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February 16, 1971

Introduction

This almanac page for Tuesday, February 16, 1971, pulls together various records created by the federal government and links to additional resources which can provide context about the events of the day.

Previous Date: Monday, February 15, 1971

Next Date: Wednesday, February 17, 1971

Schedule and Public Documents

  • The Daily Diary files represent a consolidated record of the President's activities. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    The President's day began at The White House - Washington, D. C.

  • The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents made available transcripts of the President's news conferences; messages to Congress; public speeches, remarks, and statements; and other Presidential materials released by the White House.

    Digitized versions can be found at HathiTrust.

  • Each Public Papers of the Presidents volume contains the papers and speeches of the President of the United States that were issued by the White House Office of the Press Secretary during the time period specified by the volume. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the text note.

    To ensure accuracy, remarks have been checked against audio recordings (when available) and signed documents have been checked against the original, unless otherwise noted. Editors have provided text notes and cross references for purposes of identification or clarity.

  • The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other Presidential documents.

    No Federal Register published on this date

Archival Holdings

  • The H. R. Haldeman Diaries consists of seven handwritten diaries, 36 dictated diaries recorded as sound recordings, and two handwritten audio cassette tape subject logs. The diaries and logs reflect H. R. Haldeman’s candid personal record and reflections on events, issues, and people encountered during his service in the Nixon White House. As administrative assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Haldeman attended and participated in public events and private meetings covering the entire scope of issues in which the Nixon White House engaged in during the years 1969-1973. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

  • The National Archives Catalog is the online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records. It is the main way of describing our holdings and also provides access to electronic records and digitized versions of our holdings. 

    The Catalog searches across multiple National Archives resources at once, including archival descriptions, digitized and electronic records, authority records, and web pages from Archives.gov and the Presidential Libraries. The Catalog also allows users to contribute to digitized historical records through tagging and transcription.

    Nixon Library Holdings

    All National Archives Units

National Security Documents

  • The President's Daily Brief is the primary vehicle for summarizing the day-to-day sensitive intelligence and analysis, as well as late-breaking reports, for the White House on current and future national security issues. Read "The President's Daily Brief: Delivering Intelligence to Nixon and Ford" to learn more.

  • The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Visit the State Department website for more information.

    Vol. II, Organization and Management of U.S. Foreign Policy, 1969-1972

    The Intelligence Community and the White House

    Vol. VII, Vietnam, July 1970-January 1972

    Operational Lam Son 719, February 8-April 7, 1971

    • 130. Summary of Conclusions of a Meeting of the Washington Special Actions Group, Washington, February 16, 1971, noon

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H-115, WSAG Meetings Minutes, Originals, 1971. Top Secret; Nodis. The meeting took place in the Situation Room of the White House. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting began at 12:07 p.m ended at 1:06. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968-76)

    Vol. XIII, Soviet Union, October 1970-October 1971

    "A Key Point in Our Relationship": Backchannel Talks on SALT, Berlin, and the Summit

    • 113. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, February 16, 1971

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–181, National Security Study Memoranda, NSSM 119. Secret. Sent for action. Sonnenfeldt forwarded a draft to Kissinger on February 10 with the comment: “Frankly, I find it incomprehensible how State could have decided to undertake what amounts to negotiations with the Soviets on a very sensitive subject—without seeking White House approval for doing so, or at the very least notification prior to acceptance of the Soviet offer.” Sonnenfeldt, therefore, recommended that Kissinger either sign the draft NSSM or raise the issue informally with Irwin. “Since the decision between these alternatives turns in part on your relations with State,” he added, “I find it difficult to offer a recommendation as between them.” (Ibid.) A note and attached correspondence profile indicate that the President saw the memorandum from Kissinger on February 19.

    • 115. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, February 16, 1971

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 490, President’s Trip Files, Dobrynin/Kissinger, 1971, Vol. 4 [part 2]. Top Secret; Sensitive; Eyes Only. The meeting was held in the Map Room at the White House. According to Kissinger’s Record of Schedule, the meeting lasted from 3:15 to 3:55 p.m. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 438, Miscellany, 1968–76) Kissinger forwarded the memorandum of conversation and a memorandum summarizing it (as well as the memorandum of his conversation with Dobrynin on February 22) to Nixon on February 27. A note on the covering memorandum indicates that the President saw it.

    Vol. XVII, China, 1969-1972

    China,January-September 1971

    • 105. Draft Response to National Security Study Memorandum 106, Washington, February 16, 1971

