Secret White House Tapes

520-4

About this recording

520-4
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • Henry A. Kissinger
  • Ronald L. Ziegler
June 15, 1971
Conversation No. 520-4

Date: June 15, 1971
Time: 10:39 am - 10:59 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger

Meeting with Willy Brandt
-Kissinger’s attendance
-Photo session
-Egon Bahr
-Brandt
-President’s view
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-German politics
-Ostpolitik
-Berlin
9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



Kissinger’s schedule
-Meeting with Arthur K. Watson
-Telegram sent through State Department
-Georges J. R. Pompidou to President
-Algeria
-Export-Import Bank
-Leak
Conv. No. 520-4 (cont.)
Watson
-Invitation to Brandt dinner
-Attendance

Vietnam
-Troop levels
-Kissinger role
-Other negotiations
-Financial arrangements
-Possibilities

Kissinger lunch with John B. Connally
-Updating of Connally knowledge of negotiations
-Connally knowledge versus John N. Mitchell knowledge
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Vietnam
-Leak of documents
-William A. K. (“Tony”) Lake defense
-Berlin negotiations with Soviet Union
-Vietnam talks
-Use of “Separate Channels”
-US-Soviet talks
-Chances of agreements
-Movement in negotiations
-Reason for secrecy
-Knowledge of US actions by officials
-William P. Rogers
-Melvin R. Laird
-Mitchell
-Effect of Departments of State and Defense bureaucracies
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



George S. McGovern-Mark O. Hatfield amendment
-Hugh Scott
-Kissinger’s talk with unknown representative
-Gerald R. Ford role
-Ford conversation with President
-US position
-Milton R. Young
-Narcotics Conv. No. 520-4 (cont.)
-Role of military service
-Change of context
-Kissinger’s meeting with Henry Hubbard
-Articles
-Public position of administration
-Effect of passage of McGovern-Hatfield amendment
-Destruction of negotiations

New York Times disclosures (Pentagon Papers)
-Mitchell
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Substance of articles
-Defense of governmental process
-New York Times role

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 10:47 am

-Attorney General role
-President’s action on assuming the Presidency
-Assessment of policy
-Substance of article
-Role of previous administrations
-Injunction from Justice Department
-Rationale
-Enforcement of law
-Disclosure of classified material
-Procedures
-Legal requirements
-Prosecution of guilty
-Responsibilities of administration
-Flexibility of position
-New York Times response
-Administration response
-Legal process of declassification
11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Violation of declassification procedures
-Necessary procedures
-President’s non-involvement in “family quarrel”
-Responsibilities of administration
-Penalties for administration disclosures
-Max Frankel

Ziegler left at 10:54 am Conv. No. 520-4 (cont.)

Kissinger-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin meeting
-Advantages
-Relation to upcoming PRC trip
-Noncommittal acceptance of proffered document
-Soviet desire for summit
-Timing of response

New York Times situation
-Mitchell
-Injunction
-President’s approval
-Rationale

Vietnam negotiations
-President’s meeting with Republican Congressional leaders
-Peter H. Dominick
-Questions
-Coalition government
-”Back channel” negotiations
-Results of nonsupport of President
-Handling Congress
-Effect of New York Times situation during election
-Security of files
-Laird role
-Rogers
-Cabinet leaks
-Campaign problems
-Congressional attitudes
-Kissinger
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Reminder of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-PRC trip
-Packaging
12

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Soviet Union
-SALT

Kissinger left at 10:59 am



Conv. No. 520-4 (cont.)
Secret White House Tapes |

520-4

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