Conversation 451-007

On February 18, 1971, 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. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 451-007 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 451-7

Date: February 18, 1971
Time: 11:13 am - 12:22 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Emilio Colombo, Neil A. Seidenman, and A. Jose De Seabra

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[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-020. Segment declassified on 10/10/2018. Archivist: MAS]
[National Security]
[451-007-w001]
[Duration: 1h 8m 41s]

       Oval Office

Cabinet Room

[Unintelligible]

Italy
        -The President’s previous meeting with Emilio Colombo
        -Italian domestic politics
                -Emilio Colombo’s analysis
                        -Ruling coalition
                                 -Italian political parties
                        -Right and left
        -Vietnam's effect on Italian politics
        -"United front" politics
                -Italian political parties
        -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                -Emilio Colombo’s opinion
        -The President’s position on importance of non-Communist Italy
                -Place in Europe
        -Relations with the US
                -Anti-US sentiment abroad
        -Middle East and the US
        -Alliances
        -US' Southeast Asian policies
                -Laotian operations
                -Goals
                -Withdrawal program
                        -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                -Vietnam
                -William P. Rogers
                        -Middle East
                                 -February 19, 1971 briefing
                                 -Arabs and Israelis
                                         -History and future
                                 -Cease-fire March 1971
        -Mediterranean nations
                -Italy
                        -Role
                        -West compared to Communists
                        -The President’s previous trip to Rome
                -Spain
                -Greece

        -North Africa [?]
                -Egypt
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-Japan
        -Social and economic issues
-Textiles
        -The President’s stance against quotas
-Trade
        -British
        -Barriers
        -US sentiment
                -Agriculturalists [?]
                        -The President’s opinion
        -Importance of avoiding trade war
-People's Republic of China [PRC]
        -The President’s concern
        -Emilio Colombo’s analysis
-Common Market
        -Drawbacks to trade aspects
        -Agriculture
        -Germans
        -French
        -British
        -Agriculture modernization
                -Grain
        -German costs
        -Protectionism sentiment in US
                -The President’s description
                        -Jews [?]
                        -Impact
                -Trade liberalization
                -The President’s belief in free trade
                -Collective solutions
                -Italian perception
-Agriculture
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-The President’s summation of Emilio Colombo
-US-Italian relationship
-Economic problems
-Communists
-Development
-Social services

               -Organized labor
               -Italian press accounts
                       -Labor unrest
                       -Transformation
                       -Psychological tests [?]
                       -Response

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The President, et al. left at 12:22 pm