India and Pakistan: Crisis and War, March-December 1971
182. Telegram 11295 from the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State
Ambassador Annenberg met with British Prime Minister Heath and Foreign Secretary Douglas-Home to discuss Britain’s position in the United Nations on the fighting in South Asia.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 27 INDIA–PAK. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Sent flash to the Department with a request to pass to the White House for the President and Secretary Rogers. Repeated flash to USUN.
183. Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Information Cable TDCS–314/13308–71
A report on Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s briefing at which India’s war aims were discussed in light of the United Nations cease-fire resolution.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 642, Country Files, Middle East, India/Pakistan Situation. Secret; Priority; No Foreign Distribution. Sent to the White House and distributed within the Departments of State, Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency, the JCS, and NSA.
184. Telegram 5627 From the Consulate General in Dacca to the Department of State
Consul General Spivack met with Governor Malik and General Farman Ali to discuss the possibility of a cease-fire to avoid the danger of a “bloodbath” in East Pakistan.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 27–14 INDIA–PAK. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Repeated Flash to Islamabad and New Delhi.
185. Telegram 5628 From the Consulate General in Dacca to the Department of State
Governor Malik informed Consul General Spivack that the question of a cease-fire was being handled through Ambassador Farland in Islamabad and that it would be unnecessary to put forward proposals from Dacca.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 27–14 INDIA–PAK. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Repeated Flash to Islamabad and New Delhi.
186. Telegram 12542 From the Embassy in Pakistan to the Department of State
In light of the impending collapse of the Pakistani army in East Pakistan, the Embassy assessed Pakistan’s options. It concluded that Pakistan would concede East Pakistan to Bangladesh if peace “with honor” could be negotiated.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL INDIA–PAK. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated priority to Calcutta, Colombo, Dacca, Kabul, Kathmandu, Karachi, Lahore, London, Moscow, New Delhi, Paris, Tehran, and USUN.
187. Central Intelligence Agency Information Cable TDCS–315/07612–71
Report on the Soviet response to an Indian request that the Soviet Union recognize and sign a defense treaty with Bangladesh.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 642, Country Files, Middle East, India/Pakistan Situation. Secret; Priority; No Foreign Dissemination. Sent to the White House, and distributed within the Departments of State and Defense, the CIA, the JCS, and NSA. Also sent to Islamabad for the Ambassador, the DCM, the political counselor, and the defense attaché. Sent to Dacca, Karachi, Lahore, Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras for principal officers only, and to CINCPAC, CINCPACAF, CINCPACFLT, AND CINCARPAC.
188. Telegram 19243 From the Embassy in India to the Department of State
Ambassador Keating asked for the rationale behind the decision to deploy the U.S. carrier task force into the Indian Ocean.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 573, Indo-PAK War, South Asia, 12/14/71–12/16/71. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Also sent to the White House.
189. Conversation Among President Nixon, the President’s Assistant (Haldeman), and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Nixon and Kissinger discussed the implications of the Soviet assurance that India would not press an attack on West Pakistan.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Tapes, Recording of Conversation among Nixon, Haldeman, and Kissinger, Oval Office, Conversation No. 638–4. No classification marking. The editor transcribed the portion of the conversation published here specifically for this volume.
190. Telegram 11410 From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State
Ambassador Annenberg reported on a conversation with Stanley Tomlinson, British Deputy Under Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in which Tomlinson discussed U.S.–UK differences of perspective on the crisis in South Asia.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 27 INDIA–PAK. Secret; Priority; Exdis.
191. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Nixon and Kissinger reacted to India’s declaration of a cease-fire in the west.
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 370, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File, 16–17 Dec. 1971. No classification marking. The omissions are in the original transcription.
192. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Nixon told Kissinger he intended to continue to take a hard line on economic assistance to India.
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 370, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File, 16–17 Dec. 1971. No classification marking. The omissions are in the original transcription.
193. Telegram 227784 From the Department of State to the Embassy in Pakistan
Secretary Rogers met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister-designate Bhutto, who expressed appreciation for U.S. support for Pakistan during the crisis. He said he was returning to Pakistan in anticipation of assuming the reins of political power. He was prepared to seek reconciliation with India and asked the U.S. not to act hastily in recognizing Bangladesh.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 15–1 PAK. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted by Laingen and approved by Van Hollen. Laingen initialed for Van Hollen. Repeated to New Delhi, USUN, London, Moscow, Tehran, Paris, Dacca, and Calcutta. Sent with an instruction to deliver at the opening of business on December 19.
194. Telegram 19600 From the Embassy in India to the Department of State
The Embassy reported on an interview Indian Prime Minister Gandhi gave to a journalist in which she said U.S.-Indian relations could return to normal if the U.S. was prepared to recognize India’s predominant position on the subcontinent.
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 573, Indo-PAK War, South Asia, 12/17/71–12/31/71. Confidential; Limdis.
195. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Rogers and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)
Rogers and Kissinger differed over the nature of the U.S. assurance to Pakistan.
Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 370, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File, 18–23 Dec. 1971. No classification marking. The excision was in accordance with the donor’s deed of gift.
196. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Nutter) to Secretary of Defense Laird
Nutter’s memorandum to Laird assessed, from the perspective of the Department of Defense, U.S.-South Asia policy in the wake of the crisis on the subcontinent.
Source: Washington National Records Center, OSD Files: FRC 76–0197, Box 74, Pakistan 092 (Aug–Dec) 1971. Secret; Sensitive.
197. Telegram 232870 From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations
The Department’s initial decision was that U.S. humanitarian assistance to the successor state in East Pakistan would be channeled through the United Nations
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, SOC 10 BANGLADESH. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Sisco and C. Herbert Rees, Director of the Office of South Asian Affairs (AID/NESA) on December 23; cleared in AID/NESA by Williams and in the White House by Saunders; and approved by Rogers. Repeated to Islamabad, New Delhi, Dacca, and Calcutta.