171. Notes of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and Secretary of Defense Laird1 2
[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to toxins]
[Page 2]L said next item regarding the hearings going on in the House of Representatives on Geneva Convention. L said I think they are making a big issue up there about toxins. L said the Committee said they could care less but it continues to be brought up. I told Clem we are not producing any of those and have not since last delivery from an order placed some time ago. L said I don’t think we should go out and make a big denouncement now. They are trying to get them into the bacteriological field. L said I don’t think we should spill all of our guts before we get into this tear gas thing. K said when you called me the other day about toxins, I thought you were talking about contingency plan. I have tracked down what happened. McCarthy called Richardson. Richardson told him this was being studied in the NSC system. Someone from McCarthy’s office must have leaked it. K said I did not know anything was being done on it until you called me. L said I don’t see any point unless you think I should come out and announce that we are not producing them right now. K said no, Mel, I think we should study it. L said then we can give a little on something like that. We are not being pressed in this area right now and at some future date we might need it. K said you are not being pressed from here and I am having a staff paper prepared for me so that I will understand it. L said very good. I will not announce it.
[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to toxins]
- Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 361, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File, 17–31 December 1969. No classification marking.↩
- Kissinger and Laird engaged in a detailed discussed about the hearings in the House of Representatives concerning the toxins issue.↩