Afghanistan: Henry Kissinger, Memorandum for the President, "Private Conversations with the King and Prime Minister of Afghanistan," 26 January 1970

Document 1:
Henry Kissinger, Memorandum for the President, "Private Conversations with the King and Prime Minister of Afghanistan," 26 January 1970, with report by Vice President Spiro Agnew Attached, Secret/Nodis/Eyes Only, 3 pp.

Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials Project, National Security Council Files (hereinafter NSCF), box 591, Afghanistan Vol I.

During a trip to the region in January 1970, Vice President Spiro Agnew met with King Zahir and prepared a brief summary of the discussion that Henry Kissinger relayed to President Nixon. Although Agnew was useful to the White House as a heavy (e.g., his attacks on anti-Vietnam war protesters), Nixon generally kept him out of sensitive foreign policy matters, and his advice was seldom solicited. Agnew, however, made some official visits overseas, such as in early 1970 when he traveled to Taiwan and Afghanistan, among other destinations. Agnew met with King Zahir, who discussed his policy priorities, especially the importance of "diplomatic rapport" with the Soviet Union, his powerful northern neighbor, as well as his interest in a U.S. presence (economic aid, etc.) as a balance against Moscow. But Zahir's chief anxiety was Pakistan, especially the dispute over Pashtun territories (misspelled "Pushtoonistan" by Agnew) that straddled the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. - Read More at Document 1 :