Conversation 628-018

TapeTape 628StartThursday, December 2, 1971 at 4:55 PMEndThursday, December 2, 1971 at 5:15 PMTape start time05:20:26Tape end time05:36:47ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Kissinger, Henry A.;  Woods, Rose Mary;  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office

On December 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:55 pm to 5:15 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 628-018 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 628-18

Date: December 2, 1971
Time: 4:55 pm - 5:15 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Meeting with Golda Meir
          -Presidential authority
          -Election
          -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                -Israelis
                      -Negotiation tactics
          -William P. Rogers
                -History of negotiations with Israel
          -Politics

Rose Mary Woods entered at 4:57 pm.

     The President buzzed Woods


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 21s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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                                            43

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                              Conv. No. 628-18 (cont.)



Woods left at 5:00 pm.

     Meeting with Meir
          -Middle East negotiations

Woods entered at an unknown time after 5:00 pm.


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 34s ]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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Woods left at an unknown time before 5:15 pm.

     Middle East negotiations
         -Possible scenario
         -Joseph J. Sisco
         -Rogers
               -The President’s proposed talk with Rogers
         -Egyptians
               -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                     -Proposed conversation with Kissinger
         -Meeting with Meir
               -President’s style
               -Politics
                     -Give and take
         -USSR
               -1973
               -Rogers's proposal
               -Israelis
         -Meir
               -Proposed toughness
                                          44

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)
                                                                    Conv. No. 628-18 (cont.)


     -American political situation
           -Security
                 -USSR
                       -Balance of power in the Middle East
                            -Democrats
     -Kissinger's meeting with Dobrynin
           -Rogers
     -Dobrynin
     -USSR summit
           -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
           -Trade in the Middle East
     -Proposed Middle East settlement
     -Egyptians
           -Trade
     -PRC
           -Feeling towards a deal in the Middle East
           -USSR-PRC relations
                 -Marshall Green
                       -USSR-US relations
                            -Proposed deal in the Middle East
     -Status of negotiations
     -War
           -Timing
                 -1973

India-Pakistan situation
      -Rogers
           -Talk with Kissinger

David M. Kennedy appointment
     -State Department
     -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
     -The President's call to Rogers
           -Timing
           -India-Pakistan situation
                 -Kissinger's call to Rogers
                       -Timing
                             -President’s inability to meet with Rogers
                                   -President’s health
                 -Indira Gandhi
                                                  45

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                         Tape Subject Log
                                           (rev. 10/06)
                                                                     Conv. No. 628-18 (cont.)


Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:00 pm.

     The President's schedule
          -Barber
               -Timing

Kissinger and Bull left at 5:15 pm.

This 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.

