866-015a

Conversation No. 866-15

Date: March 1, 1973
Time: 11:00 am - 12:39 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

William P. Rogers

President's telephone call to William L. White

Press conference
-Reactions
-Robert Pierpont
-Comments
-Vietnam settlement
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]

President’s press conference
-Henry A. Kissinger's opinion
-Timing
-Reasons
-Story on POWs and cease-fire
-Possible questions on Watergate, George P. Shultz, George
Meany
-Timing
-Rogers’s
-Nine point agreement
-POWs
-Public relations [PR]
-News magazine
-Press reaction
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT], Berlin agreement
-Economic questions
 -21-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-Preparation
-William L. Safire, Patrick J. Buchanan
-Length
-Content
-Kissinger
-Kevin Phillips

Kissinger entered at an unknown time after 11:00 am.

Yitzhak Rabin's birthday

Photographs

Notes
-Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft

Photographs
-Kissinger's appearance
-Golda Meir
-Scowcroft

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 11:00 am.

Meir’s arrival

Scowcroft
-Schedule

Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft entered at an unknown time after 11:00 am.

Phyllis Gallante (?)
-Talk with President
-Missing In Action [MIA] families

Prime Minister Golda Meir, Rabin, and Simcha Dinitz entered at 11:06 am. The White House
photographer and members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting. The
unknown man left at 11:06 am.

Arrangements for photograph
 -22-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


Kissinger’s schedule

[Photograph session]

-Rabin’s birthday
-President’s first meeting with Rabin
-1967

Ziegler, the White House photographer, and the press left at 11:10 am.

Dinitz’s [?] work with Meir

Presidential gifts
-Pens
International security
-US role in world
-Peace
-American idealism
-President's meetings with Mao Tse-Tung and Chou En-lai
- Leonid I Brezhnev
-SALT
-Scientific exchanges
-Changes in world
-Communists
-Security
-Dialogue
-Chances of peace
-Misunderstandings
-Vietnam Settlement
-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Reduction of US armaments
-Spending on Ghettos
-Mutual reductions
-USSR
-Israel’s idealism
-Need for realism
-Dangers
-Public optimism
-Vietnam settlement
 -23-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-Dialogue with PRC
-USSR
-Brezhnev
-Willy Brandt
-Socialist
-Need for realism
-European socialists

Europe’s leadership
-Edward R. G. Heath
-Georges J. R. Pompidou
-Socialists
-Italy
-Giulio Andreotti
-Germany

US defense posture
-Europe
-Need to maintain
-Cold War
-USSR
-Golden rule

Peaceful coexistence
-Interpretations

Vietnam cease-fire
-Socialist International
-Meir’s role
-Kissinger’s press conference
-Questions
-United Nations [UN] observers
-Meir’s view
Socialist conference
-Alaf Palme
-Bruno Kreisky
-Austria
-Germany
-Brandt
-Pompideau
 -24-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-Belgium
-Shadow cabinet
-Great Britain
-[First name unknown] Wilson [?]
-[First name unknown] Gallager [?]


Idealism and pragmatism
-[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson
-Religiosity
-World War I
-Fourteen points
-Versailles conference
-Treaty
-Effect on Germany
-Adolf Hitler
-Compared with US role in reconstruction
-World War II
-France
-USSR

Kissinger's talk with Rabin

Libyan airplane incident
-President’s viewpoint
-Israel’s statements
-Uneasy truce
-Israel’s intentions
-UN resolution
-Amendment
-POWs
-Investigation
-John A. Scali
-State department
-Israel’s UN ambassador [Yosef Tekoah]


******************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[NATIONAL SECURITY]
 -25-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


[DURATION: 13 S]

COMMUNICATIONS

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
******************************************************************************


Black September
-Warnings
-Plans
-Airplane
-Suicide bombing
-Tel Aviv, Bersheeba
-Kamikazis
-Japanese terrorists at airport

Airplane incident
-Israel’s explanation
-Passengers
-Meir's reaction
-US concern
-Israel's standing in world
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Hospital
-Non-military targets
-US-Israeli cooperation
-Public relations

Israel’s raid in Lebanon
-Strategy
-Airplanes compared with ground troops
-Safety
-Terrorist training camps
-Proximity to refugee camps
-Casualties
-Soldiers and civilians


US arms and economic aid to Israel
 -26-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-US government's position
-Administration's commitment to Israel
-Arab-Israeli negotiations
-Israel's position
-US commitments
-Arms for self-defense
-Prevention of war
-Suez Canal
-Egyptian front

