Office of the Historian

249. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Kissinger and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Scowcroft)1

Washington, October 23, 1973, 4:20 p.m.

K: I think we should have the WSAG tomorrow morning. Anything they can do tonight . . .

S: The natives will be restless.

K: What do you mean.

S: I understand you talked to Schlesinger. Every one wants to cut back on supplies.2

K: I will talk to them.

S: They need quieting down.

K: Why?

S: They have no idea of what is going on and now we have a cease-fire we should stop supplies.

K: At least tell them to stand by til I call. Why should we cut back on the Israelis when the Russians don’t cut back on the Arabs?

S: This is another hand-holder. So we don’t.

K: You don’t slap them around enough.

S: True. They feel out of touch and know you had a big trip.

K: Tell them I am tied up with the Security Council and it will take place tomorrow at 10:00 without fail, if not tonight. I am sending over another hot line message.3

S: OK.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Transcripts (Telcons), Chronological File, Box 23. No classification marking.↩
  2. During their 3:02 p.m. telephone conversation, Schlesinger asked Kissinger about the airlift. Kissinger responded that they had to keep it going until they got a “hand on the others,” stressing that it would be bad if the United States cut it off unilaterally. (Ibid.) Printed in Kissinger, Crisis, pp. 315–316.↩
  3. Presumably Document 247.↩