Opening Round at Helsinki and Preparations for Vienna, November 17, 1969–April 15, 1970


42. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 875, SALT, Volume VI, December 1–31, 1969. Secret. Sent for information.


43. Memorandum From the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Packard) to the Under Secretary of State (Richardson) and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: Ford Library, Laird Papers, Box 24, SALT, Chronological. Secret. On December 11 Sonnenfeldt forwarded this memorandum to Kissinger under a covering memorandum that noted: “I think you should be aware that not only on the ABM issues, but on some other questions, the delegation seems to go beyond its instructions. We just learned that without formally asking for instructions they submitted to the Soviets a new version of a final communiqué without having discussed the first version in any detail. This first version had been cleared in Washington, and the delegation had been told we wanted to defer considering any fallback positions.” Kissinger drew an arrow to that paragraph and wrote: “How could this happen?” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 875, SALT, Volume VI, December 1–30, 1969)


44. Letter From the Chief of the Delegation to the Preliminary Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (Smith) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 875, SALT, Volume VI, December 1–31, 1969. Top Secret; Nodis. Kissinger wrote on the letter: “All these letters must be acknowledged.” He also wrote “Secretariat has action.” No reply to Smith has been found. On December 17 Kissinger sent the letter to Nixon under a summarizing memorandum. Notations on the memorandum indicate that Nixon saw it.


46. Memorandum for the File by the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Smith)

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 383, ACDA Files: FRC 383–97–0010, Director’s Files, Smith/Farley Chronological File, Smith–White House Correspondence, January–December 1970. Secret; Nodis. Smith initialed the memorandum and added a handwritten “nodis.”


47. Letter From General Lauris Norstad of the General Advisory Committee for Arms Control and Disarmament to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–026, NSC Meeting 1/23/70 Safeguard (ABM). Confidential.


48. Memorandum From the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Smith) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 840, ABMMIRV, ABM System, Vol. III, 1/70–3/70, Memos and Miscellaneous. Top Secret. A handwritten notation on the memorandum reads, “Encorporated into NSC Books, 1/22/70.”


49. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon President Materials, NSC Files, Box 840, ABMMIRV, ABM System, Vol. III, Memos and Misc., January–March 1970. Secret. Sent for information. Sonnenfeldt sent the memorandum to Kissinger on January 20, informing him that he had revised it as Kissinger suggested and recommending it be sent to the President.


51. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 383, ACDA Files: FRC 383–98–089, Director’s Files, Smith’s Files, Memcons, January 1969–October 1970. Secret; Limdis. Drafted by Smith on February 10. The meeting took place at the Soviet Embassy.


52. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 489, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1970, Vol. 1 [Part 2]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The luncheon meeting took place in the Residence Library at the White House. The full text of the memorandum of conversation is printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XII, Soviet Union, January 1969–October 1970, Document 135.


53. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, NIC Files, Job 79–R01012A. Top Secret; Sensitive; Limited Distribution. The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State and Defense, the Atomic Energy Commission, and the National Security Agency participated in the preparation of this estimate, which was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by all members of the USIB. This SNIE superseded SNIE 11–16–68, November 7, 1968, “The Soviet Approach to Arms Control,” which “dealt with the attitudes the Soviets might be expected to bring to talks on limiting strategic weapons (SALT). It discussed how such factors as the USSR’s economic position and its view of the strategic relationship with the US might be thought to bear on the Soviet approach to SALT.” For text of SNIE 11–16–68, see Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, volume XI, Arms Control and Disarmament, Document 291. On January 26 Kissinger reminded Helms that at the January 21 Verification Panel meeting they agreed that an SNIE would help prepare for the Vienna round of negotiations. Kissinger asked Helms to forward an estimate by February 20. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 876, SALT, Volume VII, January 1970)


54. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 841, ABMMIRV, ABM System, Vol. IV, Memos and Misc., February–April 30, 1970. Confidential. Sent for action.


55. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 489, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1970, Vol. 1 [Part 2]. Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The meeting took place in the East Wing of the White House. Kissinger forwarded the memorandum of conversation to Nixon on March 11. For the full text, see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XII, Soviet Union, January 1969–October 1970, Document 140.


