262. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1
P: Anything new?
K: King seems to be in pretty good shape. It has been night there since about 2 o’clock.
P: They probably won’t do anything at night. The Russians are really stewing right now. Wouldn’t you say? As you probably heard I put in a little squibb today.2
K: The backgrounders are beginning to break in the East now.
P: The stakes are high and we are not looking at this as a little …
K: Might as well let them know what chips are in the pot.
P: I agree with you in how to handle the Soviets is with cool detachment. I was wrong before. You are completely right. Do not warn them. They think you are bluffing. Just move … I want Helms to know that I think he should get some confused traffic out about ship movements.
K: I must tell you Mr. President that moving the Kennedy we have had to cancel shore leave for most of the crew.
P: That’s all right. Shore leave is not all that easy. We will give them double the leave next time.
K: When the Soviets see the Kennedy come through the Straits of Gibraltor and …
P: They will know that we are ready to do something. [omission in the original] Makes them think we might do something.
K: You have the events leading to the highjacking—they have been a net loss for the Soviets. Concentrating on other things.
P: King has been informed that we will support him?
K: Yes. By the way, Ambassador Brown has done a very good job.
P: That meeting with him helped him.
K: You told him he was going to where the action was. He has been very coolheaded.
[Page 731]P: Bureaucracy is all together on this one? Bill knows that the peace offensive is based on Jordan.
K: Yes, everyone is pulling together. I am more optimistic about the peace offensive—if it works.…
P: About this visit tomorrow.3 We have to handle it with resolve. Don’t want Meir going out and saying that we will go into Jordan. I made it clear in my backgrounder. It would be fatal to the King if the Israelis came in and almost.… [Paraphrased the President said it wouldn’t be very good if PM Meir walked out of the meeting and said that they were going to move into Jordan.] Jordan has to be strengthened to scare off Iraqis and Syrians.
K: It gave us an opportunity … I talked to Rabin for 2 minutes today and told him [to keep it cool].4
P: Who is sitting in tomorrow?
K: Sisco, Haig, Eban. I think it would be good if after the meeting you would let the others go and spend 20 minutes with Meir. At least then she could say that she had a private meeting with you.
P: Yes, you told me. The reception in Chicago was good today. We went around the streets … Quite a reaction to the speech.5
K: Yes, excellent. Comments and what I have read were good. The editors thing went well yesterday. Today was good too. Jordan thing good for us.
P: Appear like quite a crisis but we lanced the boil and now.… The King is doing well?
K: Yes. About relaunching the peace initiative. I think we should take a longer look at the scenario. I think we should know where we are going and not [be wishy washy] when we relaunch it. When you meet with Meir tomorrow do not urge any particular course of action.
P: The visit should not strengthen Hussein’s enemy’s position. I wish we could do something publicly in support of the King.
K: I do not think that he is eager for too much publicity. He knows that we have planes available.
P: For strikes?
K: To carry in weapons if he needs them.
[Page 732]P: We also have airplanes to strike. I want Europe mobilized in readiness. If we do I want (strike he is talking about) to hit massively. Not just little pinpricks. I want them to know we are hell bent for action.
K: If the King’s military situation is as good as he thinks there is no problem. This afternoon they were hitting a commando unit in the middle of an Iraqi unit and the Iraqis did nothing. Nasser has not said anything. That is the most support he could give Hussain.
P: Are the Soviets saying anything?
K: Nothing.
P: I think this visit to the Sixth Fleet is good don’t you?
K: The visit to the 6th Fleet is very good. Marvin Kalb6 says it is a master stroke. He is Jewish, but he thinks it was a very good move.
P: Well, that’s all right. We want him with us. He thinks it was a master stroke? What did he say?
K: We are committed to the Middle East. [HAK went into long talk on our Middle East policy and what we wanted there.]
P: I gave a hard thrust. I told the editorial boards today. The Russians know that if they moved they had us to deal with.
K: Salutory. If some of this stuff leaks it will be fine. It is not an Arab/Israeli conflict. Israel should not be alone in this.
P: That is what I said yesterday …
K: [if the bureaucracy ever understands ———] [importance of Middle East.]
P: I said look where without support of Soviet Union to Syria/ Iraq [omission in the original]. If you want to see if it matters why are they building up a Fleet?
K: And we have no reliable land bases there.
P: I know that. And did you hear about my statement on Greece and Spain? They may not like them but they are our people.
K: Very strong statement. But on this Jordan thing the bureaucracy was pulling together. I think this thing is coming out well.
[Omitted here is discussion of Vietnam and domestic politics unrelated to the Jordan crisis.]
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 30, Chronological Files. No classification marking. All brackets, except those that indicate omitted material, are in the original. The President returned to the White House at 9:11 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files, President’s Daily Diary)↩
- See Document 261.↩
- The record of the meeting between President Nixon and Prime Minister Meir is scheduled for publication in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XXIII, Arab-Israeli Dispute, 1969–1972.↩
- No record of this conversation was found.↩
- The President spoke at a Citizenship Day reception in Chicago; for text of his remarks, see Public Papers: Nixon, 1970, pp. 764–766.↩
- Marvin Kalb was the diplomatic correspondent for CBS News in Washington.↩