You know, I keep saying it requires the presidential authority to do this, and you've got the time, but I'm going to have to go out and say you...
We're doing it, but your performance, it was just as good.
I just don't know how one can get it out before the election.
It was a really masterful way.
I mean, they had said for six years they would never let us talk to their audience without them.
And here we come back, we've just been pleading for it.
We were, but we're out.
Now,
Well, you know what I mean?
We've got a temple, we've got a fire, we've got a fire here.
Uh, I'm here, I'm here because many of the United States required our agency to send them down.
Now, let's talk about the other things the president did, and he told us so.
If it hadn't been handled like that last July, it would have been attractive to him.
There was no time to talk to him.
Now, uh, we're going to try and get permission.
And, uh, we've got a lot of supplies, uh, and, uh, I think that's a very good point, though.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Did, uh, did you get a check for the family members?
I haven't talked to them, not really, but I was talking to Billy, and he was going to give us a call.
Yeah, he said that's very nice of him.
Oh.
And he said, I don't know, I can't really understand.
Well, I think we can get this thing set up now, Mr. President, so that we, uh... Now, the major problem we have to figure out is how to get our test equipment in the way.
We may have to wait a few weeks.
Yeah.
Because Rosie and Pat called to see if you were lying to them.
Did you see?
What?
Yeah, what?
Well, now I know that I'm here to guide you on fuel.
In these other negotiations coming up with schemes, we've got to slow him down.
Well, how would you like him to deal with that?
Two things.
He's still within the line.
Let me think about that, how I can slow it down.
Or you might just have to tell her out if you don't want that much activity.
I can get the incidence to slow down a little bit, so to speak.
I was in awe because you really are better.
There were so many drafts into which you could have fallen, and every one of which could have raised enormous political problems for you.
You have no idea with what suspicion and contermination ever showed how they came to this country.
And they are actually now, from our domestic point of view, in a rather good position to put the heat on that, don't they?
Yeah, they really are.
and I think they were floating on air and we didn't really give them anything other than what we
Well, actually, what would we get from the Russians, or them, if they don't allow it?
They won't take it, and they're wrong.
They won't take it, they're not, and I have no illusions, and I can negotiate an agreement they'll like.
And if we've got a sweep of 73, it's a hell of a lot better than that.
And the Russians don't expect that.
Oh, yes.
I've got that regard with them.
And we can just say that I'm being honest with you.
The Russians have got to keep to that.
They just need to hold on.
What I've got to do is to get the Russians to make some modifications to Sir Arthur's proposal, so that we can tell the invaders we've met our part of the bargain.
And then, it might be possible.
It won't be as much as they've heard us saying they can get, but... What do you mean, the Russians?
They've been coming prior to us.
Yeah?
Well, in any improvement, so honestly, no one here would object to our getting a better deal than the... You really thought that she was going to be hungry?
Oh, yes.
Oh, yes.
That's why I went to see her yesterday, to condemn her a little bit, but I wasn't making much of it.
And she was muttering up at me that she was with you.
but i didn't handle it as a skillfully and because i couldn't i couldn't commit it when i said what was so effective was when i said that it's this relationship between politically you can know
This I do for the balance.
Let's just get that out of the way.
I mean, you're sort of overruling what I just said.
Yeah, yeah.
Not a terribly effective way, because it showed that you had gone beyond the government.
Yeah.
We know, we know, and there is a reason why, frankly,
uh... uh... uh... uh... uh... uh...
And if we can bring this off now, we have one problem with the security process.
Two, we will have to use these negotiations to strike the Jewish community crazy.
And yet, at the same time, have some real negotiations go on.
Which, by the end of 1973, will lead to a result.
You must leave that in the subject, or any of that.
I want you to talk to the Rockies about that.
Even talk to the Rockies about the peace.
Well, you know, I said, no, give it away and you'll see what it's all about.
I said, no, give it away and you'll see what it's all about.
I said, no, you'll see what it's all about.
You know, the reason why you should talk to everybody is to report back to this government.
No.
No.
Because you see, Bill can solve this part.
No, no.
If you get involved, one will help.
Bill will do what he did to the others.
If you trust the law, Mr. President, my strategy will be...
to waste as much time as possible.
So then if there is an interim settlement, you make it in the summer, and imagine that out of this moment there comes an interim arrangement in the Middle East trade, and maybe one or two other things.
And on this basis, I can also quote Turkey's opinion.
I'm telling that if Vietnam blows up in this interval, the Middle East negotiation is dead.
Yeah.
I hear you.
Because they are radicalized in all areas of the planet, that's why we want to understand what's being worked around the Chinese major island.
In the context and experience around that, what issues the Chinese raise,
The Chinese, on the other hand, are terrified that there'll be a Middle East seal, because on the way to the airport, that Marshal was taking it beyond space.
They said, it may be known that I didn't want to make a deal with you, the Middle East, so that they can throw everything against us.
So, uh, then there's the president of the Chinese, on the other hand, and he lays everything out.
Now, it will require some painful things to review 73, but I...
I don't know what I'm doing here.
The present item of a set and design of the schedule for inspiration.
And it happens at the right moment.
At the right time.
At that moment, it would lead to a war.
Yes.
Next year, or by the end of the year, it would be made.
Well, we are on the same track.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
What he'd like to do is he'll report to you about the ministerial conference.
Thank you very much.
What?
Uh, no, I thought I'd wait till you got out of town.
Oh, damn it, sir.
He got a line at us, didn't he, sir?
I don't know anybody that can do anything to all of us now.
They've got their money around the state department, you know.
I'm depending because of this man.
He'll be a good man for us, sir.
I need to do this.
You need to do this.
What the hell?
You tell guys that I'm here, man.
That's serious.
You'll all be late to try me, sir.
That's my man's decision.
That's my decision, right?
No, you need to do this.
Well, but he sent the M.A.C.
reading itself, and you know, we understand.
And also, we have a union of all, and I think this is a good idea.
And you know, we're a lot of fun, and it's great to have someone like you.
I'm glad you're with me, man.
But if he would go, this would be the time for him to go right away.
Yeah.
We can get a job, get a job tomorrow.
And it doesn't seem to be a terrible deal.
You can tell me.
I can just call the devil and tell him.
I can do it.
But I wouldn't send myself because not to India, Pakistan, because that would be a tremendous loss.
No.
I'll tell him tomorrow morning.
Or I'll tell him after the announcement.
Yes, I think so.
I don't know that.
All right.
Thank you very much.
uh
You know, we have too many people to sit and eat in one yard.
That's not a people.
Why do you think that?
Well, it's dependent on the day.
Dependent on the day.
That's all it is.
Well, that's right.
yeah yeah