Conversation 921-012

On May 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Mustafizur Rahman Siddiqui, Hossain Ali, Roger E. Johnson, Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 11:57 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 921-012 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 921-12

Date: May 17, 1973
Time: 11:45 am - 11:57 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Mustafizur Rahman Siddiqui, Hossain Ali, Roger E. Johnson and Gen.
Brent G. Scowcroft. The White House photographer was present at the beginning of the
meeting.

       Introductions

       US-Bangladesh relations
             -Letter from Sheik Mujibur Rahman
             -Diplomatic credentials
                     -Approval
             -Peace in South Asia
                     -Youth
             -Support for Rahman
             -Reduction of tension
                     -US role

       Bangladesh
             -Relations with other nations
                     -Pakistan
             -Repatriation of Pakistani [people] in Bangladesh
                     -Timing
                     -India’s support [?]
                     -Civilians and prisoners of war [POWs]
             -Exchange of Bengalis in Pakistan
             -Previous proposal
                               -26-

    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                        (rev. August-2011)

-Pakistan concessions
        -President of Pakistan [Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]
                -Affinity for Bangladesh [?]
                -Desire to visit [?]
                -Pakistani POWs
                        -Trials
-POW trials
        -Token number
        -Vengeance
        -Openness
        -Test of humanity and human rights
-Bihari repatriation
        -Timing
        -Pakistan’s willingness
        -Exchange of Bengali people
                -Parity
        -Language
-Bengali repatriation
        -Importance to government
        -Number
        -Pakistan’s willingness
                -Detention in concentration camp [?]
                -Senior officials
                        -Potential trials [?]
-Negotiations with Pakistan
        -Desire for peace
        -Removal of conditions
-Gratitude for US kindness
-Negotiations with Pakistan
        -Bangladesh pre-conditions
                -Removal
                -Return problem [?]
-US role
        -President’s relations with Bhutto, Rahman
        -Letter
        -Siddiq’s conversations
                -National Security Council [NSC]
                        -Scowcraft’s role
                                            -27-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     (rev. August-2011)

                              -State Department
                                      -South Asia [Near East Department]
                                      -Joseph J. Sisen
                      -Discussions with Pakistan’s representatives
                              -Bhutto
                      -Interference
                              -Letter
               -Siddiq’s delegation
               -Role of government
                      -Families
                              -President’s knowledge of unknown man’s views

       Bangladesh-Pakistan relations
             -US role
                    -Fairness
                    -Settlement
                    -Peace in South Asia

       Bangladesh
             -Size
             -Population
             -Military expenditures
             -Appreciation for US aid

       Rahman
            -President’s greeting

Siddiqui et al. left at 11:57 am.

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.

