Secret White House Tapes

520-6

About this recording

520-6
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • Willy Brandt
  • Stephen B. Bull
  • Manolo Sanchez
  • Henry A. Kissinger
  • Egon Bahr
  • Rolf Pauls
  • Harry Obst
June 15, 1971
Conversation No. 520-6

Date: June 15, 1971
Time: 11:02 am - 12:34 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Willy Brandt and Stephen B. Bull; members of the press were present at
the beginning of the meeting

Greetings

Seating

Photographic session

Brandt’s trip
-Visit to Yale University
-Jamaican stop
13

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)




[Camera noise]

The press left at an unknown time after 11:02 am

Brandt schedule
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Egon Bahr
-State dinner
-Appointments in US

Berlin negotiations
-Soviet Union’s position
-Movement
-US response
-Relation to Brandt
-Berlin ties
-Possibility of surprises
-Berlin talks
-Possibilities
-Displays of Western “willingness”
-Comparison with Four Power talks in 1959
-Comparison with John F. Kennedy
-Soviet military
-Soviet
-Soviet negotiating tactics

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 11:02 am

Refreshments

Kissinger and Bahr entered at 11:13 am

Greetings

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:32 pm

Previous President-Brandt talk
-Berlin talks
-Department of State role
-Leak problem
14

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



Berlin negotiations
-Chances of Berlin settlement
-1959 Berlin talks
-Kennedy
-Substance
-Soviet movement
-Soviet tactics
-Isolation of Berlin Conv. No. 520-6 (cont.)
-Public versus private stance
-Substance of talks
-Consular offices in West Berlin


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 23s ]


FOREIGN RELATIONS


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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-Benefits of consular offices
-Scope of talks
-Need for US-Federal Republic of Germany [FRG] cooperation
-Negotiating tactics
-Need for caution
-Bahr relationship with Kissinger and [David] Kenneth Rush
-Soviet tactics
-Desire for contact at highest levels
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Formulation of solutions
-Strategy
-Future positions
-Ostpolitik
-Role of Berlin
15

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Linkage
-Mutual and Balanced Force [MBFR] talks
-Other goals
-US-FRG cooperation


******************************************************************************
Conv. No. 520-6 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National Security]
[Duration: 13m 30s ]


NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION [NATO]

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY [EEC]


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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


European affairs
-European evolution
-History
-Role of US
-Contemporary Europe
-Economic strength
-Germany
-France
-Great Britain
-Future
-US “stake” in future
-Fear of European economic unity
-Rationale
-Need for political consultation
-Cooperation of Western Europeans
-Contribution to world stability
-Old politics
-US position in alliance
-Efforts to strengthen Europe
16

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Efforts towards British inclusion
-Edward R. G. Heath
-Georges J. R. Pompidou


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3 Conv. No. 520-6 (cont.)
[National Security]
[Duration: 8m 58s ]


EEC

JAPAN

NATO


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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


Defense spending
-Growing expenditures
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield Amendment
-Consequences
-Burden-sharing
-MBFR
-Assurances to legislators
-Content
-Alliance systems
-Brandt’s views on MBFR
-Bilateral talks
-US-Soviet Union
-Multilateral talks
-Participants
-United Nations [UN]
-General Assembly
-Fairness of voting
-Efficacy
17

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Bilateral US-Soviet negotiations
-MBFR
-Scope
-Initiation


******************************************************************************
Conv. No. 520-6 (cont.)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[National Security]
[Duration: 1m 5s ]


MBFR


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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


-Brandt visit to Congress
-Schedule
-Assurances to Congress
-Security emphasis
-Military expenditures
-US Senate
-Contributions to defense
-Burden-sharing
-US
-NATO
-US troops in West Germany
-Balance of payments
-Need for Congressional assurances
-Mansfield
-Relative contribution of US and Europe
-Mansfield
-Balance of payments
-Force reductions
-Balance of payments
-John B. Connally
18

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Mansfield resolution
-White House efforts
-Balance of payments
-Floating of deutsche mark
-Brandt’s concerns
-Length of action

Conv. No. 520-6 (cont.)
******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[National Security]
[Duration: 35s ]

COUNTRY

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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


-Necessity
-Duration
-Effect on Europe
-Effect on markets
-Rumors
-Speculators
-Effect on “decent people”
-Elimination of crisis atmosphere
-International finance
-Brandt meeting with Connally
-Connally trip to Germany
-Schedule
-Strength of currencies
-Opportunity for leadership
-US and Germany
-Japan
-Other countries
-Attention to balance of payments
-Monetary movements
-Effect on security
19

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Rush
-President’s confidence
-Dealing with Brandt
-Need for economic strength and vitality
-Effect on politics
-US role
-World politics
-Role of European nations Conv. No. 520-6 (cont.)
-US role
-Soviet role
-Japanese role
-People’s Republic of China [PRC] role
-US-PRC relations
-Normalization
-UN
-Brandt background
-Soviet Union
-PRC
-PRC Interest
-Soviet Union
-Japan
-Japanese interest
-US “nuclear umbrella”
-PRC
-Soviet Union
-Western Europe interest
-West Germany
-US
-Regions
-Underdeveloped areas
-Middle East
-Africa
-Latin America
-South Asia
-India
-Pakistan
-Five great powers
-Need for Realism
-US-PRC relations
-Future effect
20

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[National Security]
[Duration: 3m 2s ]


WORLD AFFAIRS Conv. No. 520-6 (cont.)


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6

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


-World affairs
-Concern for US-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] relations
-US position regarding Japan
-German concerns

President and Brandt’s schedule
-Meeting with Rush and German official
-Cabinet Room

Kissinger and Bahr left 12:30 pm

Nuclear arms
-US-PRC relations
-Reason for US moves
-USSR-PRC relations
-US-USSR relations
-Prospects of war involving PRC
-Nuclear arms control deal
-Chinese capabilities
-Future
-Japan

Kissinger, Bahr, Rolf Pauls, Conrad Ahlers, Hermann Kusterer, Wolf-Dietrich Schilling, and
Harry Obst entered at 12:32 pm

President-Brandt discussions
-Success
21

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)




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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[National Security]
[Duration: 16s ]

Conv. No. 520-6 (cont.)
INDIA-PAKISTAN


END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7

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


India-Pakistan
-US policy
-Refugees
-Conflict
-India
-West Pakistan
-East Pakistan
-Aid to refugees
-Taking sides
-Agha Muhommad Yahya Khan
-Ability
-Difficulties
-Focus on refugees
-Use of refugee issue


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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[National Security]
[Duration: 31s ]

INDIA-PAKISTAN

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
22

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



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

-Problems in South Asia
-Poverty
-Strength
-India-Pakistan situation
-Kashmir
-Vice presidential experience Conv. No. 520-6 (cont.)
-Need for cooperation
-Comparison with US-Europe relations
-Germany
-France
-Problems of keeping armed forces

Vietnam

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Anti-ballistic missile [ABM] elimination
-Offensive weapons elimination
-Timing
-US-USSR communique
-Weapons not covered
-Negotiations between US-USSR
-Prospects
-Agreement
-Timetable
-Linkage
-SALT progress and Berlin negotiations
-Position in Atlantic alliance

Middle East

The President, Brandt, et al. left at 12:34 pm
Secret White House Tapes |

520-6

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