Office of the Historian

124. Minutes of the Secretary of State’s Staff Meeting1

Washington, January 3, 1975, 8 a.m.

[Omitted here is material unrelated to U.S.-Saudi relations.]

SECRETARY KISSINGER: Jack.

MR. ROBINSON: The Joint Commission program is going forward. We had two good meetings, one on Iran and one on Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday.

SECRETARY KISSINGER: With whom?

MR. ROBINSON: The heads of the committees that make up the Joint Commission. We selected a Director for Coordination. We think we are moving in the direction that—

SECRETARY KISSINGER: We have to have one commission that does something massive. And I think Iran is eager to do it.

MR. ROBINSON: That is the reason I called this meeting.

SECRETARY KISSINGER: And I would like to have a meeting of the Joint Commission. I want to have Ansary over here during March.

MR. SOBER: He has promised to come. We are waiting for firm dates. It is the first week in March.

SECRETARY KISSINGER: Okay. I am going to see the heads of the Indian Commission.

MR. INGERSOLL: Just the Cultural Sub-Committee.

MR. SOBER: No, sir—all three—the three-sub-committees—4:30.

MR. INGERSOLL: I thought you meant the people who were—

SECRETARY KISSINGER: The heads.

MR. INGERSOLL: Yes.

SECRETARY KISSINGER: I don’t think much is going to happen in that commission. How is the Saudi?

MR. ROBINSON: I think we are beginning to get that on track. Sid Sober can report in more detail, perhaps. But we have Parsky, I think, now responsive to our direction. I am told that may be a false hope. But at least it looks that way at the moment.

SECRETARY KISSINGER: Let me know if there is a problem.

[Page 445]

MR. ROBINSON: He left last night. He has a three-day meeting in Saudi Arabia. Two of our men—Joel Biller and Morris Draper—are going with him. And I think we have clearly established the guidelines and he promised to stay within them. We will see.

MR. INGERSOLL: He has no background. That is one of the problems.

SECRETARY KISSINGER: What is his background?

MR. INGERSOLL: He is a lawyer. But he just has not had the experience. Very eager.

SECREATARY KISSINGER: But he doesn’t understand what the commissions are supposed to do. That’s the first thing.

MR. INGERSOLL: We have tried to drum it into him.

SECRETARY KISSINGER: The second thing—he doesn’t know how to deal with the Saudis. His job is not to reform Saudi society. His job is to create as many links between the Saudis and us as can be created, and to do things that they cannot think of.

MR. INGERSOLL: He doesn’t have the background in their society, either, to understand how it operates.

SECRETARY KISSINGER: That’s putting it kindly.

Okay.

[Omitted here is material unrelated to U.S.-Saudi relations.]

  1. Summary: Secretary Kissinger and his staff discussed the functioning of the Joint Commissions with Iran and Saudi Arabia.

    Source: National Archives, RG 59, Transcripts of Secretary of State Kissinger’s Staff Meetings, 1973–77, Entry 5177, Box 3, Secretary’s Analytical Staff Meetings. Secret. Kissinger chaired the meeting, attended by all the principal officers of the Department or their designated alternates.

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