Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 329-052
Date: Saturday, April 15, 1972 at 5:35 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/329-052

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] We ordered an immediate attack.
[0:28] Where are you from, my son?
[0:32] Mr. President, as you agreed, I've looked over this map of Haifa, where the ships were yesterday.
[0:55] They cannot reach Haifa now, but they can reach the shore batteries when they're here.
[0:58] And I think while we are bombing up there anyway, we ought to tell these shore batteries that's never going to work.
[1:01] I talked to him already.
[1:12] He says it's feasible.
[1:13] They could make a hell of a lot of money.
[1:18] Can they stay out of the way of them and not get a ship knocked down?
[1:20] Do it.
[1:20] Do it.
[1:20] I think, Mr. President, for this, we're going to take any more of these than we already have.
[1:24] I think we're going to do more.
[1:24] I think we're ready to land.
[1:25] That's right.
[1:25] What they'll think is that we're going to try to get into the top of it.
[1:27] Of course, I'm ready to do it.
[1:27] I always do it.
[1:29] Something good always comes out of some client coming.
[1:46] I know there's something you can do up there.
[1:51] I'm not saying Mr. President, the name of the thing is .
[1:52] Let's get it out there and hit it again.
[1:53] That's a very good idea.
[1:53] Take those sharp arrows out.
[1:54] Sort of like Coastal Archive.
[1:55] Because it was tracked on my phone.
[1:56] It's completed.
[1:56] No plans done already.
[1:57] The A6 track is completed.
[1:58] No plans done.
[2:00] That's all we did there.
[2:23] That's the show about there.
[2:28] We did that with these guns.
[2:31] Oh, I see.
[2:43] But I mean what we're going to read about in the morning.
[2:52] The only thing is the oil store.
[2:53] All right.
[2:53] Good.
[2:53] Good start.
[2:53] Don't worry about it.
[2:54] I don't know what it is.
[2:54] I don't know what it is.
[2:55] I don't know what it is.
[2:55] I don't know what it is.
[2:56] I don't know what it is.
[2:56] I don't know what it is.
[2:57] But I feel good.
[3:16] I don't need it.
[3:20] No, I just want it.
[3:22] I don't need it.
[3:22] I let it.
[3:22] I don't need it.
[3:23] I don't need it.
[3:23] I don't need it.
[3:23] I don't need it.
[3:24] I don't need it.
[3:24] I don't need it.
[3:24] I don't need it.
[3:25] I don't need it.
[3:26] There's also a good chance that that dog cancels my trip.
[3:40] If that dude cancels your trip.
[3:41] If they do, then we blockade.
[3:50] If, Mr. President...
[3:50] If they cancel your trip, we blockade your trip.
[3:51] No choice.
[3:52] If they cancel my trip, it's on the Mr. President.
[3:53] And that reminds me, I've got a call from the president.
[3:54] He's got the next three months.
[3:54] He's got the next three months.
[3:56] As I've told you, I think you can protect a sheet from barcades and bombing.
[4:14] But in order to make the barcades work, you have to bomb them.
[4:17] You've got to get their supplies done.
[4:21] Practice doesn't, if my boss, if they don't, it's called over to sell it.
[4:23] And then it doesn't make a damn bit of difference.
[4:24] And you know, I trust you to work your way out of it.
[4:26] We have no reason not to.
[4:44] Immediately then, get busy with the Germans now.
[4:49] What can we do with the Germans?
[4:50] We do it with the Russians.
[4:51] We do it with the Russians.
[4:52] How would you do it?
[4:52] Call some?
[4:52] We could call some of the partners.
[4:53] I don't know if that indicates that we're leaving that area.
[4:55] I don't need you.
[5:21] I know that.
[5:22] I got to deal with them.
[5:22] That's all we need.
[5:23] I said, the freedom told me, when we go to the fields, I support it.
[5:25] .
[5:42] .
[5:43] .
[5:43] .
[5:43] .
[5:56] Well, the only thing that I raised on that, if that is the case, is why I raised the question over here as to whether it's the advisability of the same.
[6:29] The idea being that on the so-called negotiating willingness, the public crap on that, we might go get the benefit of the 27th.
[6:52] So we'll give them another, let me see what I can do.
[6:53] Making sense.
[6:54] But it's a coldest point is that as soon as we could lead to that, they're going to threaten us that they'll walk out if we don't stop the pass.
[6:57] We'll be right back to where we were in 68.
[6:58] So we don't want to...
[6:59] Meet at all on the 27th.
[7:04] Well, now he's going to meet on the 27th.
[7:08] There's been a private meeting.
[7:08] What's the private meeting?
[7:10] Well, then tell us.
[7:10] If the private meeting is successful, we can go.
[7:12] If it's unsuccessful, we can go to the one plenary meeting.
[7:14] Well, that's a hell of a thing to pay, a price to pay.
[7:16] You mean, in other words, that we'll, that they'll, they'll, they'll say we won't meet with you again unless you stop the bombing?
[7:24] Exactly.
[7:24] But, Cox, we've been meeting with them for three years.
[7:26] But that's what's going to happen.
