President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman and Henry Kissinger to discuss personnel changes within the State Department and strategic shifts in U.S. foreign policy. The conversation focused on the need for more "vigorous" and loyal leadership in diplomatic postings, specifically criticizing the performance of Graham A. Martin in Italy and exploring potential roles for Peter M. Flanigan. Additionally, the group reviewed the status of U.S. relations with China, the Soviet Union's internal leadership dynamics, and plans for managing international expropriation issues.
On June 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:40 pm to 2:57 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 517-022 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 517-22
Date: June 11, 1971
Time: 2:40 pm - 2:57 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 41s ]
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 2:40 pm
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 2:57 pm
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Henry A. Kissinger entered at 2:41 pm
41
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
[Pause]
President’s schedule
-William P. Rogers
-John A. Scali role
US foreign policy Conv. No. 517-22 (cont.)
-John B. Connally involvement in administration
-Kissinger meetings
-Connally qualities
-Future plans
-Kissinger meetings
-Content
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 14s ]
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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-Status of US in the world
-US world position
-Baron Guido Zerilli-Marimo
-James C. Dunn
-US embassy
-Competence
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Graham A. Martin
-Contacts with Italian government
-Henry J. Tasca
42
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Robert C. Hill
-Need for vigor
-Martin
-State Department relations
-Qualities
-Need for vigor in representing US
-Frederic V. Malek
-Donald H. Rumsfeld role Conv. No. 517-22 (cont.)
-Office of Economic Policy [OEP]
-Benefits
-State Department job
-John N. Irwin, II
-State Department
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Benefits
-Value to President
-Business community contacts
-Loyalty to President
-Emil (“Bus”) Mosbacher, Jr. role
-Rogers’ call to Haldeman
-Concern over expropriation
-European Community
-State Department attitudes
-Expropriation
-Erosion of US position
-John Foster Dulles
-Soviet Union
-Italian ambassador
-Spain
-Hill staff
-Aide to John H. (“Jock”) Whitney
-Whitney aide
-Requirements
43
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 11s ]
SPAIN Conv. No. 517-22 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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-Press conference
-Lifting of trade restrictions
-US-PRC staffing
-Comparison with Soviet Union
-Use in House elections
-Upcoming announcement
-Scali
-Vietnam
-John Sherman Cooper visit with Kissinger
-Vietnam Negotiations
-Italy
-Martin
-Removal
-Zerilli-Marimo
-Types of people
-Anglo/Saxons
-Russians
-”Orientals”
-Italians
-Qualities
-Soviet Union
-Party speech
-Aleksei N. Kosygin content
-Nikolai V. Podgorny
-Praise for Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Place in hierarchy
44
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Kremlin politics
-Podgorny
-Kosygin
-Age
-Health
-Age of leaders
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Toughness of Soviet politics Conv. No. 517-22 (cont.)
-Josef V. Stalin
-Connally role in policy formulation
-Kissinger relation with Connally
-Relation to John N. Mitchell
-Haldeman, Kissinger, and John D. Ehrlichman decision on Flanigan’s role
Haldeman and Kissinger left at 2:57 pmThis transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.