Easy NixonAbout

Conversation: 587-007

Prev:  587-006 Next: 587-008

Start Date: 8-Oct-1971 10:58 AM

End Date: 8-Oct-1971 12:12 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Ehrlichman, John D.Helms, Richard M.Bull, Stephen B.Kennedy, David M.Kissinger, Henry A.Peterson, Peter G.Ziegler, Ronald L.[Unknown person(s)]Sanchez, Manolo

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 01:09:07

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 02:22:26

587a.mp3

587b.mp3

NARA Description:

On October 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Richard M. Helms, Stephen B. Bull, David M. Kennedy, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter G. Peterson, Ronald L. Ziegler, unknown person(s), and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:58 am to 12:12 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 587-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 587-7

Date: October 8, 1971
Time: 10:58 am - 12:12 pm
Location: Oval Office
                                              10

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)




The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

     Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] classified documents
          -Ehrlichman’s previous meeting with Richard M. Helms
                -Ngo Dinh Diem
          -Helms's relationship with Presidents
                -Desire for meeting with the President
          -Ehrlichman's request for documents
                -Helms response
                      -Cables and summaries
                      -John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
                      -Democrats
                      -Helms view
          -Declassification possibilities
                -Charles w. Colson
                -William H. Rehnquist
                -Ehrlichman
                -CIA responsibility
                -The President’s view
                -CIA responsibility
          -Bay of Pigs invasion
                -CIA position
                      -Problems
          -Helms
                -Possible replacements
                      -Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
          -Reason for the president's desire for documents
                -Declassification
                -Ehrlichman's rationale to helms
                      -Forthcoming negotiations
                            -Cuban missile crisis
                                  -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                -Diem
                      -Questions at press conferences
                      -Desire for facts
                      -Life magazine
                            -E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
                                  -Helms
                      -Edward M. Kennedy
                            -Colson
                                              11

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)


                -CIA

Helms entered at 11:06 am.

     Law enforcement
         -John n. Mitchell
               -J. Edgar Hoover
                     -John B. Connally
                     -justice department
                     -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
                     -CIA
                     -Defense department
                     -Cooperation
                           -Theodore S. (“Ted”) Williams
                     -FBI

     CIA classified documents
          -Purpose for the President receiving documents
          -Cuban situation
                -USSR
                      -Negotiations
                      -Ellsworth F. Bunker
          -"Dirty tricks"
                -The President’s knowledge and support
                -Iran
                -Guatemala
                -Bay of Pigs
                      -Dwight D. Eisenhower
                           -Planning
                      -John F. Kennedy
                           -CIA
                                 -Allen W. Dulles
                                 -Plan
                                       -The President’s view
                                       -Fidel Castro
          -Purpose
          -Pentagon papers
                -Significance of leak
                -Lyndon B. Johnson
                -Chilean election
          -The President's reasons of wanting documents
                                   12

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/06)
                                                             Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)


     -Ehrlichman and Helms
     -Pentagon papers
           -Vietnam
                 -Diem
                       -Questions
                       -Eisenhower
                       -Lyndon Johnson
                       -John Kennedy
                       -Nixon
-The President's intention to protect intelligence gathering
     -Protection for predecessor presidents
           -CIA directors
                 -FBI
                       -Hoover
     -The President’s assurances
     -CIA
           -Operations
                 -The President’s view
-The President's need to be fully informed
     -People's Republic of China [PRC]
     -USSR
           -Berlin
     -Henry A. Kissinger
     -Importance
     -State department
     -Soviets
     -Chinese
-Chile
     -Funds
           -Need to be fully informed
-Need to be fully informed
     -The President’s knowledge
           -CIA
           -Pentagon Papers
                 -Lyndon Johnson
                 -John Kennedy
           -Relationship between the President and the Director of CIA
-Diem
     -The President’s knowledge
     -Henry Cabot lodge
     -Vietnam
                                   13

               NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                           Tape Subject Log
                             (rev. 10/06)
                                                            Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)


      -The President's need for information
            -Ehrlichman
                  -Domestic council
                  -Hoover
            -Vietnam, Laos, Kent State, Cambodia
            -John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Eisenhower
-The President's regard for the institution of the Presidency
-The President's need for information
      -Purpose
      -Pentagon Papers
            -Effect of the President
      -John Kennedy
      -Lyndon Johnson
-Developments
      -Chile
-Political implications
      -Republicans
      -Democrats
            -Hubert h. Humphrey
            -Edward Kennedy
                  -Prisoners of War [POW] comments
            -Humphrey
            -George Meany
            -Edward Kennedy forces
            -Lyndon Johnson
-Situation
      -Ehrlichman
            -Diem
                  -John A. McCone
                        -Helms position
                        -Marshall S. Carter
                  -Helms's review of documents
                  -Types of documents
                        -McCone’s documents
                              -Secretary of State
                        -Defense department
                        -John Kennedy
-The President's need for information
      -“Dirty tricks”
      -Vietnam War
      -The President’s view
                                                14

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)


                     -Press conference
               -John Kennedy
                     -Bay of Pigs
          -Declassification problem
               -Lyndon Johnson
          -The President's decision regarding Nguyen Van Thieu

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:06 am.

     The president's schedule

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:34 am.

