Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 451 › Conversation 451-004
Nixon, Kissinger & Safire on Arms Control and ABM Treaty
Thursday, February 18, 1971 · 9:56 AM–10:09 AM ET · Oval Office ·14 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Henry Kissinger, William Safire, and Ronald Ziegler to coordinate the President's upcoming speech at the Woodrow Wilson Foundation and address diplomatic and media concerns. A primary focus was the ongoing conflict regarding arms control negotiations, specifically criticizing the conduct of U.S. negotiators William P. Rogers and Gerard C. Smith in their pursuit of an ABM-only agreement. The participants also discussed the necessity of an improved public relations strategy to counter negative press coverage related to Vietnam and military operations in Laos.
- Arms Control
- ABM Treaty
- Henry Kissinger
- Vietnam
- Public Relations
- Woodrow Wilson Foundation
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Now, if you think I'm one of these kind of people you can let go of a dime or two, then one more time I'll take you with Moro away to Colombo.
If about at some point you could join the advisors at the cafeteria, all of this is phony anyway, but they need a picture of you with Moro, too.
Go ahead, Moro, come in here.
I'm gonna say it on Zoom.
Because more than any president is disabled.
And if you don't have any particular entry to have in here, I'll just as soon go over the annual...
You know, this is my hubby.
I, uh, so I will be able to get back to some people while they're flying.
So, so there is a lot of change that, uh, I'd love you to work out.
And, uh, if you look at this project and read about it, you'll know what I'm getting at.
You know, where do you, where do you suppose I'm getting at already?
You know, three dollars.
Closer.
I say
All around it's all pretty good, but then there are, there are differences in the real world, and so forth and so on.
And of course, that is one of George Wilson's, in fact, that he, that he put, he had, he had just somehow, he had listed a personal thing, and George Wilson made that mistake.
George Wilson made that mistake.
I signed it.
I made a paragraph in there, which I have not made in one of my career journeys.
I can't say I've experienced anything like it here.
But I've read the paragraph.
It means that in a world where there are 800,000 people on the planet, there are characters.
I don't know if you can hear me, but I feel as though I think you'll recall the suspension I was referring to.
I don't know if you can hear me, but I feel as though I was referring to the suspension I was referring to.
That's what I was going to say, that's the word that I was going to say.
I think that's what I was going to say.
I don't know what I'm going to do.
No.
I'm afraid for all this fighting is about on the armed control section, of course, way beyond the occupier's disaster.
No, no.
I'm glad.
What these guys want, they are afraid indeed that this section is holding them to your position and they want a free hand to negotiate an ATM-only agreement.
Who?
Who pays?
The act has been put.
And today they have a community to come and to cry.
But I'm afraid it's going to blow up my negotiation with Sabrina because...
They put in there, they put the whole debate on the Ottoman procession, which I thought was entirely editorial.
I didn't take it too seriously.
In there, and they had this, they're reading this, and I want to hold them.
to an arm, which they want to change.
And in the end, it's Hedron who's to give the truth.
And Smith, for the better thing, is true.
I don't think Hedron has studied the ground up the right way.
Hedron and Smith want to give him an ATM-only agreement.
Now, if Hedron has already accepted your proposal,
And now they get this color.
And I wouldn't bet they're going to back off now to see whether they can't get more.
But it's one of the most irresponsible things that I've seen.
And now, I didn't really get the damn about that section, but they've now turned it into a damn mess of trash.
On this go-getter, it's great.
But I didn't even realize it.
This trap has more detail in its columns, in three characters, than we have in any of this.
But, uh, I'm trying to still try to look at it.
I don't want a huge fight on the very floor.
But, yes, uh,
It's an act of spite.
I thought of acting so that there wasn't any too few of us.
If they wanted to get credit, they didn't want you to get credit.
But she has been fighting for me in the East Central.
And it was when, what is so revolting to me, is that last August, when we couldn't have our A.G. at all, and when I couldn't help you at the elections, they called in, saying, what's an election, son?
Yeah.
Tonight at what?
Last August, we couldn't have an APM on the agreement.
They haven't thought of it, and I expected it to be smashed.
He said no, it would be an election stunt.
Whose side is he on?
That's what I'm beginning to believe.
I've got the car in front of me.
I've got the car in front of me.
I've got the car in front of me.
You know, what he wants is a completely free hand so that he gets to take that in for whatever it could be.
We've got this obvious agreement that you'll take that MMO out.
