Office of the Historian

67. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Under Secretary of State (Irwin)1

Washington, January 11, 1971.

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to oil.]

[I:] Henry, there’s one other thing that I—you may well be aware of—that I think is coming more and more to a question—this is the whole oil problem in the Middle East and its effect, now our oil policy but what’s happening…

K: Aren’t you handling that in the Under Secretaries Committee?

[I:] Well, we are handling it but I—it’s coming more and more to a—I think to a point where we’re planning to send over a message to the President/White House—not a message but a memorandum, explaining what the circumstances are today.2

[Page 171]

K: Good, I think that would be a good way.

[I:] I think it is coming to—can come to a very serious point.

K: I’m frankly not on top of that.

[I:] Okay.

K: Good.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Kissinger Telephone Conversation Transcripts, Box 8, Chronological Files, January 1971. No classification marking. Following this conversation, Irwin forwarded to Kissinger a copy of circular telegram 4436, January 11, which was a comprehensive summary of oil events following the 1967 war. (Ibid., RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, PET 3 OPEC)↩
  2. See footnote 2, Document 69.↩