President Nixon, King Hussein of Jordan, Henry Kissinger, and Zaid al-Rifai met to discuss the Middle East peace process and bilateral US-Jordanian relations, including military and economic aid requirements. The participants analyzed the regional security environment, specifically the influence of the Soviet Union, the threat posed by Iraq and Syria, and the potential for private, rather than public, negotiations between Jordan and Israel. Nixon committed to reviewing Jordan's urgent budgetary and military aid requests sympathetically, while Kissinger coordinated follow-up channels to maintain progress on peace negotiations.
On February 6, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, King Hussein ibn Talal, White House operator, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, and Zaid al-Rifai met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:34 am to 12:38 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 850-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 850-8
Date: February 6, 1973
Time: 11:34 am - 12:38 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with [Hussein, King of Jordan] Hussein ibn Talal; the White House
photographer, members of the press and Ronald L. Ziegler were present at the beginning of the
meeting.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
Greetings
Seating arrangements
[Photograph session]
-Number of sets
Subjects for discussion
-Middle East settlement
-US-Jordan relations
-Military aid
-Richard M. Helms
Henry A. Kissinger and Zaid al-Rifai entered at an unknown time after 11:34 am.
Introductions
Message
-Timing
Middle East
-Hussein’s view
-US-Jordan relations
-US economic and military aid
-President’s meeting with Golda Meir
-President’s meeting with Edward R. G. Heath
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Soviet Union
-Vietnam
-Solutions
Kissinger’s schedule
-Possible conversation with Hussein
-Meeting with the President
-Forthcoming trip to Hanoi
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
-Possible meeting with Hussein or al-Rifai
-Forthcoming meeting with Meir
-Al-Rifai’s schedule [?]
Middle East
-US leadership
-Peace and understanding
-US-Jordan relations
-Hussein’s previous meeting with the President
-Israel
-Egypt
-Expulsion of Soviet advisers
-Anwar el-Sadat
-Possible military action
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 44 s ]
EGYPT
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**********************************************************************
Middle East
-Egypt
-Partial compared to total settlement
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
[Duration: 31 s ]
-15-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
EGYPT
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**********************************************************************
Middle East
-Syria-Israel relations
-Hostilities
-Compared to pre-1967 war situation
-Gamal Abdel Nasser
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National security]
[Duration: 15 s ]
SYRIA-ISRAEL RELATIONS
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************
Middle East
-Jordan’s relations with Syria
-Borders
-Airspace
-Damascus
-Jordan’s relations with Egypt
-Talks
-Sadat
-Syria
-Exchange of letters
-Normalize relations
-16-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
-Fedayeen
-Hostilities
-Unified command of armed forces
-Soviet Union’s policy
-Egypt
-Suez Canal
-1967 war
-United Nations [UN]
-Security Council Resoltuion 242
-Resolution 242
-Soviet Jew’s emigration to Israel
-Effect
-Iraq
-Iran
-Threat
-Gulf states, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan
-Syria
-Military assistance
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National security]
[Duration: 2 s ]
SYRIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
**********************************************************************
-Iraq
-Tanks
-Syria’s 1970 incursion into Jordan
-Syria and Iraq
-Mediterranean Sea
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
-Persian Gulf
-Egypt
-Iraq
-Intelligence
-Mustafa Barzani
-US aid
-Iran
-Jordan-Israel relations
-Occupied territories
-West and East banks
-Avoidance of hostilities
-Settlement agreement
-Israel troop withdrawal
-Western Valley of Jordan River
-Jerusalem
-Arabs
-Christians
-Muslims
-Political status
-Dual sovereignty
-Security
-Compared to Kissinger’s previous meetings
-Duration
-B-52’s [?]
