Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 596 › Conversation 596-006

Nixon & Haig on Ceylon and Taiwan

Tuesday, October 19, 1971 · 12:15 PM–12:17 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation596-006 on Tape 596 (tape position 02:05:37–02:09:26)StartTuesday, October 19, 1971 at 12:15 PMEndTuesday, October 19, 1971 at 12:17 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 596-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to discuss diplomatic strategies regarding Ceylon’s role in the upcoming United Nations vote on Taiwan, specifically addressing the influence of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. The discussion shifted to Vietnam, focusing on U.S. casualty figures, congressional concerns over South Vietnamese domestic politics, and the status of ongoing negotiations and POWs. Haig briefed the President on his recent meetings with congressmen to manage political fallout concerning the administration’s military withdrawal policy.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.9 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 124.8 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:05:37 into the tape and ends around 02:09:26.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
2:05:37But there's a second time where there has to be some withdrawal, too.
2:05:37There has to be, or there will be some withdrawal.
2:05:43The fact that there is a transatlantic system in Israel is that it would probably, if not then, didn't exist.
2:05:51Yes.
2:05:51That would have been considered very significant.
2:05:53Usually people forget, though, that there was a time that not only Egypt but none of Israel's thinkers were recognizing existence.
2:06:02So now they've come that far.
2:06:03That's very significant.
2:06:05Now they're talking about at least negotiating.
2:06:08That's significant.
2:06:10So...
2:06:11It is as black as the tears in terms of what would you like.
2:06:12Very important to you.
2:06:13I know it.
2:06:13I know it.
2:06:13It's very important to you.
2:06:14It's very important to all of our viewers.
2:06:15It's very important to you.
2:06:15You deserve great treatment.
2:06:16Well, we'll do our best to get it open.

NARA Description

On October 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:15 pm and 12:17 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 596-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 596-6

Date: October 19, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:15 pm and 12:17 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

     Ceylon
          -Robert Strausz-Hupe
               -Haig’s view
          -Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike
               -Forthcoming United Nations [UN] vote on Taiwan
                     -The President’s efforts
                     -Follow-up efforts
                     -The President’s efforts
                           -Ceylon’s relation with the People’s Republic of China [PRC]

     Vietnam
          -William P. Rogers
          -Casualty figures
          -Haig’s meeting with Congressmen
                -Military
                -South Vietnamese domestic politics
                -Withdrawal of United States support
                -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                -Negotiations

Haig left at an unknown time before 12:17 pm.

Also recorded on October 19, 1971

  • 596-005 12:14 PM · 1 min — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:14 pm to 12:15 pm.
  • 596-007 12:17 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:17 pm to 12:18 pm.
  • 596-008 12:23 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:23 pm.
  • 596-009 12:23 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:23 pm.
  • 596-023 12:23 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. V. Meares, Sylvia Lawry, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:23 pm and 12:30 pm.
  • 596-010 12:30 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:31 pm.
  • 596-011 12:31 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Ross Tomkins, Charlton (Rink) ("Rink") Reynders, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:31 pm to 12:33 pm.
  • 080-003 12:33 PM · 11 min — Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 93 conversations from October 19, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 596-006, October 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/596-006 (accessed September 28, 2026).