850–8

Conversation 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


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 44 s ]

EGYPT

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Middle East
-Egypt
-Partial compared to total settlement


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
[Duration: 31 s ]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Sep.-09)
Conversation No. 850-8 (cont’d)




EGYPT

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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Middle East
-Syria-Israel relations
-Hostilities
-Compared to pre-1967 war situation
-Gamal Abdel Nasser


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[National security]
[Duration: 15 s ]

SYRIA-ISRAEL RELATIONS

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
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Middle East
-Jordan’s relations with Syria
-Borders
-Airspace
-Damascus
-Jordan’s relations with Egypt
-Talks
-Sadat
-Syria
-Exchange of letters
-Normalize relations
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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


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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National security]
[Duration: 2 s ]

SYRIA

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
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-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
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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
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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
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-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.