[7:32] That's right.
[7:33] Well, that's just right.
[7:40] We've got to start putting Rogers on the table.
[7:44] We gave up bombing for about three years, a fruitless meeting.
[7:47] I want to give it up again.
[7:48] We just played that out in the propaganda field.
[7:49] No, sir.
[7:49] They're not going to sell that one again because they sold it once.
[7:54] This is the instruction for Rogers.
[7:54] Oh, good.
[7:55] Well, I want to work on that.
[7:55] Except that you have to get it out tomorrow.
[7:56] Yeah.
[7:57] I think we ought to send a reporter too.
[8:09] It expects us to do what we have.
[8:15] They don't back down, right?
[8:15] To me, privately, they don't back down a bit.
[8:17] Reporters might think, you know, we've got to be open, which is what I've stuck up for.
[8:20] Once one of our guys steps up and says something, we've got to stick right with him or otherwise he won't do anything again.
[8:32] And the market's pretty good today.
[8:42] And I've been watching the pep all day.
[8:42] All night.
[8:43] It's been a whole good day.
[9:11] Swimming down your throat?
[9:37] Yeah.
[9:37] All right.
[9:37] I'd make this for both of them.
[9:38] Yeah.
[9:38] Sit for part minutes.
[9:38] Yeah.
[9:38] Other than the single.
[9:42] In 1968, October of 1968, over three years ago, we stopped bombing North Vietnam in return for negotiations for over three years.
[10:10] In return for negotiations.
[10:12] I refuse to negotiate seriously.
[10:32] That would be the first point there.
[10:33] We are not going to make the same mistake again.
[10:35] We are ready to resume negotiations whenever they are ready to resume negotiations seriously.
[10:39] Whenever they are ready to talk seriously about something like that.
[10:42] negotiations, or cover-up, or screen, or negotiating a conference table, or screen, or escalating attacks in a battlefield.
[11:08] What we really are doing here is giving rockets multiple
[11:13] better medicine because he didn't want to say this kind of tough language to him, but by putting it this tough, he thereby will Well, we put it this tough.
[11:27] They at least brought it to say it had this tough.
[11:29] That's my point, and that's good.
[11:34] Can't take any other position on this one.
[11:37] This point could have gotten them a voucher here.
[11:50] No reason.
[12:18] further go through the charade of indicating that the negotiation means anything in its present context.
[12:38] In other words, that the whole case, it must be that Kennedy followed it.
[12:42] But we ought to go back to the negotiation table.
[12:43] Ball's flat in its face.
[12:44] Why?
[12:44] What the crisis is negotiated.
[12:44] You see my point?
[12:45] That's what we've been doing for three years.
[12:50] We are trying to get, we are willing to negotiate, but I think it's pretty clear that we aren't as huge.
[13:08] The other big question, just a small one.
[13:23] you never know maybe maybe we don't wish they had maybe they would have just gone to the 24th but we'll give them this
[13:52] There'll be no other effect in the area until after the Moscow D-Day.
[14:04] Oh, the Moscow D-Day with you?
[14:07] With me.
[14:08] Yeah.
[14:08] In other words, this was it for the day.
[14:10] Oh, wait a minute.
[14:10] What about the naval ships?
[14:11] Well, I mean, it's that whole contact.
[14:11] All of this will be done in the next 12 hours.
[14:12] Oh, can the Navy get up there and shell in the 12 hours?
[14:15] Yeah.
[14:16] Well, you better order it right away, or did you?
[14:18] I...
[14:18] I tentatively did.
[14:19] They're on the way.
[14:21] I talked to Ruth Moore and I told her to make another thing.
[14:24] All right, good.
[14:25] Good.
[14:25] And then knock it off, I agree.
[14:27] The Russians aren't going to cancel your trip.
[14:37] 70-30.
[14:38] They're going to cancel it.
[14:42] Huh?
[14:42] Is that going to cost us that much?
[14:43] I don't know.
[14:44] Now, if they cancel the trip, we immediately move on to the German problem.
[14:46] Oh, if they cancel the trip.
[14:47] You're correct.
[14:50] Yeah.
[14:52] And, uh, well, I'd have Strauss, too.
[14:56] Uh, do you think, and you may, will that be a signal?
[15:02] Uh-huh.
[15:02] And, uh, and then also, I mean, let's get our lines ready.
[15:07] And then, Henry, I think we've got to be ready to blockade this next week.
[15:10] If they cancel, here they are.
[15:13] If they cancel my trip, we've got to move towards the blockade by next weekend, that's right.
[15:20] Henry, we better do it quicker.
[15:21] I'll tell you why.
[15:23] We can do it quicker.
[15:24] I'll tell you why.
[15:25] Because you'll have greater public support.
[15:29] Every day that goes on, the public support for a blockade slightly erodes for anything.
[15:37] Mr. President, if they cancel my trip...
[15:43] I'll do it as soon as the Navy will be ready.
[15:45] You can do it then, any time.
[15:46] Well, won't you think I've got a plank?
[15:47] I think so.
[15:47] It would be a good way for Hayden to come back.
[15:49] He's still there.