Office of the Historian

285. Telegram 4086 From the Embassy in Iran to the Department of State1 2

Tehran, July 8, 1972, 1000Z

Subject:

  • Secretary Connally Travel: Memorandum of Conversation From Secretary Connally’s Meeting With President Bhutto at the Presidential Palace in Rawalpindi on July 6, 1972: Part II of VII: U.S. Domestic Politicial Situation.
1.
He then immediately said the most important thing to us is your domestic political situation. Before I ask you your views, may I express to you my feelings and attitudes as we see things from here? President Nixon has done a truly magnificent job and has displayed a vast familiarity with world problems. His visit to Peking has been of incredible value and I would even say the same for his trip to Moscow. (This was obviously intended to put the visit to Moscow in secondary position.) He said: “What is happening in the U.S.? Surely McGovern does not stand a chance to be elected. If he were it would have disastrous consequences for the world. I am truly unable to understand men like Senator McGovern and Senator Church-who should be going to church.”
2.
After my evaluation of the domestic political situation, in which I outlined why I felt McGovern had come to achieve the degree of success he has and predicted that if he was indeed nominated that President Nixon would be reelected, President Bhutto said he could not believe that the American people would cast aside the magnificent contributions the [Page 2] President has made for a man like McGovern. (He was effusive in his praise of the achievements of President Nixon and I am using substantially quotes of his.)
3.
After my evaluation of the domestic political situation he immediately related the importance of the elections this fall to the rest of the world. He said that nothing could have a more profound influence that the outcome of our election.
Connally
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 7 US/Connally. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Also designated as CONTO 264. Sent with instructions to pass to Islamabad, New Delhi, Dacca, the White House for Davis, and Treasury for Dixon.↩
  2. Former Treasury Secretary Connally and Pakistani President Bhutto discussed the U.S. Presidential campaign.↩