Transcript
of Telephone Conversation between President Nixon and His Assistant for
National Security Affairs (Kissinger)/1/
/1/
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 370,
Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking. The
President was in Key Biscayne,
P: . . ./2/ update on everything okay.
/2/ The transcription begins at this point in the conversation.
K:
Everything is now falling into place. The Soviets are tabling a resolution;/3/ it's better than the old one but we still can't accept
it. We can't let it get settled on a Soviet resolution and secondly it is still
very one-sided. Now the British are withdrawing theirs.
/3/ Vorontsov called Kissinger 35 minutes earlier and read the
text of the Soviet draft resolution. (Transcript of a telephone conversation;
Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 395, Telephone
Conversations, Dobrynin File, Sept 1971- Apr 1972)
P: Are
they going to support the Soviets?
K: That is
unthinkable to me; that they wouldn't do. We have a good resolution with the
non-permanent members and I have given Bush urgent instructions to get it
tabled and told Vorontsov we wouldn't accept theirs
but hoped it was negotiable and he said it probably was. He said let the people
in
P: What
about the exchange of letters?
K: That's
obviously off. It's just as well as far as the Chinese are concerned. We cannot
support a Soviet resolution.
P: There
is a unilateral cease-fire [omission in the source text].
K: Yes,
but we have a problem getting Yahya to accept it. The
Indians told the British our [their] offer is good for only 24 hours. She may
figure Yahya can't move that fast. I have sent a
cable/4/ urging Yahya to accept it at least until the
UN acts. This is all tactical maneuvering in the last 24 hours. It is aggravating
for the people concerned, but nothing you need to follow step by step.
/4/
Document 321.
[Omitted
here is discussion unrelated to
P: But you
feel good about India-Pakistan?
K: Barring
total treachery . . .
P: On the
part of the Indians.
K: And the
Russians. The real problem now is cosmetics.
[Omitted
here is discussion largely related to dealing with the press.]
Source: Document 322, volume XI,