Arab-Israeli negotiations
-US involvement
-Vietnam war
-Intentions of Arabs
-Israel’s negotiating position
-Rumania
-Deputy foreign minister's visit to Israel
-Meeting with Sadat
-Meir's visit to Bucharest
-Sadat
-Meeting
-Meir's response to Nicolai Ceausescu
-Sadat’s reply
-Israel's desire for peace negotiations
-Proximity talks
-Domestic opinion
-Egypt
-Jordan
-Hussein Ibn Talal [King of Jordan]
-Message to Meir
-Two tracks
-Public talks
-Pressure to succeed
-Private talks
-US dealings with PRC and USSR
-Exploratory discussions
-Summits
-Israel’s position
-Election
-US position
 -27-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-Energy crisis
-Israel’s bargaining position
-Middle East, USSR
-Desire for settlement
-Egypt’s desire for settlement
-Opening to US
-USSR’s desire for settlement
-Egypt’s position
-Kissinger’s role
-Private talks
-Egypt, USSR
-Brezhnev’s visit
-Change in position
-Talks with Andrei A. Gromyko, Brezhnev
-Troop withdrawal
-Confidentiality
-Goal
-Egypt’s position
-Overall settlement
-Sovereignty, security
-Interim settlement
-Vagueness
-Sadat
-Kissinger’s role
-Chou’s remarks about Kissinger
-President’s two-track plan
-Advantages
-Preparation
-Confidentiality
-US contacts with USSR and Egypt
-Israel’s strength
-Egypt’s goals
-US consultation with Israel
-Security compared to sovereignty
-Egypt’s goals
-Peace
-Insincerity
-Sovereignty
-1967, 1947 territorial borders
-Palestinians
 -28-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-Yassar Arafat
-Terrorists
-Suez Canal
-Israel’s withdrawal
-Interim step
-Peace treaty
-natural border
-Fortifications
-Israel’s need for air force
-Clearing and operation
-Cease-fire
-Civilian reconstruction, rehabilitation
-Technical support
-Police presence
-Israel’s right of transshipment
-Egypt’s recognition
-Israel’s use of canal
-Sadat
-Interim settlement talks
-State Department
-Proximity talks
-Confidentiality
-Public talks
-State Department
-Egypt
-Israel’s withdrawal from Suez Canal
-Private talks
-Overall agreement
-Egypt’s position
-Hafez Ismail
-USSR’s role
-Kissinger's talk with Hafez Ismail
-US role
-Egypt’s proposals
-Gromyko and Brezhnev
-US position toward USSR
-Analoyiy F. Dobrynin
-Effect on Israel
-Egypt
-Ismail's visit to moscow
 -29-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-USSR’s position
-Inflexibility
-War
-Brezhnev’s promise
-MiG-23s
-Training of pilots
-Transcripts
-Information exchange
-Inflexibility
-Sadat
-1957 negotiations
-Support for radicals
-Syria, Iraq
-Syria
-Equipment from USSR
-Mammar Qaddafi
-“Madman”
-Syria
-Sadat
-US-Israeli contacts
-Kissinger's role
-Dinitz's role
-Access to Meir

Fighters
-Israel’s production
-Prototypes
-Defense Department
-Israel’s needs
-US military aid
-Phantoms, Skyhawks
-Number
-Confidentiality of decision
-Number
-Negotiations at later date
-Recommendations
-State Department, Defense Department
-Linkage
-US position
-Public statements
 -30-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-Balance of power
-Private agreement
-Airplane delivery

Israel’s production of airplanes
-Numbers
-Israel’s economy
-Israel’s situation
-Technological knowledge
-US corporations
-Spare parts
-Numbers
-Limitations
-US commitments
-Defense Department
-Elliot L. Richardson

US-Israeli economic relations
-Israel’s finance minister’s meetings with George P. Shultz
-US budget problems
-Aid to Israel
-Cuts

Schedule
-Break

USSR
-Emigration to Israel
-Condition of Jews
-Prisons
-Anti-Semitism
-Treatment of Jews requesting emigration
-Exorbitant fees
-Loss of employment
-Legal status as parasite
-Trial
-Prison
-Anti-Semitism
-Eugene Lyons
-American Jews
 -31-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-Hitler
-US role
-Talks with Dobrynin
-Confrontation
-Congress
-Most Favored Nation [MFN]
-American Jewish communities
-Vietnam War
-December 1972 bombing
-US concern
-Inhumane treatment
-Rumanians
-Private negotiations
-Leverage
-Wheat
-Confrontation on Cuba
-Treatment of Jews
-Russian people
-President’s attitude
-Communists
-Public pressure
-Problems
-Congress
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Congress
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Trade
-Meir’s appeal to American Jewish communities
-Soviet Jews
-Emigration
-Exit visas
-Soviet policy toward Jews
-Jackson amendment
-Israel’s influence on Congress
-Proper use of US influence
-Confrontation with USSR
-Cuba
-“Mutual suicide”
-Israel
-Strengths
 -32-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. May-2010)
Conversation No. 866-15 (cont’d)


-Military
-Brezhnev
-Toughness

Meir's appearance at National Press Club
-Questions on Libyan airplane incident

Gifts
-Rabin's birthday
-Value

Coat

The President, et al., left at 12:39 pm.