Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 460 › Conversation 460-019
Nixon, Kissinger & Haig on Middle East diplomacy
Friday, February 26, 1971 · 2:44 PM–2:55 PM ET · Oval Office · 17 min
AI Summary
President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, and Alexander Haig met to discuss the volatile diplomatic landscape of the Middle East, focusing specifically on Israeli concerns regarding potential border adjustments and U.S. policy. The participants examined the implications of a return to 1967 borders, the role of the Soviet Union in the region, and the necessity of maintaining military support for Israel. The discussion concluded with a consensus on the need to consult Joseph Sisco to better align future U.S. policy options ahead of a scheduled meeting with Secretary of State William Rogers.
- Middle East diplomacy
- Israeli-Egyptian relations
- 1967 borders
- U.S. foreign policy
- Soviet influence
- Military aid
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available yet for this conversation. The recording may contain no audible speech, or it may not have been processed.
NARA Description
On February 26, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:44 pm to 2:55 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 460-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 460-19
Date: February 26, 1971
Time: 2:44 pm - 2:55 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger and General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
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[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-020. Segment partially declassified with 16m23s cleared for release and
25s remains exempt as 460-019-w001 per Executive Order 13526, 3.3(b)(1)(6) on 10/17/2018.
Archivist: MM]
[National Security]
[460-019-w001]
[Duration: 16m 23s]
Alexander M. Haig Jr.’s attendance
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[460-019-w001]
[Duration: 25s]
MIDDLE EAST
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Middle East
-Reports to the President
-February 26, 1971
-Yitzhak Rabin
-Israeli government
-Israeli attitude toward Joseph J. Sisco
-Israel
-Boundaries
-Security Council
-Effect on US policy
-Possible outcome
-US position
-Arabs
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-US policy
-Henry A. Kissinger’s view
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Israeli response
-Inaccurate reports
-Effect on decision making
-Israeli frontiers
-US support
-1967 borders
-Henry A. Kissinger’s memorandum
-Israeli communication with Egypt [?]
-William P. Rogers
-1967 borders
-US position on borders
-Israeli position on borders
-Egypt
-Henry A. Kissinger’s opinion
-Jordan
-The President’s letter
-US position
-Israeli position
-Security Council
-Potential outcomes
-US actions
-Arms
-Arab actions
-Israeli actions
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics’ [USSR] intervention
-Henry A. Kissinger’s view
-Possible solutions
-Jordan borders
-1967 borders
-Egypt
-US support for Israel
-The President’s position
-Yitzhak Rabin [?]
-Israeli action
-Cease-fire
-Arabs
-Henry A. Kissinger’s view
-Provocation
-1970 and 1972 elections
-US support
-Military arms
-Congress
-Henry A. Kissinger’s conversations with Yitzhak Rabin
-Israel
-Possible actions by the US
-Israeli position on borders
-1967 borders
-US support
-The President’s view
-Need for Joseph J. Sisco's view
-Future US policy options
-Melvin R. Laird
-William P. Rogers
-George H. W. Bush
-William P. Rogers’ forthcoming meeting with the President
-Joseph J. Sisco
-US position with Israel
-The President’s position
-Continued Israeli support for cease-fire
-Israeli reaction to Egyptian reply
-Joseph J. Sisco
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:44 pm
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The President, et al. left at 2:55 pmAlso recorded on February 26, 1971
- 460-015 1:18 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 1:18 pm.
- 460-016 1:18 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:18 pm to 1:23 pm.
- 460-017 1:26 PM · 48 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, unknown person(s), and Dwight L. Chapin met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:26 pm to 2:20 pm.
- 460-018 2:20 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:44 pm.
- 460-020 2:55 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:55 pm and 3:52 pm.
- 460-021 3:52 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:52 pm and 3:54 pm.
- 460-022 3:54 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:54 pm to 4:01 pm.
- 460-023 4:01 PM · 1 hr 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry Brandon, unknown person(s), Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins, Manolo Sanchez, Stephen B. Bull, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:01 pm to 5:08 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 460-019, February 26, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/460-019 (accessed October 12, 2026).