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  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1969–1972
  4. Document 162

162. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and Secretary of Defense Laird 1 2

Washington, November 18, 1969, 5:50 p.m.

[Omitted here is unrelated material.]

K said on the CBW thing … L said don’t call it CBW, that’s what the opponents call it. K said anyway, he would run that guidance past L. K wanted to make sure it’s what L had in mind. K asked L if he could send over some legislative strategy. L said the problem is this has never been done—L has been working on this for 16 years, and they’ve never been able to get anybody to address himself to this. L said this would be useful—it’s important to develop a few positions down the line like this. K said he would send over a draft. L said both on public affairs and legislative side. Then we can issue instructions, and L thinks we can keep everybody quiet until this thing comes out. L said they would try to get it released this weekend.

K asked if L went along with the Geneva protocol thing; L said yes, but we shouldn’t get tear gas mixed up with the protocol thing. K said he would make sure in the NSDM to leave no doubt about the President’s feeling about that. K asked if L had noticed what K put out yesterday on ABM. L said yes, very good.

  1. Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 361, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File, November 18–28, 1969. No classification marking.↩
  2. The conversation dealt with follow-up to the NSC meeting and the possible draft of a legislative strategy to address the CBW.↩