Nixon, Kissinger & Panggabean on Indonesia and Southeast Asia

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I'll get him out.

All right.

If it's ever making one more commitment, then let me keep it.

All right.

It says that these guys are very close.

Because we really don't need these guys.

Oh, I understand.

I understand.

Okay.

Look, you've got about ten minutes.

All right.

And I think I'll turn it down.

All right.

But I ask both of you to do this.

Why don't we get a picture over here?

Well, let's sit down over here.

Thank you for including that.

Thank you very much.

I would like to convey to you the kind of moment that former Christian, John, as you can tell, good, the time of my definition, I have been away for some ten years.

And secondly, I would like to express our sincere thanks and due appreciation for the

warm welcome and reception according to me, my wife, and the members of my party.

And thirdly, I also would like to express my deepest feeling of obligation to the government of the United States, and the honor conferred to me in awarding this region of my life.

I have to face the urgency that this man of holy name has done.

that it is extended to the armed forces of Indonesia as a whole.

And we have already submitted our report to the professor for what the condition of the situation is in Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Thailand, in the Philippines, and in Malaysia.

I hope that those reports will be able to be received.

I spoke to, I told the gentleman, Mr. President, that your interpretation of the next election had always been that we would remain committed.

Yeah.

And that Indonesia, to Asia, that Indonesia was, in your view, had always been the key country in Southeast Asia, that we were looking to play an important security role also, that we would talk to them after the election.

Right.

Ever since I met President Zahardo way back when I was out of office in 1967, I have a deep understanding of not only Indonesia's problems, which I've always had, but also very strong business support for Indonesia, for the present government, both on my visit there and his visit here.

and the business of other people.

The reason we want to pass the election and the public chief announcement is that there's no use to get all of our bills over here fluttering about.

But after the election, we'll have a different situation.

And then we know the need in Indonesia

a strength in our forces is indispensable.

I'm looking at Indonesia in terms of the world scene, particularly the scene in the Pacific.

The target of the communists is not Vietnam.

They'd like to get to that.

Or Singapore.

But the major target is Indonesia because it has more people and more resources.

And it stretches across 1,000 miles of territory.

And it stretches to the Philippines.

So geographically, I've made this speech many times.

Long before I met Dr. Christensen, I made these speeches about the Indonesia.

We've got to be sure that Indonesia is going to have that kind of strength.

Not a thing that's wrong.

Do you have a little sugar cream for your color here?

Yeah.

And...

Now, there is a doctrine, which I think you should know, among some elements, some elements in this country, including some elements in our government, thinking that Indonesia should be a very strong economic country, socially, politically, etc., but have a totally infinite military structure.

Well, then you'd be like a ripe plum ready to fall from the tree.

some scavengers from across the country picking it up.

Indonesia obviously doesn't need the strength to hurt anybody else, but it needs the strength to defend its own.

And we have 1,000 miles left, as I said.

And that comes daily.

It means, of course, that our Enforced Visible History Bureau, Dr. Christian and I have talked for a long time with you.

And we find that some people in our government don't deal this way.

The defense departments are, you know, without going into the whys and wherefores, these are honest men.

they don't recognize the necessity for Indonesia to have an adequate military capability.

We do.

I do.

And your president does.

He knows that.

He can't say as much.

But even in your government, there are people that don't want that.

They're afraid of the military.

So we know this.

So we want to help you economically, which we are able to do.

I always encourage business interests to go there and invest.

We want, of course, a good relationship with you in terms of our diplomatic situation.

But also on the military side, we consider it very important to see that your forces are gathered to defend yourself.

And that's the principle.

When we implement it, that you believe that us, after the election, we're going to be able to

leave the paper here, which you've done, and let our defense department people know, you'd be very honest with us to what you need.

I would not, I would not put it about too much in other channels, because then it'll be a big issue, you know.

Some of the peacemakers will say, oh, I have a major, it's going to be a big argument.

So, I don't know, you know, so we're, we want you to be strong, and we're going to help you be independent.

Thank you.

We're all from the other side.

I'm saying the catalog, everywhere, in the basin.

What do we think is going to happen?

Indonesia is gone.

Japan, done.

I mean, you've got to have these defenses.

We've got to have them.

Now he said we should make diplomatic relations with Lebanon, which is the one moderate government in the Middle East.

That's the real question.

How do you defend Israel?

That you have to prepare to shoot people in.

But how are you going to get the carriers there if you have no carriers?

You have to swim.

And they haven't got much to look for.

That's unbelievable.

I don't know what you think of that.

Egypt, we don't establish relations.

Who's talking about us establishing relations?

The whole thing is physical.

You notice the call of the sickness.

coming back to your I know it's probably Dr. Kistner's office who knows what history will predestine in terms of who sits in this office our elections are close and hard fought and so forth and so on and clearly part of the partnership I am the first man in this office who was born in the Pacific

point.

Also, I am the first man in this office who has traveled extensively.

I've been to the A.G.A.

and the college and, you know, I've had a lot of skin on this.

And that doesn't mean that I didn't learn anything, but everything I've traveled.

But it makes a lot of difference.

I've been to Japan, to D.C., to Vietnam, I haven't had any feelings for the people of that part of the country.

I think the people of Asia

of creation have a right to remain free.

I've been also to the PRC, and I have great respect for their leaders.

They're very able people.

As far as that kind of darkness is concerned, I told them that, and they told me just the opposite.

I don't want to get close to anybody else.

They should tend to them, and you should tend to yours.

That's my theory.

Do you agree?

Well, I just want to... No illusions.

We're for you.

And we're going to enjoy it.

And we'll help you.

Because we have a terrible time with our Congress people.

They cut and cut and cut.

So we borrow big.

We'll do better after the election.

Well,

All right, good.

And I want you, I want the general professor to have an overview of the complex.

Oh, the complex.

And in our supply, I do see this is the seal of the president.

I know.

And his life and all that.

And here it is in the complex.

We'll see it in the complex.

When we get that to the swing, we should be able to do it faster.

And the little ones are their wives, too.

These are the five flags of our services here that are always in the President's office.

Now these are the same things sealed for a wife.

Like I've heard, this is the presidential decoration.

You may talk to them.

Very good, everybody.

Oh, all right.

This is me.

Oh, yeah?

Well, we all hope to go to Chicago again someday and see how the progress is.

Thank you.

Nixon, Kissinger & Panggabean on Indonesia and Southeast Asia

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on September 8, 1972

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