‘This Copy For, BACKGROUND Ag THE WHITE HOUSE WITH HENRY A. KISSINGER, ASSISTANT ‘20 THE PRESIDENT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS, 4:40 Pat, BST DECEMBER 7, 1972 ‘rugspay MR, 2IEGLER: Dr. Kissinger is here with us this afternoon. What he says to you will be background. You cen attribute it to White House officials, but no direct quota ‘thon. We have, of course, had a number of inguiries and questions about the situation in South Asia, What I an saying fo you now is, of course, on BACKGROUND because it relates to this. We thought it might be worthwhile for Henry to come out this afternoon to discuss our views on a BACKGROUND basis with you to put the matter into further perspective for you. Q Ron, ie there any necessity for no direct quo~ tation? could you explain why that is? MR. ZIEGLER: The purpose of this session is nore putting our view and our position into perspective, and we would Just prefer no direct quotation. I think it would be nore productive for you. DR. KISSINGER: I thought I would talk to you about how we have approached the problem in South Asia: what we have done and what has led to the nunber of pronouncements that have been made by official spokesmen at the U.N. in recent day! 1 do not have any organized notes, so I am going to speak to you extenporaneously, and I may refer to an occa~ sional paper just for accuracy in the question period. First of all, let us get a number of things straight. ‘here have been some comments that the Adzinistration is anti- [ndian. this is totally inaccurate. India is a great country. Te is the most populous free country. Tt is governed by deno- ‘cratic procedures. Anericans through all Adninistrations in the postwar period have felt a commitment to the progress and development bf India, and the Anerican people have contributed to this to the extent of $10 billion. Last year, in this Adninistration, India received from all sources $1.2 billion for development assistance, econonic assistance, of which $700 million cane from the United States in various forms. Therefore, we have ‘2 connitment to the progress and to the future of Inia, and we have always recognized that the success of India, and the Indian democratic experiment, would be of profound significance to many, of the countries in the underdeveloped world. MORE Acafefr meron eee 5 itso 4S REST OT EOpee ee eo mnerefore, vhen we have differed with Indiay 94 4° have in roennt woeks, wo do so with great sadness and ith great Gieappointnent. ow 1et me describe the situation as ve sa 5 going back co March 25th. March 25¢n Se, Of Cots ‘the day Soins ook wneral government of Pakistan Gecided establish WisTeary sale in Zast Bengal and started the Process ‘which has ea to the presont situation. she unites states has never supported the particslar action ther led to ahis tragic series of events, an Tes ation Seaton nas always recognized that this Soca! nad United States Nich had a considerable impact oP T2A5 We have Sonor cggnized that the influx of refugees, S96 India pro- says eer ee of communal strife in a COUEEY Slants Ore” duced the S5090% on he edge of communal strife, We Kite cgastously polsed Sh train on the already scarce econonic nown that 1* Agoantry in the process of development: smhexefore, from the beginning, the united Stases, Fee played a vory active role in attempting £9 255 the suffering ployed 9 vezues and the impact on India of thie Sess influx of the cofegsrGeoples the United states vosition Nes Toot, to attempt two efforts to ease the human ate fend to bring about the return of the scfegese) ‘and ausforing O78, toe attempted to bring ebout a poles ah resolu secondly 86 arlict which generated the refugees in te ‘first place. one of the aifficulties has been that the site To quired to bring about a political evolution, 26. ‘somewhat Longer quized £2 vicard to be done immediately to bring abou 02 Gasing of human suffering. jos, you have been given by Ron the figures of what Fr ices cesar sents eemmect nel vero ge we have Contpecanse T do not have then alt in my head: there were two aspects to the refugee probles: | One, cating cave of the refugees. that wore inside India) 0 secondly, taking €*EGnaitions inside Bast Pakistan that wool? generate to avertugees, particularly to ease fanine condiesors ‘We com Bre eof aiilion for the support of the refugees 1 india migtgiss niilion to avert fanine in East Pokssrehy which is eae athe rest of tie world has done combined 1 might add that the suns that have been Gevored TS averting fanine in East Pakistan have been coutripeccs Ot ‘the a erTETe request of the Indian Covernment Which oe ‘concerned spectttcre vould be another major outflow of refosese which ‘Suh a ake their problem totally unmanageable, me President has requested Congress, in the present amp appropriation, for an additional $250 miliion te reoneinue azp appropriisg hie is in addition to food shipments Sess oe Enis Voth) 2a eracke, in other words, the, United Stasee ™ were PrePeg @500 milion for the relief of refugees She So. ‘ease contribuee{n india, and to prevent more refugees from coming into India MORE-3- e ‘the United States also financed the chartering of 26 vessels to increase their capacity to transport grain from Geean ports into the interior of Est Pakistan, We will give Jou a breakdown of all of these figures, but we wanted to give you a flavor of what was done. iow, the united States 4id not condone what happened in March 1971; on the contrary, the United States has made no new development Loans to Pakistan since March 1971, Secondly, there has been a great deal of talk about military supplies to Pakistan. The fact of the matter is that Tenediately after the actions in East Pakistan at the end of March of this past year, he United States suspended any new licenses. Tt stopped the shipment of all military supplies dhe oe american depots or that were under American governnental Control. the only ams that were continued to be shipped to forictan were ams on old licenses in commercial channels, and {hose were spare parts. There were no lethal end-itens in- volved. to give you a sense of the magnitude, the United states cut off §25 million vorth of ams at the end of March Of this year, or early April of this year, inmediately after Che sections in East Bengal, and continued to ship something Jose than $5 million worth) whereupon, all the remainder of the pipeline was cut off, In other words, when one is reading Sone’ of the commentaries, the impression is created that we core equipping four armored @ivisions. The fact of the matter {Srtnat $58 miliion worth of ams were cut off inmediately, searthe only thing that was continued to be shipped was sone- Ging Less than $8 million -- I don't have the precise figurey T think 1t is between $4 million and §5 million ~~ of spare parte that were in comercial channels under existing Licenses. So I believe it is correct to say that the United states, by ita actions, took a stand, starting in March of this year; end that the United States aid indicate, through fea performance, what evolution it wanted to take, and that the United States has made a greater contribution than the rest Gr the world combined to ease the suffering in India and Saxistan, but especially the suffering generated by the actions of the end of March. now, then, we cone to the problem of political evo- lution. What hae the United States done in this respect? Tt is true the United states did not make any public declarations on its views of the evolution, because the United States wanted to use its influence with both Delhi and Ielana~ Eeg'to bring about a political settlenent that would enable the Pofugees to retum. At the request of the President, thie was Explained by ne to the Indian Foreign Minister and to the Gnaian Prine Minister when I ves in New Delhi in carly Juiys end both indicated that they understood our deci sion PE 'hss respect and made no criticism of our decision. They did make a criticism of the arms shipments- secondly, we consistently used our influence that we gained in Stic manner to urge the Government of Pakistan in the dizection bia political evolution. We urged the Governnent of Pakistan Gna they agreed that relief supplies be distributed by inter anéyonal agencies, in order to take avay the criticism in Bast