Conversation: 665-001
Prev: 664-016 Next: 665-002Start Date: Thursday, February 3, 1972 2:18 PM
End Date: Thursday, February 3, 1972 3:52 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); [Unknown person(s)]; Rogers, William P.; Bull, Stephen B.; Keating, Kenneth B.; White House photographerRecording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:00:28
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:32:46
NARA Description:
On February 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), William P. Rogers, Stephen B. Bull, Kenneth B. Keating, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:18 am to 10:52 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 665-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 665-1
Date: February 3, 1972
Time: 9:18 am - 10:52 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
[Recording begins while the conversation is in progress]
Unknown man
-Candidate
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
The President’s forthcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Michael J. Mansfield’s point
-President’s critics
-Japan
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 9:20 am.
Edmund S. Muskie
-Strategy
-Speech
-Press coverage
Bangladesh
-US humanitarian assistance
-President’s upcoming trip to PRC
-Edward M. Kennedy’s criticism
-Percentage
Pearl M. Bailey
-Presentation of watch to President
-News conference
-Relationship with President
-Previous gift
2
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
Ted Lewis
-Criticism
-Vietnam peace plan
-Possible conversation with Herbert G. Klein
Muskie
-Speech
Arthur D. Sulzberger
Stewart J.O. Alsop
-Content of newspaper story
-Compared to Joseph W. Alsop
-Liability
-Otis Chandler’s opinion
Muskie speech
-Possible Administration response
-William P. Rogers’s role
-Call to President, February 2, 1972
-Schedule
-Irish Foreign Minister [Patrick Hillery]
-Rogers’s conversation with [Earl of Cromer] Georges R.S. Baring
-Vietnam
-Possible topic of conversation
-Conversations
-John A. Scali
-Charles W. Colson
-Follow-up conversation
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Working on the approach
-Melvin R. Laird
-Location
-Forthcoming conversation with Colson
-Forthcoming statement
-Rogers
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Statements by Gerald R. Ford, Robert J. Dole and William E. Brock, III, February 1,
1972
-Muskie
3
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
Media hearings
-Coverage of Edith Efron testimony
-Daniel L. Schorr
-Frank Stanton
-1968 campaign
-Coverage of President
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
-American Broadcasting Corporation [ABC]
-Ziegler, Klein
-Coverage of President
-Efron
-Access to audiotapes
-Laos
-Harley O. Staggers
-Stewart Alsop
-Rogers
-Possible statements
Muskie’s speech
-Possible Administration response
-Rogers, Laird
-Congressional hearings
-Buchanan’s view
-Media coverage
-Press conference
-Aid to Saigon
-Possible administration response
-Kissinger’s view
-President’s 1968 statement
-Rogers
-President’s 1966 statement concerning Lyndon B. Johnson’s Manila statement
-1968 statement
-Colson
-Rogers
-Manila statement
-US intentions
4
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
Vietnam
-Mansfield
-Withdrawal of amendment
-News summary
-New York Times communication with North Vietnam
-Timing
-Possible withdrawal for prisoners of war [POWs]
-William J. Porter
-Negotiations
-Probable deadline for POW release
-Press coverage
-Muskie’s speech
-Reported rejection of President’s peace plan
-Poll
Lewis
-Vietnam
-Criticism
-PRC initiative
-Colleagues’ views
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Conversation February 2, 1972
-Kenneth B. Keating
President’s forthcoming trip to PRC
-Press coverage
-Possible tone
-Communiqué
-Taiwan, Republic of China
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Proposed opinion
-US policy
-Defense treaty
-Japan
5
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
Muskie speech
-Possible administration response
-Rogers
-Newsweek
-Foreign Service
-Loyalty
-Test
Ireland
-US policy
-Possible impact on the British
-Rogers’s concern
-Inquiries from Buckley and Richard J. Daley
-Rogers’s upcoming meeting with Hillery
Keating
-Upcoming meeting with the President
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Type of communication
-Forthcoming Senate testimony
-Lakshmi Kant Jha
-Foreign Relations Committee
-Cable
-Efforts of Joseph J. Sisco and Rogers
-India - Pakistan War
-Indira Gandhi
-State Department talking points
-Jack N. Anderson papers
-Forthcoming conversation with President
-Gandhi’s visit
-State Department memoranda
-US-Indian relations
-Possible problems
-Kissinger’s conversation with Jha
-Timing
-Bangladesh
-US policy
6
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
-Possible willingness to accept recognition
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Bangladesh
-Pakistan
-Arms sales
Bangladesh
-US aid
-Humanitarian relief
-Percentage of United Nations [UN] contributions
-State Department views
-Definitive answer after President’s trip to PRC
Keating
-Forthcoming Senate testimony
-Gandhi
-Restoration of US aid
-The President’s forthcoming world report
-Restoration of US aid
-Kissinger’s view
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 42s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
******************************************************************************
Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Forthcoming conversation with President
-Tenure in office
-Upcoming offensive
7
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
Porter
-Style
President’s schedule
-Joseph S. Farland
-Florida
-Previous meeting
-Keating
-Forthcoming call from Farland
-Ambassadors
Yevgeny Yevtushenko
-Rogers’s memorandum to the President
-Content
-Announcement
Rogers’s schedule
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Kissinger’s memorandum
-Location
-Florida
[Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 9:18 am and 9:49 am.]
