64. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) and the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs (Sisco)1 2
[Omitted here is conversation unrelated to South Asia.]
S: Now, Pakistan.
K: I wanted to discuss with you. He feels morally obligated to do something. We have seen your package. He would like to add seven B–57’s bombers to it and the tanks.
S: If you add those it changes the package to a defensive replacement package which is more offensive. Tanks have almost the imagery of the Phantom. It will increase your difficulty in selling it on the Hill and will have more effect in India. We feel we can get away with adding 6 B–57’s and justify it being old bombers and replacement. But the tanks if we cut it to 50 it has unfortunate psychological effect.
K: Our worry is that this package is so small they will consider it an insult.
S: If we are going to take the heat, why do it for so little?
K: Exactly.
[Page 2]S: Let me see if something can be added to the defensive package without adding offensively. I will call you back in a couple of hours.
- Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 363, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking.↩
- Kissinger and Sisco discussed the President’s decision to include tanks and B–57 bombers in the one-time exception package for Pakistan. Sisco warned that to do so would increase opposition in the Congress and cause a greater reaction in India.↩