               -Diem
               -Thieu
          -Bay of Pigs
          -The President's schedule
               -Connally
               -Herbert Stein
               -George P. Shultz
               -Paul W. McCracken
               -Connally
               -[Unintelligible name]
               -Spiro T. Agnew

Ehrlichman and Helms left at 11:34 am.

David M. Kennedy, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter G. Peterson entered at 11:34 am; members of the
press were present at the beginning of this meeting.

     Diplomacy
          -Textile negotiations
               -Anthony J. Jurich
                     -David Kennedy’s discussion
                     -Kakuei Tanaka
                           -Status of negotiations
                     -Kissinger's conversation with unknown person
                           -Nobusuke Kishi
                                 -Agreement

                -State Department
                             15

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                        Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)


-Peterson
-David Kennedy as negotiator
-Connally
-Trade with the Enemy Act
      -The President’s view
      -David Kennedy
            -Forthcoming trip to Guam
            -Tactics
-Kishi
      -Previous meeting with the President
            -Okinawa
            -Trade issues
-Taiwan
-Japan
-Korea
      -U. Alexis Johnson
      -Negotiating strategy
            -Jurich
-Japan
      -Kissinger
      -The President's conversation with Takeo Fukuda
      -Conversation of Kissinger
            -Peterson
            -U. Alexis Johnson
                  -Koreans
      -The President's schedule
            -Kishi
-Agricultural Act
      -Trade agreement
-Japan
      -Negotiations
            -American position
                  -Trading with the Enemy Act
      -American credibility
      -The President’s view
      -Tanaka
      -Surcharge on textiles
      -Discussions with Tanaka
      -Most Favored Nation status
            -Connally
-Public relations
                                               16

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/06)
                                                                       Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)


                     -Ronald L. Ziegler
                           -Press photograph
                           -Textiles
                -Assessment
                     -Kissinger
                     -Peterson
                     -Connally
                     -State Department
                           -Kissinger

     Salvador Allende Gossins
          -The President’s view
          -Kissinger's meeting with Chile's Foreign Minister
               -Discussion
                     -US policy

Ziegler and members of the press entered at an unknown time after 11:35 am.

Members of the press left at an unknown time before 12:00 pm.

     Public relations
          -Japanese
                 -Textiles
          -The President's schedule
                 -Kissinger's schedule
                 -David Kennedy

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 12:00 pm.

     Diplomacy
          -Textile negotiations
               -Japanese
               -Public relations
                     -Ziegler
                     -Herbert G. Klein
                     -Washington Post
                     -New York Times
                     -Charlotte Observer
               -Wilbur D. Mills
               -Harry S. Dent
               -Mitchell
                                           17

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                   Tape Subject Log
                                     (rev. 10/06)
                                                                     Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)


             -State Department
                   -David Kennedy
             -Donald McI. Kendall
                   -Japanese
                         -US embassy
                              -The President's alleged views toward agreement
                                   -Mills
             -Timing
                   -Peterson
                   -Mills


**************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 3s ]


    INTELLIGENCE


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

**************************************************************************


                        -Korean ambassador
                             -Conversation
             -Taiwan
                  -Growth of industry
                  -Title I
                        -Percentage changes
                  -Submarine
                        -Timing on delivery
                        -The President’s forthcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China
                              [PRC]
                        -David M. Kennedy’s instructions
             -Japan
                  -Kendall
                        -Monetary reform
                                               18

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                     Tape Subject Log
                                       (rev. 10/06)
                                                                         Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)


                           -Trade
                           -Defense
                      -Tanaka
                -Kissinger's conversation with European business group
                -David Kennedy
                -Meany
                      -Labor people
                      -Shultz
                -State Department

Kennedy and Peterson left at 12:00 pm.

     Peterson's work

     Kissinger's schedule
          -David Rockefeller

An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 12:00 pm.

     John D. Ehrlichman

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:03 pm.

     Middle East
         -Egypt
               -Kissinger’s comments
         -Israel
         -Negotiation
               -New York
               -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                     -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                     -US explanation
               -Israelis
         -Possible forth coming meeting with Dobrynin
         -Anwar el-Sadat

     Unidentified people
          -Kennedy Center
                -The President's schedule
                     -Leonard Garment
                     -Alexander M. Haig, jr.
                                                 19

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                               Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)



     The President's economy speech announcing Phase II
          -William L. Safire

     Economy
         -Rockefeller
              -Kissinger’s comments

John D. Ehrlichman entered at 12:03 pm.

     The President's schedule
          -Mitchell
          -Hoover
               -Sullivan
                      -Mrs. Bunaro Overstreet
                      -Joseph A. Califano, Jr.
                      -Kissinger’s view

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 12:03 pm.

     The President’s schedule

     FBI
           -Sullivan

     Refreshments
          -The President’s schedule

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:05 pm

     FBI
           -Hoover
               -Mitchell
               -Directorship
                    -Sullivan
                          -Assistance to the administration

Ehrlichman left at 12:05 pm.

     US foreign relations
          -The President’s view
                                                20

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                  Conv. No. 587-7 (cont.)


                 -Accomplishments
           -Middle East
                 -US negotiation options
           -Vietnam
           -India and Pakistan

     [Unintelligible]

Kissinger and the President left at 12:12 pm