Conversation: 634-019
Prev: 634-018 Next: 634-020Start Date: 9-Dec-1971 5:57 PM
End Date: 9-Dec-1971 6:34 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Butterfield, Alexander P.;Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:07:21
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 03:43:55
NARA Description:
On December 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:57 pm to 6:34 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 634-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 634-19
Date: December 9, 1971
Time: 5:57 pm - 6:34 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 42s ]
PAKISTAN
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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India-Pakistan situation
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
28
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No.634- 19 (cont.)
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Possible results of proposed settlement
-Optimism
-East Pakistan
-Leonid I. Brezhnev letter
-Contents of letter
-USSR-US declaration
-Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
-United Nations [UN] Security Council
-Preparations in case India rejects proposal
-West Pakistan
-Ceasefire
-Bangladesh
-Potential negotiations between East and West Pakistan leaders
-Possible independence
-Yahya Khan
-East Pakistan
-President’s view
-USSR meeting
-Possible watershed in US-USSR relations
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Kissinger's talk with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Kissinger’s view
-Forthcoming Moscow Summit
-Yuli M. Vorontsov
-Letter to Brezhnev
-Timing
-[Vladimir V. Matskevich]
-Compared to Andrei A. Gromyko
-Brezhnev
-Brezhnev
-Pressure during upcoming Moscow Summit
29
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No.634- 19 (cont.)
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 4s ]
CANADA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
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-Aleksei N. Kosygin
-UN vote
-Liberal establishment
-Edward M. Kennedy [?]
-West Pakistan
-Preservation
-John B. Connally
-President’s instructions to Kissinger
-Indonesia aid
-Amount
-India
-Possible repercussions
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 44s ]
MIDDLE EAST
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
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30
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No.634- 19 (cont.)
-Indian Ambassador
-John N. (“Jack”) Irwin, II
-Timing
-[State Department]
-USSR
-Washington Special Actions Group [WSAG] meeting
-Timing
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-David Packard
-Helms
-Carrier movement
-Moorer
-Planes
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 2s ]
INDIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
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-Kissinger’s forthcoming conversation with Vorontsov
-Haig
-Comments on the President’s statement
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 6:05 pm.
Veto message
President’s schedule
-Defense Department budget meeting
31
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No.634- 19 (cont.)
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Possible schedule conflicts
-Clark MacGregor
-Cabinet Room
-Previous commitments
-Melvin R. Laird
-Location
-John G. Tower
-Peter H. Dominick
-Edward J. Gurney
-William Clay
-Proposed talk to Congress
-Authorization appropriation
-Amount
-MacGregor
-Goldwater
-Defense budget
-Conservatives
-USSR
-Amount of time
-Forces
-Laird
-Congress
-Laird
-Proposed time
-President’s instructions
The President's schedule
-Packard and Moorer
Butterfield left at 6:18 pm.
Defense budget meeting
-Moorer
-Call from Kissinger
-Packard
-Force level
International monetary situation
-Kissinger's possible meeting with Georges J.R. Pompidou
-The President's talk with Connally
32
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No.634- 19 (cont.)
-Valery Giscard D'estaing
-Pompidou
-Relationship
-Possible implications in deal with Pompidou
-Edward R.G. Heath
-Germany
-Japan
-December 18, 1971 meeting
-Germany
-Canada
-Great Britain
-Possible agenda
-Group of Ten meeting
-Timing
-President’s instructions
-Price of Gold
-Trade concessions
-PRC Ambassador
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Azores
-Kissinger's qualifications
-The President’s confidence in Kissinger
-Andre Meyer
-Political implications
-Pompidou
-Possible deal
-Kissinger’s view
-Michel Jobert
-Arthur K. Watson
-Kissinger's talk with Connally
-Germany
-Azores
-The President’ upcoming meeting with Marcello Jose Neves Alves
Caetano
-Timing
-Presence at meeting
-Pompidou
-President’s instructions to Kissinger
-Connally
-Pompidou’s time of arrival
33
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No.634- 19 (cont.)
State Department
-Bureaucracy
-Treatment of the President
-News summaries
-Foreign policy
-Cambodia and Laos
-North Korea
-[Response to 1969 EC-121 shootdown]
-William P. Rogers
-Laird
-Possible mis-step by the Administration
India-Pakistan situation
-Wire to Moscow
-Answer
-Meeting with USSR
-Ceasefire
-Awami League
-Mujibar Rahman
-West Pakistan
-Losses
-Bombing of Karachi
-State Department
-Delhi and Islambad
-US policy
-Determination
-Comparison with past government [World War I]
-Czar Nicholas II
-German Emperor
-Brezhnev
-Meeting with [Matskevich]
-Toughness from the President
-European Security Conference
-Middle East
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Treaties
-USSR and US
-Israelis against the Egyptians
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34
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No.634- 19 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National Security]
[Duration: 7s ]
MIDDLE EAST
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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-USSR-Indian relations
-Possible reaction
-West Pakistan attack
-India
-Aid
-USSR
-1972 election
-Potential for animosity
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[National Security]
[Duration: 3s ]
INDIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
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-US intellectuals
35
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No.634- 19 (cont.)
Unknown Ambassador
Kissinger left at 6:34 pm.