US left Pakistan ‘defenceless’ : Kissinger’s ’76 remarks revealed

[HAIDER]

WASHINGTON, Dec 25: The United States would also have built a nuclear bomb if it were in Pakistan’s position after India’s first nuclear test in 1974, according to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Mr Kissinger made these remarks while chairing a State Department meeting on July 9, 1976 to discuss former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s efforts to buy a nuclear reprocessing plant from France.The details of this meeting were released recently along with other secret documents from that period.

“What he wants is to build a bomb,” the-then under secretary of state Philip Habib tells the meeting while talking about Mr Bhutto’s intentions for acquiring a reprocessing plant.

“If you were in his place you would do the same thing,” Mr Kissinger responded. “I must say I have some sympathy for Bhutto in this,” he added.

“We are doing nothing to help him on conventional arms; we are going ahead and selling nuclear fuel to India even after they exploded a bomb and then for this little project we are coming down on him like a tonne of bricks.”

According to the documents, the meeting also discussed a joint proposal by the former Shah of Iran and Mr Bhutto to build a multinational nuclear reactor in Pakistan to be run jointly by the two countries. The proposal, however, was never implemented as Americans felt that this would enable both Iran and Pakistan to acquire nuclear technology.

“Gentlemen, there are few countries in the world which by necessity or choice are still allies of ours. There is something indecent about our always proving that we are strong by kicking our allies in the teeth,” he observed.

“The Pakistanis don’t even have the appearance of a credible defence. What they have asked for from us is piddling compared to what the Indians have. I don’t think it adds to the stature of the United States to force an ally to be defenceless.”

Mr Kissinger then explained how he planned to convince Mr Bhutto to give up his nuclear plan.

“First, the only way we are going to get him off this reprocessing plant is to give him a reactor … Secondly, we should tell him that we will take steps to enhance his conventional defence. We can’t tell Bhutto that he can’t have either a conventional or a nuclear defence. Non-proliferation is not our only objective in South Asia.”

Commenting on the balance of power between India and Pakistan, Mr Kissinger observed: “An imbalance is being created in which Pakistan is totally dependent on India. There is no question that we can break Pakistan’s back because they have made the mistake of allying themselves with us.”
US left Pakistan ‘defenceless’ : Kissinger’s ’76 remarks revealed -DAWN - National; December 26, 2007

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

Kissinger salute to ‘strong’ man in Indira

Washington, Dec. 24: His President had called her an old witch. He himself thought she was a *****. But that was in 1971.

Five years on, Henry Kissinger was man enough to acknowledge the steel in Indira Gandhi.

Declassified records of a 1976 meeting between the US diplomat and then Afghan head of state Mohammad Daoud reveal that Kissinger told the Asian leader he wished the American establishment had a man who was as “strong” as the Indian Prime Minister.

“Give her my best regards,” he told Daoud when the Afghan Prime Minister said he would meet Indira Gandhi in Colombo. “I wish we had a man as strong as she in our cabinet.”

The comment, made public along with documents pertaining to American diplomacy in South Asia between 1973 and 1976, was an acknowledgement of the strength of the late Indian leader. It also showed it wasn’t only her admirers like Piloo Mody who saw the alpha male in her.

The former MP, founder of the Swatantra Party, is said to have described Indira as the only man in her cabinet.

Another admirer, D.K. Barooah, went beyond gender. He said “Indira is India, India is Indira”.

Kissinger, the US secretary of state during the Republican administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, however, said Indira didn’t have a personality that appealed at “first blush” to Americans.

“Maybe not even at second blush (laughter). There have even been cases of people who have resisted her a third time (laughter),” he added during the August 8 meeting when asked by Daoud to characterise relations between India and the US.

“Our relations with India are friendly and aloof. It’s a fortunate thing the Indians are pacifists; otherwise their neighbours would be worried (laughter).… The first time we were in India, they told me that Kabul belonged to India, too (laughter),” Kissinger, then the high priest of the international strategic community, was recorded as having said according to a White House memo.

“But we have no particular national quarrel with India. We feel that whenever they get into domestic difficulties, they start kicking us around, that is great fun — until we react to it. So we have no particular outstanding quarrel. But you could also not speak of an intimate friendship. And we would not be amused if India started to bring pressure — military pressure — on its neighbours.

“On the other hand, we are encouraging both India and Pakistan to settle their difficulties peacefully. I think some progress has been made,” Kissinger said.

Five years earlier, during the 1971 war with Pakistan, Kissinger had been furious that Indira had won over the Soviets in a defence pact and had called her a “bitch”.

Kissinger, who has since apologised for his unflattering comments, recently said he was now a convert to India’s cause.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/archives/archive.html

Kissinger is no greenhorn.

But he loves to play the gallery, what?

 

[kidwaibhai]

at least they recognize that they are always are the bastard and they will always remain the best thing that Pakistan ever did was to create an all weather relationship with the chinese.

