65. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Sisco)1 2
S: I have reviewed that Pakistan package and I have an idea but I will give it to you personally from me to you. You will get it tonight or tomorrow morning.
K: How can we order it?
S: You can send back a one page decision. I can get together with Hal Saunders and you can write me marching orders next week. We will talk on Monday.
K: What is it?
S: You leave the tanks out and add 57’s and instead of half a dozen you give them 12 interceptors which they have wanted and which are strictly defensive and more advanced level thing. It may be more attractive to the Pakistanis and more to the ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
K: Will the Secretary go through the roof?
S: I haven’t talked to him.
K: Where did we get the figure 12?
S: We worked it out here.
K: Can we say the President wanted to do more?
S: And after consultation we said this would be better. Do more and keep it within the confines—
K: The President wanted to do 100 (?).
S: You know about the Zeigler statement. We had them put out a denial. It could effect—
K: I don’t like the extremely strong denial. We should have said it wasn’t true. It came out ok.
[The conversation concludes with a reference by Sisco to personal plans.]
- Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 363, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking. The omissions are in the original transcript.↩
- Sisco and Kissinger discussed the contemplated one-time exception again, and Sisco revised the proposal to eliminate the tanks and change the 6 bombers to 12 interceptor fighters.↩