Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 781 › Conversation 781-009

Nixon & Ziegler on Narcotics control and Foreign aid

Monday, September 18, 1972 · 11:37 AM ET · Oval Office ·28 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation781-009 onTape 781StartMonday, September 18, 1972 at 11:37 AMEndMonday, September 18, 1972 at 11:37 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 781-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discussed the strategic messaging for the President's recent address at the Conference on International Narcotics Control. They focused on characterizing the influx of foreign narcotics as a national security threat equivalent to an armed invasion. The President emphasized the importance of utilizing this analogy to justify tying foreign aid to international drug control cooperation.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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the United States from abroad are as great an enemy as an armed force coming in.
You know, it's been destroyed.
That's the key line that we want to get across.
All right.

NARA Description

On September 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:37 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 781-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 781-9

Date: September 18, 1972
Time: 11:37 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

             The President’s recent speech to Conference on International
             Narcotics Control
             -Influx of dangerous drugs into US
                  -Analogy
                  -Foreign aid

Ziegler left at 11:37 am.

Also recorded on September 18, 1972

  • 781-033 11:17 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:17 am to 11:18 am.
  • 781-007 11:18 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Terry Ann Meeuwsen, Beverly Meeuwsen, Laurie Lee Schaefer, Dorothy Schwager, and Henry C. Cashen, II met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:18 am to 11:33 am.
  • 781-008 11:33 AM · 22 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:33 am and 11:36 am.
  • 781-010 11:37 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jack O. Hicks, John J. Keller, William F. Rhatican, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:37 am to 11:44 am.
  • 781-011 11:45 AM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:45 am.
  • 781-012 11:45 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, David N. Henderson, John E. Nidecker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 11:52 am.
  • 781-013 11:53 AM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:53 am.
  • 781-014 11:54 AM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William M. Colmer, Adm. Wallis M. Enger, George Ryder, John E. Nidecker, White House photographer, William E. Timmons, Manolo Sanchez, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:54 am to 12:16 pm.

All 44 conversations from September 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 781-009, September 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/781-009 (accessed September 18, 2026).