ae MEMORANDUM THE WHITE HOUSE ~> WASHINGTON ‘ “9 —SECRE SHOR IS beeRS- MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION PARTICIPANTS: The President Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State and Assistant to.the President for National. Security- —. . Lt. General Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs DATE AND TIME:. Thursday, June 26, 1975 PLACE: The Oval Office The White House President: The only problem with my press conference was Mel Laird. Kissinger: That raises a problem. We have absolutely no discipline in the government. .Lynn says he has the same problem in the domestic area. Schlesinger is now on a SALT violation kick again. Now he is talking about massive Soviet missile deployments. We started MIRV deployments five years ago. Mel's article [in Reader's Digest] was mischievous. He says the Communists are coming after us in Portugal. President: It isn't their fault. We are hamstrung. Kissinger: We are building up problems for a SALT agreement. They are unyielding on cruise missile and Backfire. . President: Is Defense now saying not to count cruise missiles? Kissinger: Up to 3000 kilometers, yes. That would be a farce -- it would just shift the strategic competition from ballistic to cruise missiles. We have offered a ban on ship-launched cruise missiles and not air-launched ones, ~ CLASSIFIED By__HENRY A. KISSINGER * EXEMPT FROM GENERAL DECLASSIFICATION SECGREDGORIS GER S- SCHEDULE OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 11652 EXEMPTION CATEGORY 5 (b) {1,3 AUTOMATICALLY DECLASSIFIED ON Imp. to det. Photocopy from Gerald R. Ford Library HW 54214 Docld:327105716 Page 2
Here is what we have shipped to Israel since April. [He hands the President a list, which he reads, ] President: If they are going to be intransigent, we are going to have to 80 public. We have no choice. Kissinger: Max Fisher came in and said they are trying to yield and just trying to find a way. We can't wait, They have already screwed it up doing it before CSCE, which we wanted, in order to do it while. the Soviets! . AES: Sette heads weretiown, Here is the letter -- we have revised it just a little, [The President reads the letter. ] President: Can Rabin say that he did respond to my telephone call? Kissinger: We can take that out. He didn't change, but that looks petulant, , President: We could say "We have had no change in your Position. " Kissinger: We don't need to do that. Itig a dig and would lead to a Peripheral argument, ‘President: The rest looks fine. . —Kissinger: Shall we get Dinitz in there? President: Sure. Kissinger: Shall we have Javits in for five minutes? President: How about Ribicoff? Kissinger: If you want to lay it out for him, President: How about that letter on Soviet MFN? [The President reads the draft letter, ] Let's get it up there today. “SECRET NODIStxCpSs— ; ; Photocopy from Gerald R. Ford Library HW 542714 Docld: 32105716 Page 3
3. Kissinger: Volpe wants to begin discussions with the Communists in Italy, ™ President: I don't understand that, Kissinger: It is a case of localities: It will be hard not to include the Communists in the government, but we don't want to play. President: [ agree, Kissinger: Your meeting on the Turkish embargo this morning -- your talker has an option to pot in a Greek aid sweetener, [He reads the President the Brademas fintexcept fuith the Greek Ambassador.] — President: With this group, should I tell them what I Propose and urge them to proceed and ask them what they think? _ Kissinger: The waiver is something you are willing to do for them; it igs not for us. . ; We are having another Church problem. They are now asking for everything related to the six assassination areas -- it is all the NSC processes, President: We are not going to do it, Who is the Problem? Hills? Kissinger: No, Hills is fine. Colby is the insoluble problem. I was at a dinner with Strauss. He said you would win in 76, Scowcroft: McGovern told me the Same thing, Kissinger: It was not a bouyant Democratic group last night, On Church, the major thing to say is that he is going at a difficult period, that the old idea that they are part of our decision making structure is past. He Shouldn't blow it up. ‘ ~, —SESRST Nepistte ps — Photocopy from Gerald R. Ford Library HW 54214 DocId:327105718 Page 4