Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 153 › Conversation 153-009
Nixon phone call with Jackson on Middle East Diplomacy
Tuesday, November 14, 1972 · 11:36 AM–11:41 AM ET · Camp David Study Table · 5 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson discussed Jackson’s upcoming diplomatic tour through Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, during which Jackson agreed to convey the President's regards to foreign leaders including Golda Meir and the Shah of Iran. The conversation also addressed Nixon’s second-term reorganization plans, specifically regarding personnel appointments and the restructuring of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Jackson offered his support for these efforts, promising to coordinate with Henry Kissinger regarding a list of recommended personnel changes and potential new appointments.
- Middle East Diplomacy
- Second-Term Reorganization
- Personnel Appointments
- Arms Control and Disarmament Agency
- Congressional Relations
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Senator Jackson, Mr. President.
Yes.
Uh, Mr. President, this is Scoop Jackson.
Yes, your voice is loud and clear.
I hope you're having a good trip.
Thank you very much.
It's an interesting trip I'm going on from here to, uh...
to Persia and to Saudi Arabia.
Good.
Naturally, you would know to extend my warmest regards to the Prime Minister here and to our friends there, and also particularly to the Shah.
You should have a good talk with him.
He's our great friend.
I have dinner with the Prime Minister here in about an hour.
Oh, good.
And I will see the Shah, as I understand it, day after tomorrow.
Good.
And I will convey to both of them your best wishes.
Yeah, and to the Saudi tour.
Sir.
Right, right.
King Faisal is out of the country.
Well, he's not well anyway, so it's the, what is it, the Secretary of Defense?
Yes, sir.
Well, whoever the person is, I'll be too.
Yes, sir.
Mr. President, I tried to reach you the day after election when I left for Europe.
I wanted to congratulate you and to say that anything that I could do to be of help on a follow-up on the matters we discussed, I'd be glad to do so.
And I'll be back, unfortunately, not until Sunday night, December 3rd.
December the 3rd.
But I will be available if there's anything I can be of help to you on, and I do want to assist in any way that will be useful and helpful to you.
Well, you certainly can be most helpful.
Let me tell you that on the one project that we discussed, ACTA, if anybody feels more strongly about it than you do, it's me.
So I can assure you that I've
I'm working on it in every possible way.
Part of the problem, Scoop, with some of these things like ACT is, as you know, the Congress, in its wisdom, set the damn things up.
But I find, on the other hand, I have no obligation to appoint people.
You know what I mean?
Or to staff it.
Isn't that your point?
Yes, right, right.
The changes down underneath are essential to whoever you have at the top.
Exactly.
The head of it.
Exactly.
One person, you know, in some category that you might want to think about is Senator Gordon Allitt.
Yes, yes.
He's very loyal to you.
Right.
And I just have not had a chance to talk to Gordon.
And it's just a thought.
where he might fit in in something.
Right.
Let me ask you, you gave us the name—I have that in mind, too—but you gave us the name of this fellow in Europe.
Yes, sir, that individual that— Yes.
Yes, the general.
The general.
In Europe, you also mentioned the fellow that was a good linguist, was the head of one of the agencies.
Right, right.
At present time.
Right, right, right, right.
They ought to be looked at.
Would you do this so that I can have it?
Just wire me those two names again on that point.
And also, now, as far as the names of people down on the woodwork, I know one who came that you mentioned, and I have him marked.
But is this the— Henry knows about the general.
Yeah.
And, of course, General Hague is, you know, very high on him.
I know, yeah.
But I mean also the people that ought to be out.
I need that list from you.
Yes.
Well, I'll see that that's put in your hands.
Henry has a copy of it.
All right.
Well, I'll dig it out of his office then.
Fine.
He has a list.
Right.
Right.
Good.
All right.
If he's got it, that's all I need.
That's all I need.
You don't have to bother.
It might be better that way.
No, no.
I got it.
We've already talked about it.
And if he's got everything you have, Scoop, I'll get it from him.
It's fine.
And I'll be reachable on this trip any place along the line that I can be of any help.
It's a very important trip.
When you get back, I'd like to see you after December 3rd, right?
Yes, sir.
I'll be in on Monday the 4th.
Great.
I'll be here, and I'll, let's see, I'm not taking off on any vacation.
I went to Florida for three days, and then I'm at Camp David now.
We're doing a lot of reorganization.
It's going to be quite exciting.
Well, we'll need your support on it.
Well, it's good to talk to you.
Thank you, Mr. President.
I'll convey those messages.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
NARA Description
On November 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:36 am to 11:41 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 153-009 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 153-9
Date: November 14, 1972
Time: 11:36am - 11:41 am
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson.
[See Conversation No. 224-15D]
Jackson’s trip to Middle East
-[Israel]
-[Iran]
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 153-9 (cont’d)
-Saudi Arabia
-The President’s regards to [Golda Meir]
-[Shah of Iran] Mohammed Reza
-Jackson’s itinerary
-Dinner with [Meir]
-Meeting with Shah
-The President’s regards to Meir, Shah, and to Saudi official
-[Faisal, King of Saudi Arabia] Malik Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Saud
-Location
-Health
-Unknown official
******************************************************************************
[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-008. Segment declassified on 01/10/2018. Archivist: AY]
[National Security]
[153-009-w001]
[Duration: 2s]
Saudi Arabia
******************************************************************************
1972 Election
-Jackson’s trip to Europe
-Jackson’s congratulations
Congressional relations
-Assistance to the President
-Jackson’s return to US
-Arms Control and Disarmament Agency [ACDA]
-Congressional role
-Appointments and staffing
Appointments
-Gordon L. Allott
-Loyalty to the President
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 153-9 (cont’d)
-Jackson’s recommendation
-[Gen. Ed Rowny]
-Europe
-[Secor D. Browne]
-Linguist
-Agency head
-Rowny
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Firings
-List
-Kissinger
Jackson’s schedule
-Itinerary
-Meeting with the President
-The President’s schedule
The President’s schedule
-Florida
-Camp David
-Second term reorganization
Second term reorganization
-Jackson’s supportAlso recorded on November 14, 1972
- 153-008 10:04 AM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:04 am and 11:36 am.
- 183-001 10:04 AM · 49 sec — John D. Ehrlichman, Camp David operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:04 am and 11:36 am.
- 153-010 12:40 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 12:40 pm.
- 153-011 12:40 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:40 pm and 12:42 pm.
- 224-016 12:40 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 12:40 pm.
- 153-012 12:42 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:42 pm to 12:44 pm.
- 224-017 12:42 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:42 pm to 12:44 pm.
- 224-018 12:44 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 1:10 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 153-009, November 14, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/153-009 (accessed October 8, 2026).