 

[Black Stone]

It is simple logic really.

If I live in a village and my neighbour is my arch rival and have hostile intentions, happens to posses a gun.

You can be sure, that I would posses a gun aswell no matter what.

 

[Energon]

at least they recognize that they are always are the bastard and they will always remain the best thing that Pakistan ever did was to create an all weather relationship with the chinese.

There is no such thing as an "all weather ally" in global politics. It's a myth propagated by nations with power who seek strategic assets and powerless ones who seek strength through get rich quick schemes. What you are proposing here (and also reflected by policy) is merely switching one benefactor for another because the latter is currently seen as more favorable. Pakistan nonetheless retains its position as the rental state. IMO this is total crap.

At the end of the day it behooves every nation to stand up for itself through a healthy balance of development and defensive posture achieved through balanced relationships with a multitude of other states. Pakistan has miserably failed to do this through its history by falling into the "ally" trap time and time again. This vicious cycle has to stop ASAP.

 

[ahussains]

They are not only the bastered they are rascals they always shows back to us..

Its only chineess who always with us at any cost .

 

[S-2]

You're the unwitting dupes of the Chinese against India. The PRC has brainwashed your nation well. The effect has spilled into Afghanistan. Now it blows back upon you.

Pakistan reaps the whirlwind sowed from it's own seeds. Word is that the Uzbeks and Chechens are now moving back from the Afghani border. Things look better for them fighting YOUR nation's army in Pakistan's northwest. Mehsud is gaining control of the Taliban and radicalizing it to Pakistan-not Afghanistan. Mullah Omar has been usurped and relegated to the back-seat.

Bummer. Hope we don't cut off aid. Shouldn't matter, though. The Chinese have very deep pockets for such an old friend as Pakistan.

 

[mujahideen]

You're the unwitting dupes of the Chinese against India. The PRC has brainwashed your nation well. The effect has spilled into Afghanistan. Now it blows back upon you.

Pakistan reaps the whirlwind sowed from it's own seeds. Word is that the Uzbeks and Chechens are now moving back from the Afghani border. Things look better for them fighting YOUR nation's army in Pakistan's northwest. Mehsud is gaining control of the Taliban and radicalizing it to Pakistan-not Afghanistan. Mullah Omar has been usurped and relegated to the back-seat.

Bummer. Hope we don't cut off aid. Shouldn't matter, though. The Chinese have very deep pockets for such an old friend as Pakistan.

First of all the Chinese are our friends and they haven't brained washed us. I have noticed all in all your posts that you have no point of view of your own, whatever you have heard or saw in the American media you believe. I would like to remind you that the American media is one of the most biased medias in the world. They spread false propaganda. Their are no fact all opinions. And if you think that we care about U.S. aid we really dont. I say cut all of our aid, I assure you Russia and China can give us a better deal. You see the U.S. Congress can give all the threats it wants about cutting off aid but the reality is they cant because they know if they let Pakistan go then Russia and China will come in. Another fact is that U.S. policy and important decisions are not made in the White House or Congress but at the Pentagon.
Secondly these terrorists that have come out in recent years were funded entirely by the CIA. America has created this monster called Al-Qeada and Taliban. When we and I mean we defeated and destroyed the Soviet Union the U.S. left and Pakistan was left to look after itself. The fact is that at first the U.S. supported this terrorist ideology against the Soviets but now when they are in trouble it is wrong, how ironic. The U.S. has a history of leaving its allies to fend for themselves after their interest in the area is done. They did that in Iraq, Saddam Hussein, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, in many Latin American countries.

 

[S-2]

Sounds like you've got it figured there, Mujahideen. I'll keep your opinions in mind. Thanks for sharing them.

 

[Cheetah786]

You're the unwitting dupes of the Chinese against India. The PRC has brainwashed your nation well. The effect has spilled into Afghanistan. Now it blows back upon you.

Pakistan reaps the whirlwind sowed from it's own seeds. Word is that the Uzbeks and Chechens are now moving back from the Afghani border. Things look better for them fighting YOUR nation's army in Pakistan's northwest. Mehsud is gaining control of the Taliban and radicalizing it to Pakistan-not Afghanistan. Mullah Omar has been usurped and relegated to the back-seat.

Bummer. Hope we don't cut off aid. Shouldn't matter, though. The Chinese have very deep pockets for such an old friend as Pakistan.

LOL you mean it please do stop its Asap.

helping Pakistan lets say it this way there is saying in the west.
Teach a man to fish he eats for life give a man a fish he eats for a day.

Chinese help is they teach us how to fish American help is buying up few top generals anfd politicians who eat for few days.

i say stop the aid today not tomorrow

 

[Tang0]

In response to energon, there is such a thing as an all-weather Ally. If you share a common heritage and language with a nation, along with a similar political system, you will likely be an ally with that nation regardless of that nations popularity with others. That said, if next week the UK was taken over by a raving madman (In US eyes), the US would drop relations by the end of the month. But the point is since the US and the UK share a common heritage and political system, that occurrence is extremely unlikely. As such, the US and the UK share intelligence and weapons technology freely.

