Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 686 › Conversation 686-007

Nixon & Kissinger on National Security Council and Anti-ballistic missiles

Friday, March 17, 1972 · 10:09 AM–10:13 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation686-007 on Tape 686 (tape position 00:30:15–00:33:32)StartFriday, March 17, 1972 at 10:09 AMEndFriday, March 17, 1972 at 10:13 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 686-007 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger coordinated strategy ahead of a National Security Council meeting involving William Rogers, Melvin Laird, and Gerard Smith. Their discussion focused on navigating complex negotiations regarding anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs) and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with the Soviet Union. Nixon determined that he would personally interject to override Smith’s position if necessary to ensure administration control over the defense posture.

Audio

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This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 00:30:15 into the tape and ends around 00:33:32.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
30:29If you could lean, there's this thing in your top side.
30:37See that?
30:57My recommendation is that you rule the game, but not as to me, but as to other folks I'm very interested in.
31:03Because Smith is trying to get us out of the field at the end.
31:08If he can't get us out of the field, I rule this defense.
31:12It gives me the heart, and I'll try to do it.
31:15I'll present this defense as a heart check, and if you want me to read for that, give me a chance to do it, and I'll be interested in it, and I'll go ahead and do that at the end.
31:24Well, here's the answer.
31:45There's also what he wants next, that is to say, one side.
31:48Now, one side, after he started with 12, it's going to put him in a hell of a hole.
31:54I'm just going to tell him, I'm going to leave him to say that I don't agree with that.
32:01And I'm going to show him what I'm going to let him do.
32:04So I think it's okay to rule this sort of thing on.
32:06He's got to believe it.
32:07He's got to believe it.
32:09We're going to get it.
32:12Now we've got to put it up there too.
32:16It's going to make less of it without it.

NARA Description

On March 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:09 am to 10:13 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 686-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 686-7

Date: March 17, 1972
Time: 10:09 - 10:13 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

      The President's forthcoming meeting with the National Security Council [NSC]
           -William P. Rogers
           -Melvin R. Laird
           -Defense Department
           -Gerard C. Smith
                 -Anti-ballistic missiles [ABMs]
                 -Submarine-launched ballistic missiles [SLBMs]
                       -Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
                 -Soviet Union
                 -Possible leak
           -Laird

The President and Kissinger left at 10:13 am.

Also recorded on March 17, 1972

  • 686-005 9:54 AM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:54 am and 9:56 am.
  • 686-006 9:56 AM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Barbara H. Franklin, Judy Kaufman, Jacqueline G. Gutwillig, Virginia R. Allan, Dr. Margaret Long Arnold, Mrs. Paul Bethel, Lorraine L. Blair, Julie Casterman Connor, Sarah Jane Cunningham, Robert A. Griffin, Maxine R. Hacke, Mrs. Charles M. Hamel, Margaret J. Mealey, Hazel Palmer, Mrs. Chapman Revercomb, Mrs. Daniel H. Wasserman, Irene Wischer, Elizabeth D. Koontz, Catherine East, Bertha Whittaker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:56 am to 10:08 am.
  • 095-002 10:13 AM · 1 hr 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird, Gen. George A. Lincoln, John B. Connally, John N. Irwin, II, Richard M. Helms, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Ronald I. Spiers, David M. Kennedy, Gerard C. Smith, Philip J. Farley, Spurgeon M. Keeny, Jr., [Name withdrawn], Gen. Royal B. Allison, Paul H. Nitze, Henry A. Kissinger, Col. Richard T. Kennedy, Philip A. Odeen, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, and Gardiner L. Tucker, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:13 am and 11:54 am.
  • 686-008 11:55 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:55 am to 12:00 pm.
  • 686-009 12:00 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 pm and 12:05 pm.
  • 686-010 12:05 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William Warnack, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Marion H. Smoak, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:11 pm.
  • 686-011 12:16 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Tina Diver, Neil Diver, and Margita E. White met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:16 pm and 12:19 pm.
  • 687-002 12:16 PM · 18 sec — Tina Diver, Neil Diver, and Margita E. White met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:16 pm to 12:19 pm.

All 55 conversations from March 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 686-007, March 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/686-007 (accessed October 3, 2026).