Office of the Historian

224. Article in the President’s Daily Brief1

Washington, March 3, 1980

PAKISTAN: Position on US aid offer

[2 paragraphs (17 lines) not declassified]

The Pakistanis appear convinced that accepting the proposed aid package would increase Soviet hostility without significantly enhancing Pakistan’s ability to respond to the Soviet threat from Afghanistan. Last week, the Deputy Commander of the Pakistani Army criticized the Foreign Ministry for even discussing assistance without a solid US defense commitment, [1 line not declassified]. Another influential military officer, the Defense Ministry Secretary General, has reportedly also argued for a stronger defense treaty. Neither General appears to want an accommodation with the USSR, but both have reportedly talked about staying neutral in hopes that the Soviets would leave Pakistan alone.

[1 paragraph (18 lines) not declassified]

  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director of Central Intelligence, Job 81B00401R: Subject Files of the Presidential Briefing Coordinator for DCI (1977–81), Box 8, Afghanistan Crisis—March 1980, PDBs. Top Secret; For the President Only. The full version of this President’s Daily Brief was not filed with this collection. The article printed here was found in this form.↩