Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 742 › Conversation 742-013

Nixon, Flanigan & Kissinger on Ambassadorial appointments

Monday, June 26, 1972 · 11:31 AM–12:08 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Flanigan, Peter M.; Bull, Stephen B.; White House operator; Kissinger, Henry A.; Shultz, George P.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation742-013 on Tape 742 (tape position 02:54:41–03:30:08)StartMonday, June 26, 1972 at 11:31 AMEndMonday, June 26, 1972 at 12:08 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 742-013 ↗

President Nixon met with Peter Flanigan, Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, and H.R. Haldeman to discuss high-level diplomatic appointments and the restructuring of the Council on International Economic Policy (CIEP). The group deliberated on potential candidates for various ambassadorial posts, specifically evaluating qualifications for assignments in Spain, Pakistan, and other nations. Furthermore, the President provided directives regarding international economic strategy, including concerns over World Bank loans to Iraq and India and the formation of an executive committee to streamline CIEP operations.

Audio for this conversation has not been released by the National Archives.

No transcript is available because the audio has not been released.

On June 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Peter M. Flanigan, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, Henry A. Kissinger, George P. Shultz, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:31 am to 12:08 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 742-013 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 742-13

Date: June 26, 1972
Time: 11:31 am - 12:08 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Peter M. Flanigan.

      Flanigan's previous trip to Europe
           -Anthony P.L. Barber
                 -Flanigan’s and the President’s view
                 -Relationship with Edward R.G. Heath
           -European Economic Community [EEC]
                 -US-British relationship
                      -Romania

      Spain ambassorship
           -Wiley Buchanan
           -Horatio Rivero
           -Problems with EEC
                 -Trade preferences
                       -Possible US action
                 -Shoes
           -Attributes for ambassador

                -Knowledge of Spanish military
                -Gen. Francisco Franco
                -Spanish language
          -Rivera
                -Qualifications
          -Henry Cabot Lodge

     Ambassadorships
        -Buchanan
              -The President’s view

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:30 am.

     Bull’s pager
          -Alexander P. Butterfield

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:42 am.

     Ambassadors
        -Luxembourg
        -Role in policy formulation
              -The President’s view
        -Denmark
              -Buchanan
              -Fred J. Russell

     Council on International Economic Policy (CIEP)
         -Organization structure
         -John B. Connally
         -George P. Shultz
         -Size
               -George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, Melvin R. Laird, David M. Kennedy
               -Shultz, William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter G. Peterson, Herbert
               Stein
         -Meetings with the President
               -The President’s view
         -Rogers
         -Robert S. McNamara
               -World Bank loans
                     -India

                      -Iraq
                -Appointment
           -Rogers
                -Role
                      -Department of State
                -Attitude
           -McNamara's appointment
                -Iraq loan
                -Kissinger, Connally
                -Vietnam

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 11:30 and
11:42 am.

[Conversation No. 742-13A]

[See Conversation No. 26-7]

[End of telephone conversation]

Kissinger entered at 11:42 am.

     CIEP
         -Connally
               -Roy L. Ash Council
         -Size
               -Problems
               -Volpe, Laird, Kennedy
               -Flanigan’s suggestion
                     -Executive committee
               -Executive committee
                     -Rogers's role
                          -Preparation
                     -Connally
         -McNamara's role
               -Loan to Iraq
               -Instructions for Shultz
                     -Loans
               -Iraq loan
                     -Iran's role

                      -McNamara's role
                -The President’s view
                      -Katharine L. Graham
                      -Chile and India loans
                -Instructions for Shultz
                      -Chile and India loans
                      -Expropriation

The President talked with Shultz between 11:45 am and 11:47 am.

[Conversation No. 742-13B]

[See Conversation No. 26-8]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Food prices
         -Roles of Connally and Shultz

     The President's conversation with Shultz
          -State Department
                -CIEP

     Relations with EEC
          -CIEP executive committee meeting
                -US policy
          -Trade preferences
          -Spain
                -Rivero
                      -The President’s view
                      -Franco relationship
                -Lodge
                      -Charles W. Colson's views
                -Rivero
                      -The President’s decision
     Future trade legislation
          -Effect on tax legislation

     Soviet Union
          -Peterson's forthcoming trip

                 -Future deal
                 -Negotiations
                 -Flanigan’s view
                 -Schedule
                 -Instructions from the President, Kissinger
                 -Terms of deal
                 -Negotiating strategy

Kissinger left at 11:54 am.

      Ambassadors
         -EEC
               -J. Robert Schaetzel
               -Joseph A. Greenwald
                     -Organization for Economic and Cooperation Development [OECD]
                     -Flanigan’s views
         -Iceland
         -Vacancies
               -State Department
                     -Career diplomats
         -Iceland
               -Importance
               -V. John Krehbiel
                     -Senate confirmation
         -Congressional approval
               -Strategy
                     -Career and political appointees
               -MacGregor
         -Spain
               -Rivero
         -Holland
               -Kingdon Gould, Jr.
               -J. William Middendorf, II
               -Ruth L. Farkas
                     -Luxembourg
         -Pakistan
               -Robert G. Neumann
                     -Afghanistan
                     -Rogers
                     -Political orientation

      -William B. Macomber, Jr.
      -Career diplomat
            -Hermann F. Eilts
            -The President’s view
-Malagasy Republic
      -Joseph A. Mendenhall
      -Anthony D. Marshall
-Pakistan
      -Requirements for Position
      -Macomber
            -Role in State Department
-Mendenhall
-Panama
      -Frank T. Bow
-Pakistan
      -George W. Landau
      -Robert B. Anderson
      -Fred J. Borch
            -The President’s view
            -Length of stay
      -Hoyt Amidon
      -George Champion
            -Canada
-Bangladesh
      -Landau
            -Kissinger’s view
            -The President’s view
-Vacancies
      -Australia
      -Denmark
      -Italy
      -Jamaica
      -New Zealand
      -Spain
      -Sweden
      -Poland
      -Portugal
      -OECD
      -Poland
            -Walter J. Stoessel, Jr.

                 -Martin J. Hillenbrand
                      -Stoessel
                 -Contributors
           -Pakistan
                 -Borch
           -Japan
                 -Robert S. Ingersoll
           -France
                 -US embassy building
                      -Flanigan’s view
                 -Arthur K. Watson

      Press attacks on the President
           -International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
           -G. Harrold Carswell
           -Watergate bugging incident
           -Gen. John D. Lavelle
           -Watergate break-in
                 -Reasons
                 -White House role
                 -John N. Mitchell's role
                 -Joseph C. Kraft

      Foreign economic policy makers
           -Peterson
           -Shultz
           -CIEP executive committee meeting

The President left and H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at an unknown time before 12:08 pm.

      Ambassadorial appointments
         -Senate confirmation
               -Rogers
               -Timing

Flanigan left at 12:08 pm.
  • 742-010 10:59 AM — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:59 am to 11:06 am.
  • 026-005 11:00 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:45 am.
  • 026-006 11:00 AM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:45 am.
  • 026-007 11:00 AM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:45 am.
  • 742-011 11:07 AM — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry Cabot Lodge, Charles W. Colson, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:07 am to 11:30 am.
  • 742-012 11:31 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:31 am.
  • 026-008 11:45 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 11:45 am to 11:47 am.
  • 026-009 11:47 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:47 am and 2:23 pm.

Conversation 742-013, June 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/742-013 (accessed September 30, 2026).