Posted on 05/07/2005 8:34:19 PM PDT by ttsmi
The United States assured China in 1971 after it had encourage it to “menace” India that if the Soviet Union moved against China in support of India, Washington would protect it from the Soviet Union. China, however, chose not to menace India, and the crisis on the subcontinent ended without a confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The papers say that the army crackdown in East Pakistan was “brutal”. The US consulate there reported, “Here in Dacca we are mute and horrified witnesses to a reign of terror by the Pak military.” During the following week, it reported that the army was setting houses on fire and shooting people as they emerged from the burning buildings and that the army had killed a large number of unarmed students at Dacca University. When Nixon was told about it, he said, “I wouldn't put out a statement praising it, but we're not going to condemn it either.” On another occasion he said, “We should just stay out - like in Biafra, what the hell can we do?” Dhaka kept sending cable after cable to Washington about the “indiscriminate killing” of the populace of East Pakistan by the army, but Nixon maintained his original position, saying, “The people who bi.ch about Vietnam bit.h about it because we intervened in what they say is a civil war. Now some of the same bas.ards ... want us to intervene here - both civil wars.”
(Excerpt) Read more at dailytimes.com.pk ...
Dick Nixon was another one of these guys who's too smart, or who puts too much faith in being smart and not enough in being righteous.
Or maybe so smart he acts foolish.
He sold the American people out. The really big screwup of the Nixon administration was allowing and possibly causing the formation of OPEC. It didn't have to happen.
LIFE is such that it is always easy to critisize ON HINDSIGHT
It is the critical person who has to make the critical decision on that critical moment, who has to answer to HISTORY. Therefore a man who is prepared to assume the role of the President, must be prepared to face the music
Having said that, it is still the birth-right of every individual to critisize, and this cannot be taken away
Nobody is perfect
you cannot please everybody
"What,? me worry ? " Elmer Funt
The feedback on the situation in Bangladesh was available to Nixon REALTIME from no other person than his own embassy - but he and Kissinger were so blinded by their need to befriend China that they chose to ignore it. I was a part of the Indian Army whch went into Bangladesh and, let me tell you, we truly liberated the people there - and we were really pissed when we learnt of the USS Enterprise making its threatening foray into the Bay of Bengal
I think a Soviet nuke sub was following the USS Enterprise, back then.
Hm, actually, Soviet subs and surface ships followed US carrier groups whenever it was possible at all.
Well done in 71, and welcome to FR.
That is a very interesting article. Thanks for posting it. I'm not sure what to think about it because I'm not too familiar with the background info of this time period, specifically what was going on in east pakistan.
Wasn't India a Democracy at this time? It seems strange to be backing the Communist Chinese and Pakistanis.
I'm glad this tinderbox stayed at least relatively under control.
The 'Grand Strategy', perhaps?
Historically, Pakistan had been an ally of the US against the USSR, since the 1950s,
Pakistan was a key member of CENTO, formed by the US to contain the USSR in that region of the World. CENTO consisted of Britain, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan and was formed to counter the USSR
I would have let both russia and china nuke eachother. Two less enemies to deal with.
At the same time one of our subs always followed soviet subs.
And one major enemy more, in the near vicinity, in the form of globe-trotting radioactive dust.
Lots of radioactive dust was emitted when both us and the russians tested nukes during the cold war. Yet Nevada is still habited, most of the Pacific Islands are still habited. More still if you add India's and Pakistan's and france's testint. Over 3,000 total test detonations occured during that period.
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