[Conversation No. 665-1A]
Kissinger’s memorandum
Kissinger left at 9:49 am.
[No conversation]
Kissinger entered at 9:51 am.
Kissinger’s memorandum
Yevtushenko
-State Department
-Comment about Vietnam
-Liberals
8
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
[The President talked with Rogers between 9:52 am and 9:55 am.]
[Conversation No. 665-1B]
[See Conversation No. 20-43]
Yevtushenko
-Views of Vietnam
-Dobrynin
-Liberals
-Public relations
-Memorandum from Rogers
Ireland
-President’s recent conversation with Rogers
-US policy
-Rogers’s conversations
-Earl of Cromer, Hillery
-US policy
-Possible impact on the British
-Edward R.G. Heath
-Analogy to US domestic situation
President’s schedule
-Farland
-Upcoming meeting
-Key Biscayne
-Briefing books
-Preparation for forthcoming trip to PRC
-Mao Tse-tung, Chou En-lai
-Biographies
-Mao’s favorite novels
-Keating
-Timing
-Bunker
-Timing
Kissinger left at 9:59 am.
9
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
-Farland
-President’s reading material on PRC
-Buchanan
-Kissinger
-Key Biscayne
-Timing
-Departure time
-Reception
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 5s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
******************************************************************************
Vietnam
-Problems with departments
-Negotiations
-October 1971
-Rogers, Laird
-Cambodia
-Kissinger compared to Rogers
-Kissinger’s personality
-Conflict
President’s schedule
-Yevtushenko
-Rogers’s possible actions
-Rogers’s memorandum
-Timing
10
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
-Press photograph
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
-Kissinger’s request
-Drug story
Rogers
-Henry Kissinger
-Previous conversation with Haldeman
-Lunch with Benjamin C. Bradlee, February 2, 1972
-Katharine L. Graham
-Concern for Rogers
-Previous relationship with Graham
-Foreign policy problems
-John N. Mitchell
-Schedule
-Dobrynin’s meeting
-Israelis
-Unknown meetings
-Kissinger
-Credit
-Assumed credit
John B. Connally
-Relations within administration
-David M. Kennedy
Kennedy
-Perceived role
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-The President, Kissinger
-Tenure
-Travel allowance
-Amount
-Rogers, Connally
-Request for more money
-Haldeman’s forthcoming meeting with Connally, Peter M. Flanigan, and Kissinger
-President’s instructions
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:59 am.
11
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
Keating
Bull left at an unknown time before 10:08 am.
Kennedy
-Role with administration
Kissinger entered at 10:08 am.
-NATO post
-US Ambassadors in Brussels and Geneva
-Relations with Connally
-Kissinger’s possible conversation with Kennedy
-Kissinger’s possible conversation with Connally
-Haldeman
-Flanigan
-Connally’s role
-Leadership
Flanigan
-Role with administration
-Peter G. Peterson
Connally
-Role with administration
-Kennedy
Kennedy
-Role with administration
-NATO job
-Supervisory role
-Relations with Connally
-Cabinet
-Geneva
-Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
[OECD] ambassador’s report
-Flanigan’s forthcoming efforts
-Connally’s view
-Relations with Connally
-Negotiations
-Kissinger’s previous talk with Connally
12
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
-Trade negotiations with Japan
-Kennedy’s role
-State Department
-President’s instructions
-Haldeman’s forthcoming efforts
The President’s schedule
Keating and the White House photographer entered at 10:14 am.
