Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 272 › Conversation 272-013
Nixon, Kissinger & Moorer on India-Pakistan relations and US foreign policy
Wednesday, August 11, 1971 · 3:12 PM–3:45 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 33 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Henry Kissinger, Adm. Thomas Moorer, and other administration officials to strategize on the escalating India-Pakistan crisis, specifically aiming to prevent an outbreak of war. The discussion emphasized a policy of U.S. neutrality and the importance of avoiding public pressure on Pakistan while encouraging quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to reach a political accommodation. Nixon decided to send representatives to explore humanitarian relief options as a pragmatic vehicle to facilitate these sensitive political conversations with Pakistani leader Yahya Khan.
- India-Pakistan relations
- US foreign policy
- Neutrality
- Humanitarian aid
- Refugees
- Political accommodation
- Yahya Khan
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 11 minutes of this recording (about 33% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.
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NARA Description
On August 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Gen. Robert W., Jr. Cushman, Jr., John N. Irwin, II, Maurice J. Williams, Joseph J. Sisco, and Armistead I. Selden, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:12 pm to 3:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 272-013 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 272-013
Date: August 11, 1971
Time: 3:12 pm - 3:45 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
President's schedule
-Stephen B. Bull's call to Kissinger
-Forthcoming meeting
-Itinerary
-India-Pakistan
-Refugees
-India
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
Thomas H. Moorer, Robert E. Cushman, John N. Irwin, Maurice J. Williams, Joseph J. Sisco,
and Armistead I. Selden, Jr. entered at an unknown time after 3:12 pm.
[General conversation]
-San Clemente
India and Pakistan
-US policy
-Avoidance of war
-Media
-Humanitarian aid
-Pakistan
-Refugees
-United Nations [UN]
-President's conversation with Indian Ambassador
-Economic aid
-Political aspects
-National interests
-War
-India
-Pakistan
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-US
-PRC
-Pakistan
-India
-Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan
-Refugees
-India
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-US policy
-USSR
-US policy
-State Department
-Instructions fro Sisco
-Need to avoid war
-Neutrality
-Consequences of possible war
-President’s possible television appearance
-Appeal to Congress for economic aid cut-off
-Summarized
-Economic aid
-USSR
-Need to avoid war
-Restraint
-Yahya Khan
-US policy
-Joseph S. Farland
-Yahya Khan
-India
-Policy
-Independent Bangladesh
-Means
-Soviet-Indian Friendship Treaty
-USSR
-Visit by Andrei A. Gromyko to India
-Support for guerilla activity
-Instability in East Pakistan
-Pakistan
-Yahya Khan
-Possible action
-East Pakistan
-India
-US aid
-Political situation
-Impact on insurgency
-Military situation
-Guerilla activity
-India
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-UN
-Refugees
-East Pakistan
-US policy
-Peaceful outcome
-Yahya Khan
-Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
-Pakistan's view
-President's conversation with Farland
-Political settlement
-Relationship to refugees problem
-East Bengel
-Impact on Pakistan
-India
-Guerillas
-Yahya Khan
-Exiles in Calcutta
-Farland
-Analogy to Henry J. Tasca
-Greece
-Williams’ possible trip to Pakistan
-Kissinger's conversations with Yahya Khan
-Refugees
-Political accommodation
-Food distribution
-Agency for International Development [AID]
-US policy
-Political issue
-Press
-Yahya Khan
-Press reports
-The President’s view
******************************************************************************
[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2012-004 & LPRN-T-MDR-2014-004. Segment declassified on 05/27/2015.
Archivist: DR]
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
[National Security]
[272-013-w001]
[Duration: 16s]
India-Pakistan
-US Policy and the need to stay neutral
-India's policy
-Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan’s possible response
******************************************************************************
India-Pakistan
-US Policy
-Humanitarian relief
-Refugees
-Aid
-Political accommodation
-Possible conversation with Farland
-Awami League
-US policy
-Farland's role
-State Department
-Refugees
-UN
-Refugee relief
-Secretary of State
-Contributions
-Figures
-India
-Forthcoming report for President
Kissinger, et al. left at 3:45 pm.Also recorded on August 11, 1971
- 561-012 12:59 PM · 44 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Charles W. Colson, Manolo Sanchez, Stephen B. Bull, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:59 pm to 1:43 pm.
- 272-010 1:43 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 2:54 pm.
- 272-011 1:43 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 2:54 pm.
- 272-012 2:54 PM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 2:54 pm.
- 272-014 3:45 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:52 pm.
- 272-015 3:45 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:52 pm.
- 272-016 3:52 PM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Raymond K. Price, Jr., and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:52 pm to 4:45 pm.
- 272-017 4:45 PM · 1 hr 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, White House operator, John T. Dunlop, Manolo Sanchez, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:45 pm to 6:31 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 272-013, August 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/272-013 (accessed October 23, 2026).