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Insitutional Files (H-Files), Box H–177, NSSM 106. Secret. Green was responsible for coordinating the Department of State’s response to NSSM 106. (Memorandum from Cargo t. Green, November 28, 1970; ibid., RG 59, S/S Files; Lot 80 D 212, NSSM 106) Representatives from the Departments of State, Defense, Commerce, and Treasury, and ACDA, USIA, and the CIA met on December 23 to discuss the draft response. Green noted: “With the exception of some differences on specific points, the other participating Agencies appeared to support the general thrust of State’s draft.” (Memorandum from Green t. Rogers, January 8, 1971; ibid.) In an undated memorandum, Green wrote to the Under Secretary of State that the Interdepartmental Group had reviewed the response to NSSM 106 on February 11. According to Green, “However, some differences between DOD and State remain on specific points, notably in the sections dealing with the strategic importance of Taiwan and our military presence there and in the final section on possible arms control discussions with Peking.” (Ibid., S/S Files: Lot 82 D 126, NSC Files, SRG Meeting on NSSM 106) A March 6 briefing memorandum from Levin, Sonnenfeldt, and Kennedy to Kissinger explained that NSSM 106 “in effect, poses the issue of how far we want to go to improve relations with the People’s Republic of China, since attempts to achieve these improvements must come, if at all, at some cost in our relations with the GRC and will raise some questions in our relations with the Soviets.” In a March 8 memorandum to Kissinger, Holdridge emphasized that NSSM 106 involved conventional, not nuclear forces, and suggested that these matters would be better discussed in the context of NSSM 69, U.S. Nuclear Policy in Asia. (Ibid.) Materials prepared for Kissinger including this response to NSSM 106, the Department of State’s Issues Paper, NSDM 17, and NSSM 106 are ibid. According to a March 25 memorandum from Helms to Kissinger, there was also an “Intelligence Annex” to the response to the NSSM, which had the concurrence of INR, DOD, and the CIA. (Central Intelligence Agency, Job 84–B00513R, DCI/Executive Registry Files: NSSMs)

    Vol. XIX, Part 2, Japan, 1969-1972

    December 1969-March 1971: Relations After the First Nixon-Sato Summit

    • 67. Memorandum From the Director of the U.S. Information Agency (Shakespeare) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, February 16, 1971

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), National Security Study Memoranda, Box H–182, NSSM 13, 3 of 3. Top Secret; Sensitive. Holdridge sent this memorandum to Kissinger under a February 24 memorandum, advising Kissinger to tell Shakespeare that he preferred to delay the review until later in the year. Kissinger rejected this response and wrote on Holdridge’s covering memorandum: “No—I think Shakespeare is right. Let’s start review now & get Peterson involved.” Kissinger’s note is stamped March 1. (Memorandum from Holdridge to Kissinger, February 24; ibid.)

    Vol. XXI, Chile, 1969-1973

    Cool and Correct: The U.S. Response to the Allende Administration, November 5, 1970-December 31, 1972

    Vol. XXXIV, National Security Policy, 1969-1972

    The Defense Budget and U.S. National Security Policy

    Vol. E-7, Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972

    India and Pakistan: Pre-Crisis, January 1969-February 1971

    • 115. National Security Study Memorandum 118, Washington, February 16, 1971

      Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger, on behalf of the President, instructed the Departments of State and Defense and the CIA to prepare a contingency study examining the options open to the U.S. in the event of a movement toward secession in East Pakistan.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 365, Subject Files, National Security Study Memoranda, Nos. 104–206. Secret; Exdis. A copy was sent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

    Vol. E-10, Documents on American Republics, 1969-1972

    American Republics Regional

    • 34. National Security Study Memorandum 117, Washington, February 16, 1971., Washington, February 16, 1971

      President Nixon directed that a comprehensive review of U.S. policies in the Caribbean be conducted, with a focus on the following issues: expropriation of foreign companies’ assets, regional effects from the reduced power of Great Britain, Caribbean nations’ desire to trade with Cuba, the growth of black power, and increased Soviet military activities.

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–59, Latin America, Caribbean, 1/17/71. Secret. A copy was sent to the Administrator of AID and the Director of USIA. The IG for Inter-American Affairs study, August 10, was titled, “Review of U.S. Policy in the Caribbean Area.” The portion of the study that discusses bauxite in the Caribbean is published as Document 46. The IG produced a supplementary report, dated September 3, titled, “Political and Security Aspects of U.S. Relations with Caribbean Countries.” (Ibid.) A DOD Report, dated December 13, 1972, was entitled, “The Future U.S.-Bahamas Relationship.” (Ibid.)

    Vol. E-16, Documents on Chile, 1969-1973

    Cool and Correct: The U.S. Response to the Allende Administration, November 5, 1970-December 31, 1972

    • 53. Telegram From the Embassy in Chile to the Department of State, Santiago, February 16, 1971, 1310Z

      Summary: This telegram reported on a meeting Korry had with Chilean Ambassador Orlando Letelier at which the two men discussed Chile’s emerging nationalization policy and the power Allende would have over the process. At the close of the telegram, Korry made an assessment of the impact nationalization would have on U.S. companies.

      Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, INCO 15–2 CHILE. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Nachmanoff sent this cable to Kissinger in preparation for the February 17 SRG meeting. In the attached February 17 covering note, he advised that Kissinger take particular note of paragraphs 1 and 3. (Ibid., Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, NSC Institutional Files (H-Files), Box H–52, SRG Meeting, Chile, 2/17/71)

  • The Kissinger telephone conversation transcripts consist of approximately 20,000 pages of transcripts of Kissinger’s telephone conversations during his tenure as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1969-1974) and Secretary of State (1973-1974) during the administration of President Richard Nixon. Visit the finding aid for more information.

    Digitized versions of many of these transcripts can be found on the Yale University Library website.

Audiovisual Holdings

Context (External Sources)