Nixon, Ziegler & Kissinger on 1972 Election and Anti-Terrorism

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Sir, we're going to release the text.

It's all right.

Sure.

All right.

Also, it's better if you put out the text on that little cancer.

All right.

I have finished that in the library system.

I thought that if you'd like to, since we're off the next morning or whatever, that you could give that out the night before.

All right.

But the asshole's right.

Mm-hmm.

All right.

Okay, I'm in on Wednesday night.

Yes, sir.

How was the touch today?

Good.

They paid their respects to their favorite son?

Yes, sir.

It was nice, man.

They were really supportive.

Supportive of him.

And they supported him.

It was a good opportunity to talk about, you know, a lot of the things.

You know, I'm just going to appear.

I said the whole speech talking about what you and how you and the office talked about the Soviet Union.

They really sparked in that story about the three collective leaders walking in the door and walking alone from the other door.

First words, if you say, you and the gentleman, I've been an anti-communist all my life.

And I want you to know that my position hasn't changed.

There was a student with science for a while who proceeded and said, you know, we know.

We represent a reputation.

And I said, it's all not really a reality that these historic negotiations have begun.

They get up and they get up and they get up each year because it shows, you see, that you have it.

I had forgotten to set it exactly that way.

Well, sir, I brought it in.

I know.

That's why you started it.

And then talking about, you know, my answer, another complaint that I made, which was effective, and I had done this before, was a quote from your acceptance speech, where you said, you added to, you said, in addition to that, I made this solemn commitment to, you know, consecrate all I can.

That's right.

Your acceptance speech in 69.

You're an honorable address.

Honorable address.

to achieve world peace, and then refer to what you've done in terms of accomplishment.

You know, when you think of all the Asian crime, and the China-Russia thing.

But they are really responsive to that.

I'd like to start talking about international monetary things, the big deal, Schultz, Harvard.

It is to this cross.

Thank you for everything you did.

To the average person in the world.

It's all God.

Is it?

No.

It's alright.

It's important.

It's what I'm supposed to be doing.

Right?

It doesn't do any harm.

Although he's not in the prayer, he has some great things to say.

He's very popular.

I think he's going to do alright.

He will.

Jim Snyder was there.

He's kind of a nut.

Jim Snyder?

Yeah.

But he's our friend, and he has to be.

The place I really enjoyed was going back to the high school, though, out on the football field.

And again... You're a high school?

Yes, sir.

And, again, that gave me an opportunity to talk about, you know, the important thing, you know, is relating to football.

Not making the team, but not getting up again and fighting.

And I refer to a fact that I use.

Yeah, right.

What is that?

and to fight it with the polls, whenever you're ever asked.

We, as the president said at the Senate Command, we're not paying any attention to polls.

We're out to conduct a campaign on the issues, to give the people of their choice.

And we're going to carry our case for the people across this nation.

Without regard to geography, with race, age, anything, it's going to all of these consequences.

Don't you agree?

Mm-hmm.

Absolutely.

One of McGarrett's people who got to Christ Almighty later, he was playing politics with a prisoner.

Right.

And so I told Henry, he wanted you to say that McGarrett was playing politics.

I don't care how rough it gets.

Never referred to him by name.

Never referred to him.

Always say, I'm not going to comment on what he said.

I'm going to say, here it is.

Here it is.

The facts are that we think, that we know that people who have been locked up in the homeless are responsible.

It's their choice whether they want it or not.

And they've been sold for it.

I don't want to answer that question.

That's where I'm going.

Many people, and no one, you could say no one should play politics in this business.

We're certainly not in line.

But I would be very careful that they don't have a quote out of here.

Well, that may be some quote, some credit, but I just don't like it.

For us, the White House, ever to dignify it.

He's driving the law for me.

I never say a word.

I think it's very important that you just play it that way.

I just thought exactly what you and I agreed on.

That statement, he's got no idea.

Just listen back.

One other thing, Mr. President, before I go away, I wanted to check with you.

We're going to announce today the formation of an anti-terror cabinet-level committee.

It's pure...

He did when we said you wanted it.

He's chairman of it.

The reason we do it, Mr. President, is good for your meeting with the Jewish leaders tomorrow.

The Israelis want it.

It doesn't cost us a goddamn thing.

It's like the narcotic...

Let's put the head of the FBI on the line.

Sure.

I don't want to just have a bunch of jerks in the city.

No, no, no.

It's a cabinet-level committee.

It gives Rogers a lot of prestige.

Well, fine.

Let's put both Helms and Ryan.

Let's put ex-officio both Helms and Pat Gray on.

Good.

Ex-officio, all right?