-Persian Gulf
-Oman
-Artillery
-Advisers
-Training
-Jordan Arab Army [JAA]
-Sultan Qabus
-Abu Dhabi
-[Shah of Iran] Mohammed Reza Pahlaui
-Sheikh Zaid
-Saudi Arabia
-Territorial dispute
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
-Embassies
-Sana
-Yemen Arab Republic
-US involvement
-Communism, Arab extremism
-Jordan’s role
-Financial support
-Communism, Arab extremism
-Iraq
-Fedayeen
-Lebanon and Syria
-Jordan’s economy
-Syria
-Border
-Agriculture
-Weather losses
-International conference
-3 year Development Plan
-Investment
-Budget
-US aid
-Deficits
-Recurring expenses
-US aid
-Khartoum subsidies
-Kuwait
-Egypt
-Syria
-Meeting in Cairo, Egypt
-Arab ministers
-Jordan’s military
-Modernization
-Deliveries
-Enlargement
-Firepower
-Mobility
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
-Syria and Iraq
-Threat
-Soviet Union
-Advanced weaponry
-Imbalance
-“Soviet threat”
-Iraq compared to Syria
-Soviet advisers
-Compared to Egypt
-Jordan’s northern border
-Jordan-Israel relations
-Negotiations
-Possible settlement
Memoranda
-Distribution
-Kissinger, President
-Helms
Middle East
-Analysis
-Syria and Iraq
-Soviet threat
-US-Jordan relations
Independence
-1970 crisis
-Aid
-Increase
-Problems
-US budget
-Jordan’s military
-Modernization
-Current operating expenses
-Kuwait and Saudi Arabia aid
-Gulf
-20-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
Middle East
-US-Jordan relations
-Aid
-Jordan’s budget deficit
-Timing
-Army and civil service salaries
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National security]
[Duration: 35 s ]
MIDDLE EAST
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
**********************************************************************
Middle East
-US-Jordan relations
-Aid
-Necessity
-Sympathy
-US budget problems
-Negotiations
-Amount
-Grant aid for operating expenses
-Support for development projects
-Hussein’s previous visit to the US
-Hussein’s request
-Resolution
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
[National security]
[Duration: 24 s ]
MIDDLE EAST
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
**********************************************************************
Kissinger’s schedule
-Return to Washington, DC
-California
Middle East
-US-Jordan relations
-Aid
-Military
-Operating costs
-Army and civilian government budgeting
-Dinais
-Deficit
-Grant aid
-Civilian government aid
-President’s recent meeting with Congressional leaders
-Negotiations
-Strategies
-Compared to Vietnam
-Egypt-Israel settlement first
-Jordan-Israel settlement second
-Egypt and Jordan-Israel settlement
-Egypt-Israel settlement first
-Presidential Information
-Jordan-Israel settlement first
-Break deadlock
-Public compared to private channels
-Fear of failure of public negotiations
-22-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
-Sadat
-Compared to Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger’s orle
-Propaganda
-B-52s
-Meir’s role in negotiations
-Tactics
-Compared to substance
-Jerusalem
-Borders
-Hussein’s view
-Private talks with Israel
-Chances of progress
-Sadat
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[National security]
[Duration: 7 s ]
MIDDLE EAST
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
**********************************************************************
-Flexibility with strategies
-Private
-Jordan-Israel settlement
-Egypt-Israel settlement
-Timing
-Objections
-Upcoming Israeli elections
-US elections
-Jordan-Israel negotiations
-23-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
-Private channels
-Egypt-Israel settlement
-Complexity
-Jordan’s flexibility
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[National security]
[Duration: 51 s ]
EGYPT
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
**********************************************************************
Middle East
-Negotiations
-Jordan’s intransigence
-Compared to Egypt, Israel [?]
-Time
-Sadat
-War of attrition
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[National security]
[Duration: 2 m 54 s ]
EGYPT AND SAUDI ARABIA
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
*********************************************************************
-24-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
Middle East
-US-Jordan relations
-President’s previous meetings with Hussein
-New York
-Survival of Jordan and Hussein
-Character
-Helpfulness
-Meir
-Negotiations
-US role
-Egypt
-The President’s visit in 1963
-Nasser
-Aswan Dam
-Power
-Irrigation
-Effect downstream
-Silt
-Fertilizer
-Nile River
-Compared to Mississippi River delta
-Size and number of dams
-Soviet Union
-Scale of projects
-US-Jordan relations
-Helms
-Ambassador to Iran
-Travel
-Gulf States
-Hussein’s interests
*********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[National security]
[Duration: 1 m 8 s ]
-25-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)
MIDDLE EAST
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
**********************************************************************
Kissinger’s schedule
-Kissinger’s possible conversation with Rifai
-Timing
-Kissinger’s forthcoming trip to Hanoi
-Dinner
-Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting with President
-Executive Office Building [EOB]
Middle East
-US-Jordan relations
-State Department [?]
-Private talks
-Public failure
-Private initiatives
Kissinger’s schedule
-Meeting with President
The President, Hussein, Kissinger and Rifai left at 12:38 pm.This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.