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  4. Document 325

325. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon 1

Washington, January 12, 1972.

SUBJECT

  • Information Items

[Omitted here is discussion of Indochina.]

Indonesian President Suharto’s Reaction to Your Assurances on Peking and Moscow Trips: The principal points of President Suharto’s reaction to your assurances on your Peking and Moscow visits, delivered by Ambassador Galbraith January 10,2 were: [Page 705]

  • —He deeply appreciated your message and understands your purpose.3
  • —Countries lying close to the PRC such as Laos, Cambodia, and possibly Thailand should be reassured and kept as fully informed as possible about your trip. (Similar verbal assurances have been conveyed by our ambassadors in these three countries.)
  • —Indonesia will do its best to help strengthen the will and capability of Southeast Asian nations to resist Communism, and toward this end hopes the U.S. will support his efforts to improve Indonesia’s cooperation with Japan and Australia.
  • —Communism, whether from Peking or Moscow, remains a threat to Indonesia, and the recent Indo-Pakistan conflict has resulted in a further extension of both Peking and Moscow into South Asia.4
  • —This threat underscores the importance of Indonesian political and economic stability, and Suharto is deeply grateful for your support through economic assistance for his country’s development.

[Omitted here is discussion of Turkey and the Middle East.]

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 38, President’s Daily Briefs, January 3–17, 1972. Top Secret; Sensitive; Codeword. Haig signed for Kissinger. A notation on the memorandum indicates that the President saw it.↩
  2. Telegram 298 from Djarkarta, January 11, reported Galbraith’s conversation with Suharto. (Ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 7 US/NIXON)↩
  3. Nixon wrote next to this sentence: “K Set up a procedure where I bring in their Ambassador for a special briefing (after the trip).”↩
  4. Nixon wrote next to this sentence: “K—of top priority—Keep close to Indonesia.”↩