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Conversation 894-003

TapeTape 894StartThursday, April 12, 1973 at 9:55 AMEndThursday, April 12, 1973 at 10:00 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Kissinger, Henry A.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed adjustments to the President's upcoming schedule, specifically coordinating meetings with Jewish leaders and congressional representatives around Passover constraints. They also addressed the importance of maintaining an active role in National Security Council briefings and noted progress regarding Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). Kissinger emphasized that these strategic engagements were intended to stabilize foreign policy optics amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.

Presidential SchedulingJewish LeadersMiddle EastStrategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)PassoverNational Security Council
AudioNARA Description

On April 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:55 am to 10:00 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 894-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 894-3 (cont’d)

                                                                   Conversation No. 894-3

Date: April 12, 1973
Time: 9:55 am - 10:00 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     President’s schedule
           -National Security Council [NSC] meeting
                 -James R. Schlesinger briefing
                 -Kissinger’s briefing
                       -President’s attendance
           -Joseph Luns

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 10s]

     MIDDLE EAST

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

     President’s schedule
           -Meeting with Jewish leaders
                 -Leonard Garment
                 -Preparation
                 -Scheduling
                       -Passover
                                             -10-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     (rev. February-2011)

                                                            Conversation No. 894-3 (cont’d)

            -Congressional leaders
                 -President’s influence
                 -President’s schedule
            -Meeting with Jewish leaders
                 -Garment
                 -Israel
                 -Stephen B. Bull
                       -Passsover
                       -Scheduling
                       -Congressional involvement
                       -Cabinet meeting

      Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
           -Scheduling meeting with Kissinger
           -Strategic Arms Limitaion Talks [Salt]
           -Treaty talks
           -Foreign policy focus of administration

Kissinger left at 10:00 am.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

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.

I'm just going to grab one.
Sure.
I'm going to do it.
Uh, if, uh...
I don't plan to say this.
If you ask, should we begin with a briefing and then... For you.
Yes.
I didn't put that in this paper, just... That gives everyone...
Please, please.
There isn't that much controversy.
Well, it's just because I'm sure you listen.
That's right.
I would listen and...
I wouldn't give any instructions, because the only contentious islands are tricky ones, which I'd like to have a chance to discuss with you.
Sometime today, we haven't had the chance, now.
I'd like to discuss with you the problem of... ...such as the inflamed state of the Middle East after the Lebanese raids.
On the other hand, did we let these guys drive us off?
Let me ask you this, and let's come back to that a little later.
On this meeting, with regard to the schedule on Monday, I get the thing, I was a little bit concerned about it, so I revealed to you completely a little too much that by putting in three or four hours in parking, that, you know, the so-called meeting with the dealership.
It doesn't have to be done.
It can't be done Monday anyway.
We have to move it to Wednesday.
Because it passed over, we forgot about it.
Oh.
Wednesday or Thursday.
Wednesday, we're going to send it out, isn't it?
Yeah.
No, honey.
I mean, could you, is it Wednesday?
Nothing is going to happen in the Congress and so forth.
The Mike's going to get frozen in our day before the end of it.
Could we, if we could do it, I'd like to do it in a very, I don't want to, I don't want to do too much.
I know these two procedures, if you know them too, and Christel Dragon, 18 other different subjects and all and so forth.
But you don't have to do it at all.
I was thinking, I think I ought to do the congressional leaders because I don't want them in the eyes and I'm saying, this is at a loss.
But I should do it for a half hour only.
It should be a half hour.
With the leaders, would you anticipate we could do that in a very short space of time?
I would think so.
I would insist.
I mean, you could just say you only have half an hour then, Garment, or I could stay behind.
I'm not too eager to meet with the Jewish leaders, but for once we could do it.
For once you could, because this doesn't call something at the highest level.
That's right.
I thought it was a good way to make some points, particularly if we had to get up with Israel later on.
Would you tell, be sure that you tell Steve that it's not Monday because he was trying to work on Monday.
Monday won't work because Thursday would probably be the best.
Thursday would probably be the best if that's convenient for you.
I don't know whether we can get to Congress.
Thursday, 10 o'clock.
We don't want to have
Do you have any, uh, do you have any, uh, do you have any, uh, do you have any, uh, do you have any, uh,
And I'm seeing him again on Saturday.
I think I've now broken the back of the salt, so we're pretty sure that the salt is going to give it there.
I think the thing to do is to break the back of the tree.
We automatically don't have that tree.
So I think, Mr. President, that we're going to have to make sure that we get, I mean, by true religion, we'll take a lot of the focus back to part of the public community as well.
Sure.
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