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Conversation: 501-014

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Start Date: 19-May-1971 12:30 PM

End Date: 19-May-1971 1:03 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Kissinger, Henry A.Sanchez, ManoloButterfield, Alexander P.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:51:46

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:23:29

501a.mp3

501b.mp3

501c.mp3

501d.mp3

NARA Description:

On May 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, Manolo Sanchez, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:30 pm to 1:03 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 501-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 501-14

Date: May 19, 1971
Time: 12:30 pm - 1:03 pm
                                             22

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 9/08)



Location: Oval Office

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
           -William P. Rogers
                 -Meeting with Haldeman
                 -Role in negotiations                               Conv. No. 501-12 (cont.)
                       -Notification
                       -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                       -Meeting with President
                             -Rogers’ statement in London
                       -Role in negotiations
                             -Reaction
                             -Melvin R. Laird
                             -Henry A. Kissinger and President
                                   -Assurances
                 -Timing of talks
                       -Rogers’ trip
                       -President's message from San Clemente
                             -Rogers’ knowledge
                             -Call to Haldeman
                 -Role
                       -Kissinger
                             -News magazines and background columns
                       -Effect
                       -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO] meeting
                 -Response
           -Kissinger
                 -Forthcoming briefings
                       -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                 -Rogers
           -Agreement
                 -President’s knowledge
                 -Rogers’ knowledge
                 -Gerard C. Smith
                       -Meetings with Kissinger and Rogers
                 -Background
                       -Rogers’ call to Haldeman
                       -Rogers’ testimony on Capitol Hill
                       -Kissinger's and President's roles
                                             23

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



     Middle East
         -Rogers’ reports to the White House
               -Rogers’ view
               -Kissinger
               -President
     SALT agreement
         -Background
               -Haldeman's meeting with Rogers                       Conv. No. 501-14 (cont.)
                     -President's goals
                           -Success
                     -Rogers’ role
                     -Haldeman's knowledge
                     -Kissinger's meetings with Dobrynin
                           -Rogers’ questions
               -Possible forthcoming meeting of President with Kissinger
                     -Rogers’ role

     Foreign policy
          -Paris peace negotiations
          -People's Republic of China [PRC]
          -Kissinger
          -Rogers’ future and role
          -Middle East negotiations
                -Rogers
                     -Prospects for success
                -Kissinger and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                -Jews
          -Rogers’ role
          -PRC
                -Kissinger, Rogers
                -Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
          -SALT
                -Rogers’ role
                     -Rogers' meeting with Haldeman
                           -President

[The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger at an unknown time after 12:30 pm]

[Conversation No. 501-14a]

     Request to come to the meeting
                                             24

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



[End of conversation]

     Foreign policy
          -SALT agreement
               -Notification of Rogers

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:30 pm.
                                                                 Conv. No. 501-14 (cont.)
     Refreshments

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:43 pm.

     Foreign policy
          -Rogers’ role
               -Relations with President, Kissinger
                     -State Department

Kissinger entered at 12:43 pm.

          -SALT
               -Rogers
                    -Notification of agreement
                    -State Department bureaucracy
               -Smith
                    -Meeting with President
                    -Meeting with Kissinger
                    -Meeting with Rogers
               -Rogers’ role
          -Rogers
          -SALT
               -Administration position

Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:43 pm.

                        -Kissinger's backgrounders
                             -Smith, Rogers
                             -Rogers’ NATO meeting

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:03 pm.

          -Rogers
               -Promises to be informed
                                  25

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                          Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 9/08)



     -Position
     -Reception in Middle East
     -Position
           -Smith
           -Laird
-Backgrounder strategy
-SALT
     -President's initiative                               Conv. No. 501-14 (cont.)
     -Rogers’ role
           -Meetings with President
                 -Smith
                 -President's actions
                 -San Clemente
     -Smith
           -Meeting with Kissinger, May 19, 1971
           -Relations with Rogers
     -Roles of Laird, Rogers, and Smith
           -Knowledge of agreement
           -Kissinger's briefings
                 -John A. Scali
           -Rogers’ meeting with Haldeman
           -President's role
           -Rogers’ role
           -Smith’s role
                 -Arms Control and Disarmament Agency [ACDA]
     -President's role
     -Rogers’ call to Haldeman
           -Need for unified statement
     -Administration’s position
           -State Department
           -President's role
           -Presidential initiative
           -USSR
           -History
           -Rogers
           -Compared with John F. Kennedy's initiatives on nuclear test ban
                 -Dean Rusk
                 -George Ball
                 -[Name Unintelligible]
     -Public statements
     -Rogers’ role
           -Kissinger
                                                26

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



                      -Haig

     Congressional votes
         -Gaylord Nelson Amendment
         -Michael J. Mansfield Amendment
         -Charles McC. Mathias Amendment
         -Nelson Amendment
               -Significance                                    Conv. No. 501-14 (cont.)
                     -Clark MacGregor

     SALT Agreement
         -Rogers’ role
               -Meetings with President
                     -Smith
                     -Antiballistic Missiles [ABM]
                     -President's role
                           -Private communication
                           -Kissinger's knowledge
         -Chronology
               -Rogers’ trip
               -Dobrynin
                     -Soviet intentions
                     -President's report to Rogers
               -Calls to Rogers
                     -Timing
         -President's role
         -Rogers’ role
         -Language of announcement
               -Rogers’ view
               -Smith
               -USSR
                     -Dobrynin
                     -[Unintelligible name]
               -Meaning
         -Rogers’ response

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 12:58 pm.

           -Rogers
                -Testimony in Congress
                      -J. William Fulbright
                                               27

                               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 9/08)



Butterfield left at 1:00 pm.

                 -Call to President
                       -Haldeman's forthcoming call
                       -President's return call
                             -Address to the annual convention of the American National Red
                                   Cross
                       -Haldeman's forthcoming call                    Conv. No. 501-14 (cont.)
                             -President's location
           -Laird
           -Rogers’ role
           -Public statements
                 -White House
                 -Fulbright
                 -State Department
                 -Fulbright and Senate Foreign Relations Committee
           -President's press conference
                 -Haldeman's and President's forthcoming calls to Rogers
           -President's schedule
                 -Meeting with Laird and Kissinger
                 -Call to Rogers

Haldeman and Kissinger left at 1:03 pm.