident and report back to the President immediately, while the two also briefly addressed Secretary of State William P. Rogers's travel schedule.

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Hello?
Mr. President?
Anything new on our friends out there?
No.
You mean in the Sudan?
Yeah.
We don't have any of the details yet.
They notified the Saudi Arabian military attache of the facts.
But they didn't kill the Belgian, just us, just our people.
No, they killed the Belgian, too.
Well, Ziegler told me that the Belgian was not killed.
Would you check that and let me know?
Yeah, they killed the...
They didn't kill the...
Sorry, let me check all the facts, and I'll call you back in five minutes.
Don't take your time.
No, don't...
I'd just like to know.
Another thing, when does Rogers get back?
Tomorrow night.
Tomorrow night.
Okay, fine.
Right.

On March 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 8:05 pm to 8:06 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 037-036 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 37-36

Date: March 2, 1973
Time: 8:05 pm-8:06 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

       Sudan hostages [Black September]
             -Saudi Arabian military attaché
             -Killing of American and Belgian diplomats
                     -Ronald L. Ziegler
                     -Saudi Arabia

       William P. Rogers's schedule
  • 037-034 8:01 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:01 pm.
  • 037-035 8:01 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:01 pm and 8:05 pm.
  • 037-037 8:06 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 8:06 pm to 8:08 pm.
  • 037-038 8:28 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 8:28 pm to 8:33 pm.
  • 868-011 12:01 AM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Bernard J. ("Bunny") Lasker, Gustave Levy, William J. Casey, Kevin Duffy, G. Bradford Cook, Mrs. G. Bradford Cook, George B. Cook, Mrs. George B. Cook, A. W. Armour, Mrs. A. W. Armour, Stephie Cook, Tom Cook, Lesley Cook, Heather Cook, and Daniel Cook, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:01 am and 12:06 am.
  • 868-012 12:06 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:06 am and 12:10 am.
  • 868-022 12:06 AM · 26 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:06 am and 12:10 am.
  • 868-013 12:10 AM · 58 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jack J. Dreyfus, Jr., unknown person(s), Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:10 am and 1:09 am.

Conversation 037-036, March 3, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/037-036 (accessed September 18, 2026).