56. Memorandum From Laurence Lynn of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 841, ABMMIRV, ABM System, Vol. IV, Memos and Misc., February–April 30, 1970. Top Secret. Sent for action.


57. Letter From the Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (Smith) to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 876, SALT, 1/70, Vol. VII, Memos and Miscellaneous. Secret. On March 24 Kissinger sent copies of the letter to the Rogers, Laird, Mitchell, Moorer, and Helms. In a March 25 memorandum to the President, Kissinger summarized and commented on Smith’s letter: “The Government is not fully agreed on what, if any, verification arrangements are ‘necessary,’ in the sense of adequate, for the proposal he endorses and this affects whether his condition is one that is likely to be met.” (Ibid.)


58. Paper Prepared by the National Security Council Staff

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–027, NSC Meeting 3/25/70 SALT. Top Secret. Kissinger included the paper as part of the President’s briefing materials for the NSC meeting scheduled for March 25.


59. Minutes of a National Security Council Meeting

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–109, NSC Meeting Minutes Originals 1970. Top Secret; [codeword not declassified]. According to the President’s Daily Diary, the meeting took place in the Cabinet Room from 10:35 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)


60. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State (Richardson) to President Nixon

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 330–76–076, Box 12, USSR, 388.3. Top Secret. On March 25 copies were sent to Laird, Packard, and Wheeler. A notation on the memorandum indicates that Laird saw it on March 27.


61. National Security Decision Memorandum 49

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–208, National Security Decision Memoranda, NSDMs, Nos. 1–50. Top Secret. Copies were sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and senior members of the U.S. SALT Delegation. Initialed by Haig.


63. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 383, ACDA Files: FRC 383–97–0010, Director’s Files, Smith/Farley Chronological Files, Smith–White House Correspondence, January–December 1970. No classification marking. Smith initialed the memorandum and wrote “nodis” on it. A copy was sent to Farley.


64. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 36, Geopolitical File, Soviet Union, Chronological File, 3/69–6/70. Top Secret; Sensitive. The conversation was held at Dobrynin’s residence. Kissinger sent the memorandum to Nixon on April 13 under a covering memorandum that summarized the conversation. For the full text of the memorandum of conversation, see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XII, Soviet Union, January 1969–October 1970, Document 150.


65. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–109, NSC Minutes Originals 1970. Top Secret; Sensitive. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room. According to the President’s Daily Diary, this NSC meeting took place from 9:36 to 11:19 a.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files)


66. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 36, Geopolitical File, Soviet Union, Chronological File, 3/69–6/70. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. Printed from an uninitialed copy. The meeting took place in Kissinger’s office. Kissinger forwarded the memorandum of conversation to Nixon under an April 18 covering memorandum that summarized the conversation. The covering memorandum bears the handwritten comment: “This should have sensitive handling.” For the full text of the memorandum of conversation, see Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, volume XII, Soviet Union, January 1969–October 1970, Document 152.


67. Memorandum From Secretary of Defense Laird to President Nixon

Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files:FRC 330–76–076, Box 12, USSR, 388.3. Top Secret; Sensitive. On April 9 Haig sent this memorandum to Lynn with the following note: “I recognize it is too late for the work you have already done but it is sufficiently important that you consider this work in the light of this new memorandum.” (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 876, SALT, Volume VII)


68. National Security Decision Memorandum 51

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 363, Subject Files, National Security Decision Memoranda, Nos. 51–96. Top Secret; Nodis. Initialed by Haig. Copies were sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and senior members of the U.S. SALT Delegation. At 2:45 p.m., before Rogers received his copy, Kissinger called to tell him that Nixon had chosen the position that the Secretary of State wanted. Kissinger asked Rogers to send him views on possible tactics at the Vienna round. (Transcript of telephone conversation; Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 362, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File)


69. Memorandum of Conversation

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1024, Presidential/HAK MemCons, MemCon—Meeting of SALT Delegation with President, April 11, 1970. Secret. Initialed by Kissinger. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room.


70. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rogers to President Nixon

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 877, SALT, SALT talks (Vienna), Vol. VIII, April 9–May 10, 1970. Secret. A copy was sent to Haig. Handwritten notations in an unknown hand read: “HAK: FYI” and “Action: S’feldt.”