Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 312 › Conversation 312-026

Nixon & Kissinger on Strategic planning and Diplomatic scheduling

Tuesday, January 11, 1972 · 3:43 PM–3:49 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation312-026 on Tape 312 (tape position 03:42:31–03:47:31)StartTuesday, January 11, 1972 at 3:43 PMEndTuesday, January 11, 1972 at 3:49 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 312-026 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss scheduling logistics and strategic messaging regarding an upcoming diplomatic or military action. The two emphasize the importance of timing their response to avoid the appearance of reacting to an external message, settling on the 18th as a preferred date. Additionally, they touch upon personnel matters, specifically regarding an individual identified as 'Stan' who is being integrated into their operations.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 118.5 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 107.9 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 03:42:31 into the tape and ends around 03:47:31.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
3:42:32Better?
3:42:33Oh, oh, I see.
3:42:36I see.
3:42:36But you're better today.
3:42:39Any note of any shape or anything?
3:43:01Well, I guess not much we can do about it really.
3:43:10They can't take it.
3:43:13They can't take it now.
3:43:14They can't do it now.
3:43:37Well, they'll let us.
3:43:38They'll lose the battles and make some battles and that stuff.
3:43:51Okay.
3:43:52Well, take care.
3:44:49Well, how's it going today?
3:44:50You got any more, uh, more of your work done?
3:44:53Yeah.
3:45:00I know it's a terrific job, bro.
3:45:01You're right, it was a rough one.
3:45:11Yeah.
3:45:13Well, I suppose this time there'll be, we may expect that they'll be banging around.
3:45:19But we aren't.
3:45:23I think making it perhaps on that date
3:45:43the 18th is better than which, but we'll get to it on the 1 minute and start hitting.
3:45:47Otherwise, it might look like a reaction to a message.
3:45:50That is probably it.
3:46:00Thank you.
3:46:02Thank you.
3:46:11In the meantime, we have an ending.
3:46:19I think Stan will speak to it.
3:46:22It's about five.
3:46:24I think we'll see him on the 15th.
3:46:37Yeah.
3:46:38But he's already in.
3:46:40But he's already, he's already, they've already indicated he's on C-1.
3:46:51I have a wish I would have picked him, I don't think.
3:47:02But I...
3:47:08Okay.
3:47:09I'll be out of touch now.
3:47:12I'm going to Camp David because I'll be out of touch on Thursday afternoon.
3:47:18But if there's something, there's something you have to call me.
3:47:23You call me, but I'm going to call you.
3:47:26Okay.
3:47:27The same.

NARA Description

On January 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:43 pm to 3:49 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 312-026 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 312-26

Date: January 11, 1972
Time: 3:43 pm - 3:49 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See Conversation No. 18-66]

Also recorded on January 11, 1972

  • 018-066 3:43 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 3:43 pm to 3:49 pm.
  • 018-067 3:49 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 4:02 pm.
  • 312-027 3:49 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 4:02 pm.
  • 312-028 3:49 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 4:02 pm.
  • 018-068 4:02 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 4:02 pm to 4:03 pm.
  • 312-029 4:02 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:02 pm to 4:03 pm.
  • 018-069 4:03 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:03 pm and 4:05 pm.
  • 312-030 4:03 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:03 pm and 4:05 pm.

All 34 conversations from January 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 312-026, January 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/312-026 (accessed September 29, 2026).