Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 666 › Conversation 666-003

Bull on Foreign policy and Negotiation strategy

Monday, February 7, 1972 · 11:54 AM–12:23 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsBull, Stephen B.; [Unknown person(s)]Conversation666-003 on Tape 666 (tape position 02:35:57–02:38:08)StartMonday, February 7, 1972 at 11:54 AMEndMonday, February 7, 1972 at 12:23 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 666-003 ↗

AI Summary

Stephen B. Bull and an unidentified participant discuss the administration’s messaging strategy regarding negotiations and the potential for a political settlement. The conversation focuses on clarifying the U.S. position on separating political and military issues while critiquing the use of propaganda channels. They emphasize a preference for formal bargaining sessions and ensure consistent messaging across official channels, including past statements from the President and Henry Kissinger.

Audio

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Position in tape: 02:35:57 – 02:38:08

part A, 2:01:48

666a.mp3
666b.mp3
666c.mp3

NARA Description

On February 7, 1972, Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:54 am and 12:23 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 666-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 666-3

Date: February 7, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:54 pm and 12:23 pm
Location: Oval Office

Stephen B. Bull met with an unknown person.

     Request for a call to the press office
         -Bull’s schedule

Bull and the unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:23 pm.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

I said no.
They have always insisted, in one way or another, on a political condition.
They would never allow a separation.
That is good.
Now, a good way to handle that would be if I'm asked that.
They've always insisted on a political connection.
The President of the United States has said that.
The Secretary of State has said that.
And McKissick has said it in the records.
That's right.
Okay.
And then now she's interrupted.
Now, on the other hand, I would not leave the impression, I still leave a little door open with regard to the possibility of negotiations being given up.
No.
No, we, but frankly, the way to succeed in negotiations is not to have this propaganda channel.
This, that we don't buy propaganda shots is not the way that what we, we think what we do is shoot.
go to the bargaining table, bargaining table, either in public or private sessions, whatever they want.
We're ready to negotiate.
They don't have any trick language in the transcript today to make the point that they don't make a political decision.
They never did.
They never did.
going on for just exactly a trip.
In August, we had already moved to it.
Same thing, the political and military things.
May 31st, they turned it down.
After they made the announcement, we did it because they're very good.
In August, one new location said that in August, we again opted for the military.
Well, that's what we said in the speech.
Yeah?
That's Frank.
Oh, jeez.
Call Frank, son.

Also recorded on February 7, 1972

  • 020-047 11:41 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:41 am and 3:41 pm.
  • 090-001 11:54 AM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, United States Attorneys, Treasury Department officials, and Justice Department officials, including Whitney N. Seymour, Jr., William D. Keller, James R. Thompson, Jr., Harold H. Titus, Jr., Louis C. Bechtle, Ralph Guy, Jr., Joseph L. Tauro, James L. Browning, Jr., Richard L. Thornburgh, George Beall, Herbert J. Stein, Anthony J. P. Farris, Eldon B. Mahon, Stan Pitkin, John W. Stokes, Jr., Donald O'Connor, Harry D. Steward, Robert W. Rust, James L. Treece, Gerald J. Gallinghouse, Daniel Bartlett, Frederick Coleman, Sidney I. Lezak, William Smitherman, William W. Milligan, David J. Cannon, John L. Briggs, Wayman G. Sherrer, James M. Sullivan, Jr., F. L. Peter Stone, Richard G. Kleindeinst, Myles J. Ambrose, Henry E. Petersen, Jerris Leonard, John E. ("Jack") Ingersoll, Harlington Wood, Jr., Eugene T. Rossides, John F. Hanlon, Egil ("Bud") Krogh, Jr., Geoffrey C. Shepard, the White House photographer, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 11:54 am to 12:18 pm.
  • 666-004 11:54 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:54 am and 12:23 pm.
  • 666-005 11:54 AM · 2 min — Manolo Sanchez and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:54 am and 12:23 pm.
  • 090-004 12:18 PM · 2 min — Unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 12:18 pm on February 7, 1972 and 11:22 am on February 9, 1972.
  • 666-009 12:18 PM · 1 min — Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:18 pm and 12:23 pm.
  • 666-010 12:18 PM · 49 sec — Stephen B. Bull and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:18 pm and 12:23 pm.
  • 666-006 12:42 PM · 48 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Manolo Sanchez, Stephen B. Bull, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:42 pm to 1:30 pm.

All 49 conversations from February 7, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 666-003, February 7, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/666-003 (accessed November 2, 2026).