Nixon and Haig Talk CIA Watergate May 12 1973

Introduction and transcript from Stanley Kutler's Abuse of Power.

URL for audio file:
http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/forresearchers/find/tapes/tape165/165-019.mp3

Audio with transcript accompaniment is on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmXT2FpJRpk

Scans of Vernon Walters' memcoms mentioned in this conversation from Stanley Kutler's Watergate: A Brief History With Documents can be found here:

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http://postimg.org/image/kj6ocgu8v/

MAY 12, 1973: THE PRESIDENT AND HAIG, 12:37-12:54 P.M,
WHITE HOUSE TELEPHONE

The President, still alarmed, fears a public revelation of General Vernon Walters's memcoms. To Haig, Nixon reiterates his theme: "can we survive it?"

HAIG
Now I've been over these memcoms again very carefully, and I've asked Buzhardt to do it again, himself. He's coming over here shortly. My judgment is that there is absolutely no way that we can permit these to leave the building under any circumstances...

NIXON
Well, I suppose our problem is whether somebody else has got them.

HAIG
Yeah. Well, what happened - and this influences that judgment also - is that when Cushman [Deputy Director of the CIA Bob Cushman] went up to Armed Services, [Defense Secretary James R.] Schlesinger sent his memcoms to the committee. That's on another subject, of course. But they're going to hit Schlesinger - or hit Walters - tomorrow and ask for his memcoms....So we're going to just have to take the heat, Mr. President...And it's going to be-

NIXON
-be hot.

HAIG
-some criticism.

NIXON
That's nothing. We can take it.

HAIG
Listen. Compared to what would happen with these papers, it's essential.

NIXON
I understand. Well, we just - the only thing I was - Walters is confident in the fact that he didn't give a copy of these damn things to Helms.

HAIG
Yes, he is. He's confident. Now, he said they were locked in his safe while he was abroad and, unless there was some real hanky-panky, he's confident...

(2:35-5:19)

NIXON
What is the difficulty in it in terms of the President in the damn thing?

HAIG
Well, it's just the first paragraph of the thing, which - Haldeman says the bugging affair-

NIXON
Yeah.

HAIG
(Unintelligible) making noise, and we're maximizing it, and it's leading to a lot of important people.

NIXON
He said it would lead to a lot of - go ahead.

HAIG
Right. And then Helms said there was no CIA connection. He's contradicted it right off the bat, you see.

NIXON
Yes.

HAIG
And Haldeman said that the whole affair was getting embarrassing and that the President wished - it was the President's wish that Walters call on Acting FBI Director Gray and suggest to him that, since the five suspects had been arrested, that this should be sufficient, that it was not advantageous to have the inquiry pushed, especially in Mexico.

NIXON
Yeah that's bad.

HAIG
Just cannot have that.

NIXON
Well, it may get out, if it gets out, and let's be ready for it when it does.

HAIG
Well, you see, I don't think it will. And it's all going to revolve on Bob and John in the context that we discussed it earlier. So that's where this thing is. It's coming up again. But we knew that and we've known it from the beginning.

NIXON
Yes. Well, the idea that Haldeman - of course, in a sense he was sort of using the President's name-

HAIG
That's right.

NIXON
-which everybody does.

HAIG
Now, you see, this is hearsay...And this wouldn't come out in the courtroom under direct testimony. But if you have a piece of paper...you've given hearsay evidence firm credibility. That's why we have to stick to the way we're going. Now, it won't evolve that way if it ends up on direct testimony. Walters will build a wall and, to the degree that that kind of innuendo has been struck from this, then it makes it easier for Bob and John in that context, and hopefully we're going to manage it so that the thing is put in its proper context.

NIXON
Well, I always figure, as we must, it seems like verything gets out. I don't know. But I think that Walters, who I think we've got a good man, and Helms, Jesus, he's just got to stand firm on this.

HAIG
I think in large measure, especially for this first session, he can - everything he has is hearsay, so it's not worth a damn in this.

NIXON
No, but Helms in terms of having the memcom and himself so-

HAIG
Well, that's all right, too, because it's hearsay.

NIXON
No, I know, but-

HAIG
If we had a copy it would be bad...

NIXON
Yes. So when does he get back [from Iran] and you can get him basically under control, get the Goddamn copy and keep it here?

HAIG
Well, Buzhardt's going to contact him as soon as he's in. I think he's coming in tonight...I asked Walters if there were any other copies anywhere, and he said no, and no one has held them physically but him.

NIXON
Of course, there's the possibility, as I also said, Al, that Helms made a copy. But you thought that he may not have made a memcom himself.

HAIG
Oh, he may have made a memcom of that session, yes, he may have. And that's important. That's why Buzhardt's going to contact him.

NIXON
And say that that should be-

HAIG
Should be put in the same category.

NIXON
The same category. Because basically the Haldeman thing, the Haldeman thing says it may lead to Mexico and so forth and so on. But you can point out that we were not trying to - we were concerned, despite what Helms says, we were concerned about the fact that a whole gaggle of CIA people were in this thing...

HAIG
That's right. It is obviously the context in which it was put in or he wouldn't have taken the position he took. The difficulty is he denied it, you see.

NIXON
The difficulty is he denied it there.

HAIG
Yes, and alleged to have denied it the day before with Gray....

NIXON
And then they [Haldeman and Ehrlichman] said that Walters should go - even in spite of that, they said Walters should talk to Gray?

HAIG
Yes. It's very bad the way it's on that-

NIXON
Very bad.

HAIG
-piece of paper.

NIXON
Well, if that gets out it's going to be pretty rough. But we could survive it, can we?

HAIG
I'm sure.

NIXON
Even survive that, huh?

HAIG
Yes...

(10:17-13:49)

NIXON
Incidentally, Buzhardt should, in addition to Haldeman and Ehrlichman, and this isn't a top priority because he could do it tomorrow even, he should have a talk with Colson, you know.

HAIG
Yes.

NIXON
To see what the hell Colson sees coming down the pike here...And particularly with regard to Colson and Hunt. See what I mean?

HAIG
Exactly. I agree with that. I've told him that already.

NIXON
That's right. And be sure that Colson knows that he's on our side. Colson knows he's on our side, he knows Buzhardt is...All right, boy. Well, keep your old chin up...And as I tell you, if the Goddamn thing gets out it's just going to get out, Al.

HAIG
That's all right.

NIXON
It isn't all right. But we can survive it.

HAIG
We can survive it in very good shape.

NIXON
We can survive it. It will be very embarrassing because it'll indicate that we tried to cover up with the CIA.

HAIG
That's all right...