The long view.

DOCUMENT EXTRACT

National Security Agency Telephone Record

11.05.04

Begin Extract:

[Dialing. Static. Click.]

PRESIDENT-ELECT JOHN KERRY: "Jacques?"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE: "Oui?"

P-EJK: "Jacques, c'est John Kerry a l'appareil."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "Oh! Bonjour, Jean! Ca va?"

P-EJK: "Oui, oui. Tres bien!"

JACQUES CHIRAC: "Felicitations, mon vieux ..."

P-EJK: "Thanks, Jacques. Thanks. Sorry to switch to English, but ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "Is no problem, Monsieur le President-elect. Please. It is very good to hear from you."

P-EJK: "Thanks, Jacques. Anyway, the reason I'm calling is this. As you know, part of my message to the American people during the campign was ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "Congratulations, by the way."

P-EJK: "Thanks, thanks. Anyway, as I was saying, part of my message to the American people during the election was that I'd be able to repair the alliances that my predecessor had damaged. And one of my promises to them was that I could get more countries involved in the effort to rebuild ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "It was, as one says, a real nail-chewer, no?"

P-EJK: "Nail-biter."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "Pardon?"

P-EJK: "The expression is 'nail-biter,' not 'nail-chewer.'"

JACQUES CHIRAC: "Nail-biter. Nail-biter. Okay, then. It was a real nail-biter."

P-EJK: "Yes, well. Okay. Back to what I was saying. One of my promises to the American people was that I could get more countries involved in the effort to rebuild Iraq, which obviously includes sending troops, peacekeeping missions, training exercises, that sort of ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "I am wondering to myself if it was not maybe a question of the first debate?"

P-EJK: "Excuse me?"

JACQUES CHIRAC: "The first debate. You seemed in command. Un vrai president, non? As a student of politics, I ask myself if this was not a crucial moment, yes?"

P-EJK: "You know, Jacques, I'd love to sit down sometime and really hash out the ins-and-outs of the election ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "Maybe at one of the summits?"

P-EJK: "Yes, okay, maybe at one of the summits. But in the meantime, I'd really like to get your commitment to ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "Which summit do you think? Because you have many of them scheduled and my agenda is, as you say there, a real bear. You say that, correct? 'My schedule is a bear'?"

P-EJK: "Yes, we say that. Look, Jacques, I'm counting on you to commit troops to Iraq in some form. If you prefer they be police-training troops, okay, but I really need to know how many and ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "I like this expression. 'My schedule is a bear.' I see it, you know. A big scary bear roaring at my schedule."

P-EJK: "Jacques ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "English has many such wonderful expressions. I am particularly fond of this one: 'What planet are you from?'"

P-EJK: "Jacques ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "And this one: 'You are dreaming!'"

P-EJK: "Jacques ..."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "And this one: 'Stop calling me, you foolish man. I will give you nothing!'"

P-EJK: "That's not an expression."

JACQUES CHIRAC: "Perhaps it will be, one day."

P-EJK: "Jacques ..."

[Click. Static.]

[Dialing]

P-EJK: "Hello, Kofi?"

UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE: "Yes?"

P-EJK: "Kofi, this is John Kerry."

KOFI ANNAN: "Ah! Hello! And congratulations!"

P-EJK: "Thanks, Mr. Secretary General."

KOFI ANNAN: "No, no, thank you. Now, what can I do to help?"

P-EJK: "Well, as you know, in the recent election, I promised the American people that I would be more open and inclusive in my foreign policy and ..."

KOFI ANNAN: "I know that, sir, and may I say that we all appreciated that."

P-EJK: "Wonderful. Okay. So what I was hoping here is that the U.N. might pass a new resolution declaring its support for the new government in ..."

KOFI ANNAN: "You know, because we all want to help so very much. Please. Tell me what I can do."

P-EJK: "Well, as I was saying. I'd like the

U.N. to pass a resolution in support of the new government in Iraq, and pledging its nation-building services as it transitions into a democratic state."

KOFI ANNAN: "We all want to help as much as we can. So what can we do for you?"

P-EJK: "I just said what. You can pass a resolution and send ..."

KOFI ANNAN: "Hello? I think I'm losing you."

P-EJK: "Mr. Secretary General?"

KOFI ANNAN: "Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?"

P-EJK: "I'm not on a cellphone, Mr. Secretary General."

KOFI ANNAN: "You're not? Then I must be, because I can't hear you at all."

P-EJK: "You're not either, Mr. Secretary General. I called you at your office."

KOFI ANNAN: "Then why can't I hear you?"

P-EJK: "You can hear me now, right?"

KOFI ANNAN: "Yes, now. But not earlier."

P-EJK: "But you can hear me now?"

KOFI ANNAN: "You are crystal clear, Mr. President-elect."

P-EJK: "Okay, then. So what I'd like is U.N. support for nation-building, security, and policing in Iraq. Can I count on your help?"

KOFI ANNAN: "Crystal clear."

P-EJK: "Did you hear me?"

KOFI ANNAN: "Hello?"

[Static]