256. Conversation Between President Nixon and the Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1 2
Conversation Number: 30-17
Participants:
- Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger
Nixon: I donʼt want to irritate your evening, but I was not satisfied with the report on Uganda, which came from State.
Kissinger: Right.
Nixon: Now, the man we have there is Melady, who is a sweet guy. Heʼs a great supporter of ours, but totally African, all African. He doesnʼt understand. Now, I know him—Tom Melady—know him well. Second point, I want harder action taken. I want all—everybody from America evacuated as soon as possible.
Kissinger: Right.
Nixon: I want hard action. And second, I want to get that Burundi Ambassadorʼs ass out of there right now and thatʼs an order.
Kissinger: That should be—
Nixon: Now, goddamanit—
Kissinger: That will be ordered today.
Nixon: Now we—I think you will agree, Henry, we have really had a double standard on this thing.
Kissinger: Oh, sure.
Nixon: In the African Division, you know what I mean, do we care when they kill a poor goddamned Pakistani? Do we care when these damn Africans eat 100,000 people? I mean, itʼs really gone too far. What do you think?
Kissinger: I couldnʼt agree more.
Nixon: All right. Will you get on Tom about it? Now Meladyʼs report saying, he said, “Well, no Americans have been arrested and there are a few UKʼs have been killed. Goddamnit, if a Britisher killed—I mean call Melady back for instructions. You know? Letʼs call him right back. How about that?
Kissinger: We can do both of those.
Nixon: All right. You get Meladyʼs ass right back here.
Kissinger: Right.
Nixon: Okay.
Kissinger: Right.
Nixon: Bye.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, 7:42–7:43 PM, White House Telephone, Conversation No. 30–17. This transcript was prepared in the Office of the Historian specifically for this volume. No classification marking.↩
- Nixon wanted stronger action taken in Uganda, such as the evacuation of all Americans, and the recall of Ambassador Melady.↩