Office of the Historian

63. Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1

Washington, April 23, 1971.

Kissinger: Mr. President, we have one problem with an ambassador, which you may have to step in to. It’s Korry, sir. He’s just written you a long letter complaining bitterly about his mistreatment.

[Page 314]

Nixon: By whom?

Kissinger: By, essentially, Rogers and us.

Nixon: What did we do?

Kissinger: Second—well, it’s—he says he’s tried to carry out his orders faithfully, and he’s taking a beating as a result of it. [William F.] Buckley, who was down there to see him, has written us a letter.

[Omitted here is a brief exchange with White House Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler.]

Kissinger: I hold no brief for him [Korry] except that he needs the money, and that he has a hell of a lot of information of what we did down there. Bill is furious with him for something he did—for recommending that AID be moved out of the State Department—and he’s being tough. But I hold no brief for him except that I think we ought to keep him employed until after election—

Nixon: And he’s [unclear].

Kissinger: Yeah. He just knows too damn much. He’s emotionally highly unstable.

Nixon: I agree with you. I think it’s a problem that—what the hell are you going to do with him when he gets out and starts writing his books?

Kissinger: I’d make him an ambassador somewhere.

Nixon: You mean move him out of there [Chile], Henry?

Kissinger: Well, he is being moved out of there. That’s already decided—out of Chile. It’s already been announced. That can’t be reversed. And I tried. And he’s an unstable guy. I don’t—I don’t like him particularly. In fact, I don’t like him, period.

Nixon: Yeah. I know. I know what you mean, but—

Kissinger: Let me see whether I can work something out there.

Nixon: Yeah.

[Omitted here is discussion of the Soviet Union, Vietnam, and other matters unrelated to Chile, portions of which are printed as Document 188 in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970–October 1971; and as Document 190, ibid., vol. VII, Vietnam, July 1970–January 1972.]

  1. Summary: Nixon and Kissinger discussed how to handle Korry.

    Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Conversation 487–7. Secret. According to the President’s Daily Diary, Nixon and Kissinger met in the Oval Office from 11:56 a.m. to 12:19 p.m. (Ibid., White House Central Files) The editors transcribed the portion of the conversation printed here specifically for this volume.

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