192. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1 2
P: I thought you should know. I called Mitchell on a couple of things. He was in a drug meeting with Rogers at the WH. I got Bill on the phone and told him that I x wanted Sisco and whoever at State to take a hardline on economic assistance thing. He said fine. I will do it myself. So he is on Salvo. Don’t do it publicly. That’s the line, don’t you agree?
K: Exactly.
P: On your background that’s the way I would play it. Don’t bust India publicly. It’s where we want to have effect.
K: She’s written a let to you asking where she went wrong. The policy is working.
P: You work with Sisco on conciliatory attitude. Vis a vis State. Let them be tough instead of us.
K: I agree.
P: No reason for you to talk with the Indian Ambassador.
K: No trouble with State now that it’s over. We are trying to get the British to ? ? ? ? ?. We have her text so it’s genuine offer. Trying to formalize it because she can renege at any time. Talked with Bhutto and having Raza in. He thinks and extremely grateful to President. He has Chinese aboard to.
- Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 370, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File, 16–17 Dec. 1971. No classification marking. The omissions are in the original transcription.↩
- Nixon told Kissinger he intended to continue to take a hard line on economic assistance to India.↩