689.90D/7–2153: Circular alrgram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Afghanistan1
CA–1189. Re despatch No. 15, July 21, 1953.2 The Department has carefully considered the proposal presented in the Embassy’s despatch under reference, and wishes to commend the Embassy for its continuing interest in devising possible approaches to the solution of the Pushtoonistan problem.
The Department has held for some time that this controversy is primarily political in nature rather than legal. No government other than that of Afghanistan is known seriously to have questioned the validity of the Durand Line. As the Embassy recognizes, considerations underlying the espousal of a so-called Pushtoonistan have their sources in a variety of historical and political factors which strongly influence Afghan conduct. An adjudication of the Durand Line in favor of Pakistan would not basically alter any of those factors. Moreover, it [Page 1402] is not clear that the embarrassment of an adverse decision would deter Afghanistan from supporting the Afghan [Pushtoon] case, for it has virtually no outside support for the case now and is not visibly deterred thereby. Finally, it is believed that the Government of Pakistan would firmly reject any suggestion that it submit its international boundary to adjudication.
The Department has received no comment from Embassy Karachi regarding Embassy Kabul’s proposal, and continues to believe that under the present circumstances the preferred course of US action is to continue to suggest to the Afghans at appropriate occasions that the Afghan Government negotiate its differences on a bilateral basis with the Pakistanis. Such negotiations should be prefaced by the assignment of an Afghan Ambassador to Karachi.
Embassy Karachi’s comments on the proposal in the despatch under reference are invited.3