May 16 1973 5 39 p m Richard Nixon and J Fred Buzhardt Oval Office 920-009 Audio http nixontapeaudio org chron5 920-009 mp3 00 00 11 3 Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Mardian been reached yet They found him I was dealing with the Sullivan call and I was going to get with you in a minute Fine My feeling is that I guess you have got to check with — I guess Mardian can tell you I think Fred the damn thing was rescinded That is the unclear I think unclear or something you know what I mean I cannot recall but there is something there Huston seemed to think so He is looking is that correct That is correct Also the DIA may help Somebody there thinks it was rescinded They unclear They are now looking I have them looking If they can find one piece of paper— We are in business Yeah Where else What about the CIA CIA — I haven’t gotten Schlesinger yet He’s somewhere they can’t reach him which is unusual I mean Walters is not going to do it That’s true but Walters didn’t know anything about this Neither did Schlesinger Schlesinger knows nothing about it but if he can find the right people to inquire of we might be a little better Since Walters is a witness— I agree I agree I agree Walters is a witness Since Walters is a witness— Walters is a witness —I think we shouldn’t unclear anybody we know is going to be a witness I am going to take Al and get him something to eat and out of his house for a little while So I—and he’ll call you Well you have to go too don’t you No I will be here But I think if we can contain this a minute we can handle it I think this — I have a recollection that the Goddamn thing is — look I know it was not an oper — it hadn’t been in operation in two years I just don’t know— I am sure— I don’t know how it went out of business That is my point I am sure it hasn’t been operating legitimately in quite a while I feel that is true Without — as an operation as a group It had been operated — but it had an original authorization and then the question— Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Was terminated But if we can’t find a record of the termination — that would be our best bet to find the record of the termination But if you can’t we’ll say it was terminated We will still have to say it was terminated It was terminated Right And all the agencies will then say — they’ll just have to back it up That is the recollection of DIA They are looking for the papers I believe we will find the papers Mr President DIA says they think it was terminated They think it was terminated They think that the mem — and they told me independently from Huston— Yeah —that they think the approval was recalled and that is what Huston said He thought he recalled the approval you gave him We are going to have to check this thoroughly with NSA and the reason is important is because as you remember that was the most aggressive group to go forward NSA NSA and I suspect they are the only ones that did go— You haven’t been able to reach them They are on their way in here now — in traffic hour it takes a while to get from Fort Meade in here But they will be here shortly My God tell them unclear So I am going to find out Unclear I am just confident that I never heard anything on this But you know what I mean— Well whatever their operations are there is not a problem with them Yeah NSA DIA — so forth and so on DIA — he says they did absolutely nothing Yeah NSA probably did some electronic — Goddamn it We will defend the hell out of that— We can defend that —until hell freezes over The problem with the memorandum is what it says in regards to the Watergate break-in That is the only problem Because it says “break-in ” No technically— It says “surreptitious entry ” What In the accompanying memorandum it says this is a forced burglary That is our problem Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt The copy of the memorandum is from me From Huston No For Christ’s sake It is his characterization of the thing But the way we will have to say is that his characterization of a surreptitious entry meant electronic He— It is made clear Mr President in the memorandum That is what is spelled out Huh This one is spelled out in the memorandum So there is no— 00 04 40 6 Portion redacted for national security — intelligence 00 04 50 5 Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Unclear domestic disturbances— Alright Fine —and with respect to the selected internal security targets to find out much the same thing What they are doing — what they’re planning— This would be the Weathermen and things like that They name them the Weathermen the SDS— Good —the Black Panthers— That’s unclear —and all of the organizations are described and their capabilities are given All of it is laid out Yeah and there they’ll find out there what— That’s right What they are up to Well my own view — is although I still think Fred — is to play them as separable instances I know the Krogh incident is separate I know that it wasn’t — is Krogh— Oh yeah The record so indicates He operated from here and with my total approval My total approval My approval laughs didn’t include the burglary But my point—it was stupid but nevertheless Krogh is a great guy unclear I was totally aware of it as was everybody else in this shop But when you get down to for example the break in of the Chilean Embassy — that thing was a part of the burglars’ plan — That’s right — as a cover-up That’s true Those assholes were trying to have a cover — or a CIA cover I don’t know I think Dean concocted that Do you— Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon I suspected he concocted — and it may come out that he concocted more than what we now know about Mr President And— Unclear All indications are now that things got badly askew and by his statement and documents I can only assume he was unaware of evidence of the turn off of this thing or withdrawal of approval— If there was one If there was one and that he thought that he had a cover— A cover for everything that he had done —for everything that he had done in the form of a document that would give him the cover of presidential approval And I can’t help but feel you know— But I don’t think he needed it for that Because I don’t — because he’s with that fellow unclear Watergate unclear He says — go ahead — I’ll tell you I’m going to meet with him Mr President Be careful I really think what happened is probable— You mean he would say that the Watergate thing was approved because of this I anticipate— If this was unclear —that they might I anticipate they might He — because you know we’ve heard the stories of the reason we’ve read in the papers that McCord had said the reason there were going in was to find out their connections with the dissident groups and the demonstrators Now if Dean is using this as a cover particularly if we can find a memorandum of withdrawal or something of this it cuts him off at the water I suspect looking at the date you see Dean didn’t get this document back till the summer or spring of ’72 He probably didn’t recognize the utility of it at the time to his activities until much later Unclear He didn’t even know the document existed He probably knew it existed but he didn’t have this copy of it probably When Until when Until ’72 I don’t know You see it is not clear how much of material was sent to him by Sol Lindebaum But when did that come to him In March of ’72 March of ’72 He probably didn’t even think of this document as a cover until long after the incident occurred and the heat got on him I suspect he really didn’t think of it as a cover perhaps until the week that he really made the break when he was looking desperately for something to cover with Yeah but if he unclear March of ‘72 This fellow sent this over to Dean in March of ’72 Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt Nixon Buzhardt 00 10 50 3 He sent over a memorandum that said I am enclosing documents Now I don’t know how many of those documents were enclosed— Unclear You mean— —how many of these documents were actually enclosed with Lindenbaum’s memorandum But I suspect that sometime around the time he went to Camp David he was desperate He looked in the files and found this document thought he needed a cover and took it on the outside And from there on in he found a smug out Let me say this however document did not authorize non-governmental activity No sir Now that’s where he has no cover for that Yes This didn’t authorize any non-governmental activity at all It is bad as it is Right Goddamn it I bet you this has been knocked off though I— I unclear — I recommended it was knocked off in the summer of that year It was about two or three— That’s true —months only Goddamn it can’t Huston even remember that He thinks it was Huh I told him— Did he volunteer Yes sir He volunteered But can he—is there anybody else you can check with I mean I don’t know as we have unclear — He is looking at his own files I think we will find it in one of the agencies One of the agencies will probably have it You better Hell that’s one time we have to find something We are going to look Assuming we do we could cut these boys right off on the pass Then we can really lay it in the woods Lay it in the woods— And let them have it —and cut them off on the pass Ok We’ll call you when we get back Alright sir Unclear Meanwhile I’ll go on digging and hope to have some more information for you This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu