Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 615-017
Date: Friday, November 5, 1971 at 11:09 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Rogers, William P.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/615-017

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:05] So I wish that the vengeance is arriving.
[0:19] And I've got to be, of course, very cordial, but very firm, because I got the impression that she just wants to, you know, as they say, recalcitrant as hell.
[0:27] And these fighters say, we don't want Pakistan.
[0:29] The poem is that Yahya must go.
[0:30] And they insist that the ball's got to be released, and so forth and so on.
[0:32] I want to be sure that your line and mine is the same.
[0:38] You take a firm line.
[0:41] Absolutely.
[0:41] I said that you had some follow-up conversations you had.
[0:49] And I said now, which you said, yes, I did.
[0:50] It was very good.
[0:50] You said that I didn't have time to say that you wanted deep understanding.
[0:56] that we may not fully understand your problems.
[0:59] We want to attempt to, and I'm sure you want to understand what we can do with the problems we have.
[1:05] And then I said, we have taken all the complaints or the matters that you raised with the appointment of suicide.
[1:21] She knows that.
[1:22] I said, you raised the point about armed shipments.
[1:26] And I said, we understood the problem it created for us.
[1:29] This practical matter didn't have any effect, very small.
[1:32] But I said, now the President is willing to stop those shipments.
[1:36] So that's the other way.
[1:38] Secondly, you said that the
[1:41] that we shouldn't equate India and Pakistan.
[1:44] And I said, we accept your judgment.
[1:49] And I said, the trouble that exists in your country is because of the difficulty in Pakistan.
[1:53] So we ought to equate it.
[1:54] And I said, President Nixon himself undertook to get Yahya to take unilateral action.
[2:01] So Yahya has said now that he will unilaterally withdraw your troops.
[2:04] We would hope that you would respond in kind.
[2:08] How you do that is up to you, obviously, but we would hope that you would do that to reduce tensions.
[2:14] Three, you say that the military solution is not the solution.
[2:17] That's the only step.
[2:19] The important thing is the political solution.
[2:20] We agree with that.
[2:22] And I said, we agree that there has to be a political solution.
[2:25] We've been telling Yahya it's got to be a political solution.
[2:28] He's prepared to do the things the President told you he's prepared to do.
[2:30] And I said, that's because we've asked him to.
[2:32] No, I said, so we've done the things you want.
[2:36] We think we're helping the president is searching for ways to bring about peace in the world.
[2:41] This is the most dangerous area we have, and we just want you to understand our position.
[2:46] We agree with almost everything you've said, and it was a very good discussion, I think.
[2:52] I would ask her to withdraw if she does, or to have them discuss with the PACS if they can, how to work it out.
[3:08] Carl says, well, it wouldn't be fair.
[3:09] We'll try to work out a system that would be fair.
[3:13] In other words, consider that.
[3:17] And keep in mind that we are doing everything we can to help as they suggest.
[3:24] As a matter of fact, at the end of the meeting, a couple of other people said that they think now that the understanding is much better between our two governments.
[3:34] Does she know that it's going to be tough today on getting aid and so forth?
[3:40] I told her.
[3:40] I told her that I'd love to... Let's go out and say hello to her.
[3:42] I just have an idea.
[3:52] Tell her that I will direct the catapult.
[4:02] Just, I'm saying, Mrs. Gandhi, she then, for them to stand up and cheer as she walks.
[4:03] All right, sir.
[4:04] You come with me.
[4:04] That's a good, good question.