First of all, I'd like to announce my right of way.
Mr. President, now that you've announced Mr. Siddiqui, I'd like to ask you to sign this confidential letter.
And Ambassador, you can take over.
Why don't you sit down here, Mr. Siddiqui.
I'm going to wait for you to sign this letter.
out to you and to him, too.
Thank you very much.
I wanted to say to you while you're here that we know that you're all they have to come to your country.
We're very much in sympathy.
We want to help as much as we can.
We've made some people, particularly young people, kids, have a better opportunity than they've had in the past.
And she shared in our ministry that my thoughts are with them, and we'll cooperate every way we can in trying to work for peaceful solutions to some of these difficulties that presently play, and which will play
You know, Mr. President, you know that we have been aware of the problems that you have faced, right?
Yes.
My question to you is that you have done your great country, and you have done so much in raising the world's attention.
We can't thank you for it.
So, I have a little problem to take this into account, obviously.
We have done what we could.
And then, in November, we offered to the region in December, we offered to the Pakistanis
Now, this move will make clean Pakistan because, in the course of last year, the President of Pakistan
He is so concerned about the so-called Yahweh in Bangladesh.
He has said that he would like to go back there, and he tried that back and back.
He said, if you don't support, he also said, I will just thank you.
If you want to try, you can do the rest.
Now we have taken the decision that we are going to be meeting a general representative of our Manus Ma'atika as a very important member, considering that you know, we want to trust it, because it's a costly number, basically.
And this is more, with no intention of anything to do with the prevention of the range of Manus Ma'atika, because we have promised a very open trial by the Supreme Court that
I want to take them back.
And it's not going to cause any sort of problem in West Pakistan also, because we are taking back almost a similar number of people.
That's the problem.
Secondly, these people will have no problem getting socially assaulted.
It's the same as being able to speak the same language as the West Pakistanis.
They will have no problem being socially intimidated.
Unfortunately, we are a little out of focus.
We have got 300,000 of them stranded in Pakistan.
Unfortunately, the Institute has thought not to let them go back to our base and haul them over to the hostages.
The latest action aims so that the continuity of our service goes on that they are taking them to concentration camps.
And our information goes that they're taking the senior physicians to a certain number of physicians.
And also such good guidance.
But that doesn't heal the health mechanism of the chair.
It's drifting away.
It's not a political move.
I sincerely want a solution to this problem, but the government's government won't let me do it.
This is my decision.
This is my decision to go on.
Who would like to give an answer to this problem?
So, with all sincerity, we make these proposals in response to the first reason to step forward and to remove the auditory conditions of the Commission, etc., etc., etc.
I must thank you for your kind mentioning of matters to the Council regarding the remuneration on the day of the commandment of the Council meeting on the day of the commandment of the Council meeting on the day of the commandment of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of the Council meeting on the day of
Well, Mark, let me say this.
I actually would like to get involved in any way we can come up with.
This is a very intricate matter.
We have good relations with Mr. Trudeau, and you would want us to have good relations with Mr. Trump.
We have good relations with Mr. Trudeau, and, you know, naturally, with your good relations.
It's a very dogged thing on a major country that starts to intervene in these matters.
But I'd appreciate your visit here, and I'll have your letter in mind, and we'll discuss it in our own councils.
But in your visit here, you can talk, of course, to our expert here on this channel, in this area, and particularly over in the state, because I've given that to the general responsibility in this area.
Who at the present time would be handling that in the same state department?
The whole South Asia area is Joe's system.
Yes, that's right.
Well, I would think it would be helpful if Joe, he's working now in the Mideast at the moment, but the Mideast is also in the South Asia area.
I have great confidence in him.
We've talked with him very frankly.
And we will...
Yes, well, we'd like to look over and see.
I said I don't mind hearing
The health investigation that he had done said also about the trial of the Watkinson, because there was information.
You will appreciate the problem at Rome, where most of the families in the country have been affected by the virus.
In fact, three million people were killed.
We won't have to deal with all of this.
Specifically, because our Prime Minister, Shreyasal Bhai Khandro, he refused to deal with anyone.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I'm glad to have a chance to hear your side because, you know, we want to hear both.
We'll see.
We'll be sure we'll have it be just as fair as we can.
We want it in the South.
We want it in the East.
I mean, the three great states in that area have got to live in peace.
That's right.
And it's not difficult after all.
They fought after all.
You know, I don't know.
We're in a small country.
We've got it forward.
You have a small country.
You've got lots of people.
Lots of people.
We can't, unfortunately, in any state, there's other than peace.
We can't afford a big army.
8% of our government, not sure about the army, 70% of the peace, 20% of it, 21% of it.
But we don't intend to build a big army.
We don't have the power to do it.
We're quite happy to be able to improve the laws of our people.
We will come to certain achievements.
And we, again, next thank you for the materials that you brought to us today, Chad, and your government.
And also, I hope you'll get into a position to come out and take a look at some programs.
Thank you.
Well, we'll do the best we can to make sure you and I hope you will stand by.
And I'll remain a Prime Minister and wish you good health.
We hope that their day to day work.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
If Tzvi still thought that at some time, Tzvi still thought that at some time, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come, problems would come,
You're not interested in that.
You're not interested in that.
No.
No.
You don't want to talk about it.
You don't want to talk about it.
You don't want to talk about it.
You don't want to talk about it.
You don't want to talk about it.
You don't want to talk about it.
We do a lot to get involved.
And anyway, we can help.
This is a very important, very important matter.
We have a good relationship.
It's a very daunting thing on a major country.
It's a very daunting thing on a major country to intervene in these matters.
But I appreciate your visit here.
And I'll have your letter in line, and we'll discuss it in our own councils.
But in here, if you could talk, of course, to our expert in your office, General, in this area, and particularly over in State, because I have given that to General, who will be responsible in this area, who at the present time would be handling that in the State Department.
The whole South Asia area is Joe's system.
Yes, that's right.
Well, I would think it would be helpful if Joe would be working down in the Middle East at the moment.
The Middle East is also in the South Asia area.
But I would appreciate your visit here, and I'll have your letter in line, and we'll discuss it in our own councils.
But in your visit here, if...
talk first to our expert here on this channel in this area and particularly over in state because i have i've given that the general responsibility in this area who at the present time is would be handling that in the same state the uh the whole south asian area
Well, I would think it would be helpful if Joe, and he's working now in the Middle East at the moment, but the Middle East is also in the South Asia area.
I have great confidence.
I have great confidence.
Very, very frankly.
And, uh, and, uh, we will, we will, we will have your,
Yes, well we'd like to look it over and see.
As I said, I don't mind interfering, but sometimes interference doesn't help.
Uh, you'll appreciate the problem at Rome, where most of the families, uh, in the country, from the country, from the other part of the country, that people were given.
You won't have to go all the way to the West.
In the specific of our time, Mr. Schreiber, I can't remember, we were used to the idea of, you know, uh, of trying to put another one at the back.
If you, if you appreciate the democracy, you might be able to put it in the West.
Let's go over there.
Yes, well, we'd like to look it over and see.
I said I don't mind interfering, but sometimes interference doesn't help.
You know, the defense investigation that you had said also about the plan of the blockade, people say, well, I just...
You've appreciated the problem at Rome, where most of the families in the country have been affected from the other part of the country where people are living.
In one sense, they were all oppressed.
In the specific of our time, Mr. Tretler, for example, we were used to the idea of, you know, of trying to put another one at a time.
Do you feel that you've appreciated a lot of the country, in fact, that it's got a very big mess
Yes, I know.
I'm glad to have a chance to hear your song, a chance to hear your song.
I can go, you know, I can go, you know, I can go, you know, I can go, you know, I can go, you know, I can go, you know,
We are a small country, and we can't afford not to live here.
We can't afford not to live here.
We can't afford not to live here.
We can't afford not to live here.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I hope you will stand.
Well, we're going to do the best we can to make sure you and I wish him good health.
We hope there are better days ahead for him.
We hope you wish him well.
And we wish him good health.
We hope to see you again.
Thank you.
Thank you.