642–15

Conversation No. 642-15

Date: January 3, 1972
Time: 9:25 am - 10:04 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
 16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)




The President's interview with Dan Rather, January 2, 1972
-News coverage
-The President's responses regarding troop withdrawals and residual force
-Reporting by Marvin L. and Bernard Kalb

William P. Rogers
-Economic meeting

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-The President’s forthcoming meeting with Gerard C. Smith
-Rogers
-Photograph
-Credit
-Antiballistic missiles [ABM]
-Smith
-The President's views on ABM
-Rogers
-Negotiating position
-Possible leak
-Defense Department
-Adm. Thomas H. Moorer
-Sub-launched Ballistic Missiles [SLBM]
-Executive agreement
-Tubes
-Smith
-Negotiating position
-Rogers
-Smith
-Rogers
-Attendance at meeting
-Smith
-Possible action
-Melvin R. Laird
-Memorandum
-ABM
-Number of sites
-Location
-National Command Authority [NCA]
-Washington, DC
-Soviets
 17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


-Tests
-Smith
-State Department
-Congress
-Number
-Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
-The President’s concern about Soviet intentions
-Recess from talks
-Smith’s view
-Soviet summit
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Kissinger’s instructions to Smith
-Soviet summit
-Kennedy
-Bureaucracy
-Smith
-Credit
-1972 election
-US position
-Congress
-Possible problem

Vietnam
-Peace plan
-Cable from Ellsworth F. Bunker to Kissinger
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-The President's possible speech
-Backgrounder by Kissinger
-Television
-Effect
-Timing
-Possible date
-Paris
-Dealings with press
-Coverage
-State of the Union speech
-Possible delay
-Possible content
-History of negotiations
-Timing
-State of the Union speech
 18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


-Possible response
-Possible response from Administration critics
-Administration negotiations
-Seven Points
-Deadline
-Thieu
-Possible resignation
-Possible rejection by North Vietnam
-Effect
-The President's possible speech
-Timing
-State of the Union message
-Possible response from Administration critics
-Forthcoming Peking and Moscow summits
-Soviet Union
-Possible strategy
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]

The President's forthcoming meeting with Smith and Rogers
-Photographs
-Gerald L. Warren
-Desirability

The President's interview with Rather
-Question regarding the President's possible delay tactics regarding Vietnam
-Summits
-Congress

The President's forthcoming meeting with Smith and Rogers
-Photographs
-Effect
-Soviet Union

Thelma C. (“Pat’) Nixon's trip to Africa
-Photographs
-News coverage
-Press and television
-Toast
-Mrs. Nixon’s demeanor

SALT
 19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


-Meeting with Smith
-Duration
-Points to be made
-ABM treaty
-Executive agreement
-SLBM
-Kissinger's view
-Number of tubes
-Political implications
-Popular opinion
-Smith's role in negotiations
-Deadline

Smith
-Administration handling

Kissinger's schedule
-Plane

Vietnam
-Forthcoming troop withdrawal announcement, January 13, 1972
-Format
-Press conference
-Oval Office
-Press room
-TV coverage
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Peace plan

India
-Indira Gandhi
-Possible normalization of relations with US
-Relations with Pakistan
-The President's interview with Rather
-Question

The President's interview with Rather
-Rather's performance and tone
-Manolo Sanchez's view
-The President’s view
-Question on the President's possible delay tactics regarding reelection
 20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


-Vietnam, Moscow and Peking summits and economic program
-The President's response
-Compared with previous performance by Lyndon B. Johnson
-Handling critics
-The President's response
-Public opinion
-Question on use of \"Ms.\"
-Gloria Steinem
-Question on the President's charisma
-The President's response
-Performance
-Question on race relations
-Differences
-Quakers and Catholics
-The President's performance
-Radio
-Kissinger’s hearing
-Television
-The President's voice
-Effectiveness
-Camera shots
-Oval Office window

Vietnam peace plan
-The President's forthcoming speech
-Timing
-North Vietnamese response
-Negotiations
-Possible public statement
-Congress
-Announcement
-Desirability
-PRC
-Negotiations
-Networks
-Troop withdrawal announcement
-Lead stories
-The President's response during Rather interview
-Troop levels
-Edward R.G. Heath
-Possible build-up
 21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


-Announcement
-Phrasing
-Background
-1971 negotiations

[The President talked with Rose Mary Woods at an unknown time between 9:25 am and 10:04
am.]

[Conversation No. 642-15A]

Instructions

[End of telephone conversation]

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:25 am.

The President's schedule
-Woods
-Smith
-Rogers
-Woods
-Smith
-Scheduled meeting

Bull left at an unknown time before 10:04 am.

Kissinger
-Dealings with Smith
-Dealings with Rogers

The President's dealings with Melvin R. Laird and Rogers
-SALT

SALT
-Public relations
-Negotiations
-Election year
-Right wing
-Liberals’ views

India-Pakistan relations
 22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


-US aid
-Military
-Refugees
-Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
-Military to civilian government
-Mutual military pullback
-Gandhi
-United Nations [UN]
-Cease-fire resolution
-Veto in Security Council
-Vote in General Assembly
-US use of influence with Soviet Union and India
-India’s possible action
-Effect on world
-US efforts
-Effectiveness
-Soviet aid
-US aid
-US relations with PRC, India and Pakistan

Bangladesh
-US recognition
-US counsel in Dacca’s call to Bangladesh foreign minister
-PRC
-UN
-State Department
-The President’s forthcoming trip to PRC
-Possible memorandum
-Phrasing
-White House clearance of contact
-The President’s view
-Interpretation
-World and US press
-Soviet recognition
-Rogers
-Counsel
-Rogers
-Presidential clearance of contact
-Interpretation
-Soviet Union
 23

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/06)
Conv. No. 642-15 (cont.)


Kissinger's forthcoming meeting with the President

Foreign policy
-The President's guidance
-Kissinger’s authority
-The President's authority

Kissinger left at 10:04 am.