Prayer breakfast
Distribution of photographs
Haldeman and the White House photographer left at 10:15 am.
India-Pakistan relations
-Historic relationship
-Previous wars
-Partition
-1962
-1971
-Possible future
-Possible future relationships
-European Community
-Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
-Mujibur Rahman
-Gandhi
-USSR
-PRC
-Relationship with India
-1962 War
-Pakistan
-Keating’s forthcoming testimony
-Timing
-Anderson’s papers
-Keating’s cables
-Keating’s approach and knowledge
-Farland [?]
Bangladesh
13
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
-US policy
-Peking visit
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
[National Security]
[Duration: 8s ]
INDIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
******************************************************************************
-Decision making process
-Announcement
-Timing
-PRC trip
-Semantics
-Proposed US action
-President’s instructions to Keating
-Pragmatism
-PRC
-India
President’s forthcoming world report to Congress
-Timing
-US relations with India
-Dialogue
-Use by Keating
-Indian foreign secretary [Trikoli Nath Kaul]
-Senate testimony
-Foreign aid
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
India-Pakistan
-US policy
-President’s conversations with Gandhi, November 4-5, 1971
-State Department memoranda
-Kissinger
-Toast
-Jawaharlal Nehru
-US aid
-Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan
-Unilateral withdrawal
-Refugee problems
-Keating’s forthcoming conversations with Indians
-President’s previous contributions to India
-Competition with PRC
-Democracy
-UN
-Non-alignment
-USSR
-Kissinger’s briefing of Keating
-PRC
-President’s and Keating’s experience
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 18
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 5s ]
INDIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 18
**************************************************************************
Triloki Nath Kaul
-Relationship with Keating
-Conversations with Keating
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
-Overtures for better relations
-Relationship with Kissinger
-Kaul’s USSR sentiment
[Forename unknown] Dar
President’s conversation with Kaul
-Blair House
-Accommodations
-Compared to British
Kaul
-Closeness to the USSR
-Conversations with Keating
-Kissinger’s conversations with Jha
-Gandhi
-Kissinger’s instructions to Keating
Keating
-Communications with Kissinger
-State Department
-[David] Kenneth Rush and Bunker
-Walter H. Annenberg
-State Department
Leaks
-State Department
-French
-Kissinger’s previous trips to Paris
India
-Relations with the Administration
-Japan
-President’s forthcoming trip to PRC
-Aid
-US law
-US policy
-Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
-B. Everett Jordan
-Republicans’ views
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
-UN resolutions on conflict with Pakistan
-Apology
-Point by UN Secretary General
-Aid
-Basis
-Refugees
-Percentage of UN assistance
-Bangladesh
-PRC trip
-Announcement
Bangladesh
-US policy
-Refugees
-Edward M. Kennedy’s statement
-Veracity
Keating’s forthcoming senate testimony
-Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-White House
-India-Pakistan War
-US policy
-State of the Union address
-Briefing for Keating
-Dr. David K.E. Bruce
-State Department’s views
-Keating’s upcoming testimony
-Previous meetings with Kennedy and W[illiam] Stuart Symington
-Possible political issue
-Anderson’s papers
Keating
-Role as ambassador
-Previous conversations with Kissinger and the State Department
-Forthcoming Senate testimony
-India-Pakistan War
-US policy
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
US-India relations
-Keating’s conversations
-Kaul’s speech
-Relationship with Gandhi
-India’s relationship with
-USSR
-PRC
-US
-US wish for India to succeed
-Keating’s forthcoming message for Kaul
-Discussion with the President
-Memorandum
Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Kennedy
-Conversations with Keating
-Rockefeller’s location
-Ron Stafford
******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 17s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
******************************************************************************
Personnel management
-Annenberg
-Tenure
-Keating
-Tenure in office
-Preparation for possible resignation
******************************************************************************
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 665-1 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 17
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 4s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 17
******************************************************************************
Gifts
-Money clip
Keating
-Security
Unknown woman
Keating and Kissinger left at 10:52 am.