China is not an all weather ally of Pakistan, the countries do not share long term strategic goals, a common language, or a common political system. China is providing expertise and technology because the US is not, and they want to steer Pakistan away from the US in the long term. That, and the russians would sell the same Tech that China is, but at higher price since they are also playing the same game with India. China is cooperating in weapons technology with Pakistan in order to hedge against both Russian and US power in the region, and secure a potential future route for oil for her growing economy.

In my opinion, China is the better ally to have. The US has consistently backed non-elected military strongmen over elected officials, and has never shared technology with Pakistan. It never will. The US wants to keep Pakistan eating for as long as they are useful in the WoT(Oh what a funny phrase) and then cut and run(Not really, but at least stop the huge amounts of military aid). China does not care who is running Pakistan, so long as the military keeps things under wraps. China will pull its support as soon as it begins to feel that Pakistan is a potential competitor, or that it is forming a long-term alliance with India. Both of those events are a long way off, if they will ever happen.

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi Tango,

It is a misconeption---yes he u s has supplied technology to pakistan---pakistan's missile program was originally started with the help of the U S in the 60's. Our nuclear program is greatful to the u s for its help. So many of our nuclear scientists were trained here in the u s in the 60's and the 70's. So many pakistani engineers have studied in the u s.

The u s also believes that pakistani students studying at ucla took the design back to pakistan to make emp devices.

For our cruise missile program we are grateful to Bill Clinton for sharing the technology with us in 1998 and numerous other things that we have benefitted.

Regarding the railways---we learnt from the u s to have longer trains and pull them with more than one locomotive to save track time. We also learnt to use the battery system in train movement----the trains would depart as a battery from one location---ie one train would leave closely behind the other and all trains going in one direction would leave with not too much time difference between them---. The u s has given us a lot in technology---it is not in open, like a TOT.

Mujahideen, just like you I also believed that u s left us high and dry after the russians left---but the truth is that we and the afghanis are also the reason for our tragedies.

Here is america---helped the afghans---the afghans turn around and support the Saddam against the u s . Then the afghans turned upon each other and started killing themsleves in a major power struggle. Here is a link to read a different perspective of the war.


Charlie did it, The US, Afghanistan, and Endless War, by Paul Wolf, 6/7/03

 

[IceCold]

There is no such thing as an "all weather ally" in global politics. It's a myth propagated by nations with power who seek strategic assets and powerless ones who seek strength through get rich quick schemes. What you are proposing here (and also reflected by policy) is merely switching one benefactor for another because the latter is currently seen as more favorable. Pakistan nonetheless retains its position as the rental state. IMO this is total crap.

At the end of the day it behooves every nation to stand up for itself through a healthy balance of development and defensive posture achieved through balanced relationships with a multitude of other states. Pakistan has miserably failed to do this through its history by falling into the "ally" trap time and time again. This vicious cycle has to stop ASAP.

Nothing better could have been said then this. Its us and us alone who need to realize that in a world of today, there are no permanent friendships, there are no all weather allies, its all about self interest. Sadly we have always failed to realize this fact and our political leaders are the most to be blamed and the ones responsible for this.

 

[Tang0]

As for Pakistani scientest studing at US universities.. Anyone with money can study at US universities so long as they are not a wanted criminal. Help with Rail systems is not what I mean by "Sharing Technology". That is more along the lines of Humanitarian aid. As for US technology to help with Cruise Missles, that one is gonna need some evidence, since at the time the US had imposed sanctions on Pakistan. Any technology the US may have given to Pakistan, it also gave or offered to India or China at one point or another. Half of my professors In college were Indians or Chinese, that dose not mean Locheed Martin was doing joint projects with the government of those nations.

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi Tango,

From your post it comes out that there is only one way to give out technology. Which seems to be absurd.

Technology is given out in a thousand different ways---sometimes you are pointed to a certain direction---in your answer you missed out the missile technology that u s shared with us in the 60's hence SUPARCO---you also missed out the training that our nuclear scientists had in the u s. They were not fresh students but already had their Phd's in nuclear physics and equivalent. The technology doesnot neccessarily have to come out from the manufacturer alone. Sharing technology is not only left to providing blue prints.

Cruise missile technology we are talking about is when some of them fell into pakistan on their way to afghanistan---one or two were found intact---that is where the BABUR came into being.

Using railroad track in an efficient manner is not humanitarian issue---it is a lesser form of technology---the transportation technology---kind of why I didnot think of it myself---it was right in front of my face kind of thing. Americans trained the pakistani technicians to maintain, service and rebuild diesel locomotives of american origin.

The u s does allows students from every country to study here---but technology is like being in a relay race---you have the choice of carrying the baton or maintaining the staus quo, how fast you can run with it is upto to you and your resources.