That MMO's free, huh?
No.
Oh, all right.
Then I'll work it out.
Yeah, I'll trust you.
Thank you, sir.
Well, of course, you figured I could see you.
Just one brief minute.
We've got to get you some fresh, fresh food.
I don't know.
Okay, uh
Uh, the, uh, how are you doing?
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning.
I'm on the edge, really, to make sure that he's just sitting in this bathroom, so...
I'm just gonna be quiet for a minute.
Yeah, I hear him.
Oh, my God.
with the running track, so they agreed with what we were saying.
His signal is not reading from either of us facing anything.
They agreed crash column and all the rest of it.
Some of the big miles last man down.
If anybody was going to ask me anything, I was prepared to just knock it right out of the ballpark.
They'll say we're knocking down.
Well, somebody's going to ask.
But he's a terrible, hot man, and he wants to do it.
I'm just playing 3D for a second, and I'll get around to it.
I just want to get my thing on there, and we'll look to get our exchange.
I don't want people to struggle.
I'm busy, and I don't see the reason.
I don't have to be busy to get a thing on here.
I'm not in a hurry, and I don't think people have at all the presence of knowledge.
I understand that.
I'll, I'll take a picture of it.
Look after it.
I think I'll let that one in.
Well, that's good.
What do you think?
Yes, sir.
I'll give it a chance.
Thank you.
Well, we, uh, instead of, basically, we got, uh, we got it on the water, and it's strong, and it's not very, you know, it's not going to be as soft as it needs to be.
It's not going to be as soft as it needs to be.
It's not going to be as soft as it needs to be.
We've got to get all of our people over.
We've got to get all of our people over.
We've got to get all of our people over.
The point is, the point you have to be making is, the expected fire is a half a fire, as I say, or a few of us.
Come on, let's do it.
Follow me or not.
This is not Cambodia.
Sir, this is Army.
Absolutely.
NARA Description
On February 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, William L. Safire, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:56 am to 10:09 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 451-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 451-4
Date: February 18, 1971
Time: 9:56 am - 10:09 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger
Visit of Emilio Colombo
-Photograph with the President
-Timing
-Aldo Moro
-Political future
-Kissinger’s presence
[The President talked with William L. Safire at an unknown time between 9:56 am and 9:57 am]
[Conversation No. 451-4A]
Forthcoming speech at [Thomas] Woodrow Wilson Foundation
-Changes
-Kissinger’s role
-Wilson
-President’s view
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-World situation
-Kissinger’s role
-Length
[End of telephone conversation]
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 9:57 am
Speech
Ziegler left at an unknown time before 10:05 am
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN-T-MDR-
2014-008. Segment exempt per Executive Order 13526, 3.3(b)(1) on 09/20/2017. Archivist:MAS]
[National Security]
[451-004-w002]
[Duration: 55s]
ITALY
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
******************************************************************************
Arms control
-Opposing views
-Antiballistic Missile [ABM] agreement
-US negotiators
-Kissinger’s talks with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Joseph C. Kraft column
-William P. Rogers and Gerard C. Smith
-The President’s proposals
-Soviet reaction
-Kissinger’s position
-Kraft’s column, 2/18
-Timing
-History
-Effect on elections
-Smith’s view
-”ABM only” agreement
Ziegler entered at 10:05 am
-The Vice President
-Lawyers
Vietnam
-Press conference coverage
-Charles W. Colson
Ziegler left at 10:06 am
Arms control
-Soviet Union press
-Kraft column
-Effect of media on United States’ position
-Administration reaction
-Ziegler’s role
-Kissinger/Dobrynin meeting
-Vietnam
-Press accounts
-Need for public relations effort
-Laos operation
-US strategy
-US position
Kissinger left at 10:09 amAlso recorded on February 18, 1971
- 451-001 9:47 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:47 am to 9:52 am.
- 451-002 9:52 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:52 am and 9:56 am.
- 451-003 9:52 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:52 am and 9:56 am.
- 451-005 10:12 AM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:12 am to 10:30 am.
- 451-006 10:30 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Mark I. Goode, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:30 am to 10:36 am.
- 451-007 11:13 AM · 1 hr 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Emilio Colombo, Neil A. Seidenman, and A. Jose De Seabra met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:13 am to 12:22 pm.
- 451-025 12:22 PM · 2 min — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:22 pm and 1:09 pm.
- 451-008 12:40 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:40 pm and 1:09 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 451-004, February 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/451-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).