Easy to do.

Secondly, I talked about the interest now about your meeting with the Jewish leaders.

He thinks it would be good if you made a brief opening statement.

And he said the way to handle it is, don't let them ask you too many questions.

You should say, I'm writing it up, and you'll get it.

You should say, look, our policy has been consistent.

Every bandit that goes to Israel, that Israel has, was put in by my administration.

Two-thirds of the skyhawks.

We have supported Israel.

We've done enough for the elections.

We've done it for four years, and I would say we'll continue to do it, because in that area, we'll continue to support them.

I made no big promises before the elections, and I'm going to be very cold-blooded with them.

And I said, I'm quite aware of the fact that I had very little support from the Jewish community, and you're aware of that fact.

But I did it because I believe that Israel's at risk for our interests.

That's why I'm supporting it.

I don't change my view if it's...

just four weeks before the election, or will I change it after the election?

Rafin said, if you give them that feeling, there'll be, and then you can say, now, as for the emigration, I've also talked to Travis about it, without telling him, and he said, that would, his alliance, it would go well.

He said, as for the emigration, I would say, we oppose this policy, or we oppose it, but we have to act in our own way, and in the context of this general commitment,

One other thing, sir.

Well, I just thought, before you remember the other thing, let me say that we are in a life of cannibalism.

I will say now, a lot of you are not as aware of the conversations I have had with the prime minister, and I have a very close relationship with her.

She calls me on the phone many times.

We don't read about it in the press.

And I said, she knows.

She can come.

She knows.

And when people talk loosely about the fact, well, we'll send American forces to help Israel, I said, how are they going to go slim?

I said, the main thing.

I said, I talked to her about this.

I said, we don't want your men.

She said, give us the arms.

We can hold the ring against the Russians.

I said, that's what we're doing.

I'm going to stick a film on that.

I think the other point that needs to be made, and also I said, one thing is that

over the past four years, whether it's in China, Russia, any other areas, we've always done a lot more than you say.

I'm not going to tell you what we've done, but I just want you to know this is what I believe for these people.

But I know you've got to trust me as to the best way to do it.

And I wouldn't go into any further detail.

Now, Rafiq told me,

that McGovern, when he talked to this group, talked a lot about the UN.

And he said that turned them all off.

And so you can get in a crack at the UN.

We're not counting at the UN.

We're doing it ourselves or something.

Secondly, Rafi told me, and I'm going to mention this to all of them, that Gary Hart gave a speech at George Washington University last week saying every time Israel makes a move against Lebanon or Syria, the United States should publicly condemn it.

And he said we ought to get that out

And he said we don't really... And he'd get it out for us if we... Why do we want to get it out?

We ought to publicly condemn it.

Gary Hart said we ought to condemn Israel every time it moves against Israel.

Good God, really.

Yeah.

I'll tell him right now.

He said if anybody here takes Gary Hart on, he will see to it that it will go all over the Jewish community.

He just has to have a head to hang it on.

I mean, rapine is all out on the outside.

He said that, the son of a bitch.

Yeah.

We've been very careful about that.

I mean, we think we should have done it privately, you know.

That's right.

Never publicly.

That's right.

That's why you mentioned it.

I think Gary Hart said it.

Oh, yeah.

Rick Stearns is the one that said it.

Oh, no, I'm sorry.

Stearns is the one that said it.

Why is it that in that crowd they would have men so they had so much of a movie to watch?

Why in the name of God?

Because he's got the Jewish soldiers.

Why are they?

And Matthew was his.

No, he's Jewish.

He's Lebanese.

He's probably Jewish.

But this makes a difference.

The point is, why are they taking on?

Because they're radicals.

Well, they are, too, but their doctrine is these radicals now.

They are forming an international radical movement.

And so, therefore, they're on the side of the guerrillas.

There it is.

Of course, they're going to run a big lot of rioting against us on September 6th.

I hope that helps you.

Okay, okay.

I'll take it off then.

So let's go with it.

I'm glad you insisted, but I think this is the first speech of the international month.

It's an awful speech, but it makes you... Well, I work on it over the weekend, and I put it in the

God, I think in the light of what's happening tomorrow with Schultz's speech.

What?

In the light of Schultz's speech.

Oh, yeah.

Which you identify with.

Oh, sure.

It will give you a recognition for constructive leadership.

And I've got word to whom we do that at a time and to me that they're both delighted to send messages over the weekend to you.

The possibility is that what?

About the substance of which direction they're going.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

and that we want that without error.

Nixon, Ziegler & Kissinger on 1972 Election and Anti-Terrorism

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Also recorded on September 25, 1972

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