The Indian forces continued their all-out offensive into East Pakistan and heavier fighting was developing in the West, where the Pakistani forces seemed to be taking the initiative.
“In East Pakistan, the Indian forces are making gradual progress on several fronts. They are pressing the outnumbered Pak forces on several strategic fronts and the Indian gains so far may be laying the basis for more dramatic successes in the near future,” according to a memorandum prepared for US President Richard Nixon by his Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger.
“The Indian objective is to force a Pak surrender in East Pakistan within the next week, if at all possible,” Kissinger said.
Ground action on the India-West Pakistan front was increasing, but it had not been yet as widespread as in the East and “neither side appears to be making clear-cut major gains”.
Kissinger observed that the Indian strategy “is to maintain an essentially defensive posture in the West until the battle is won in the East, but there are indications that the Paks may be preparing a major offensive thrust in Kashmir that would undoubtedly force an Indian counter”.
In the air war, Kissinger said: “India has apparently achieved complete air superiority in the East and is using its air force to support the ground offensive. The Indians continue to bomb and strafe military targets in major cities in both East and West Pakistan.”
The situation report added that fuel storage tanks in the Dhaka and Chittagong areas of East Pakistan and in the West Pakistan port of Karachi had been hit hard.
“The navies of both countries are also active. The Indian Navy is blockading ports in both East and West Pakistan and claims to have sunk two Pak destroyers and to have shelled the port of Karachi. India's aircraft carrier is operating against East Pakistan. The numerical superiority of India's fleet should give it a decided advantage in any future naval combat.”
On the political front, Kissinger informed Nixon that Indian premier Indira Gandhi had announced India's long-anticipated recognition of Bangladesh as an independent nation.
“Even though the significance of this move has been lessened by the hostilities, the Paks responded by breaking diplomatic relations with India. The Swiss will look after Pakistan's interests in New Delhi,” he added.
Pakistan had broken relations with India after India formally recognized Bangladesh, Richard Helms of the CIA said.
At the Washington Special Actions Group Meeting of December 6, Helms said India was concentrating upon East Pakistan while fighting a holding action in the West.
“The objective of the Gandhi government was to force a surrender of the Pakistani forces in East Pakistan within ten days. Pakistan was trying to relieve the pressure on East Pakistan by pressing an offensive into India from West Pakistan."
Most of the exchanges in the West involved air strikes, but there was evidence that Pakistan was planning a major assault in Kashmir.
Helms said: “We also have a press report that the Paks have attacked Bombay. The Chinese newspapers are strongly attacking India, and India has begun referring to East Pakistan as Bangladesh in its newspapers.”
Nixon discusses matter with Secretary Rogers
President Nixon and Secretary of State William P Rogers discussed the evolving crisis in South Asia in a telephone conversation on the morning of December 6.
Nixon instructed him to increase the publicity given to the amount of assistance being provided by the United States to the refugees in India.
Then the conversation turned to an assessment of the conflict between India and Pakistan, according to a State Department memorandum.
Rogers described the situation in East Pakistan as "pretty bleak" for Pakistan. Nixon agreed but added that Indian forces might face a difficult task if they tried to take West Pakistan.
Rogers concurred and said: "I rather hope that the West Paks can do some good up in Kashmir, maybe they can make some offsetting gains up in there."
Developments at the UN
The Security Council meeting of December 5 on the Indo-Pak crisis underlined the isolation of the Soviet/Indian position and the determination of the USSR to prevent any resolution, not to its liking.
The Soviet draft resolution called for an East Pakistan political settlement which would "inevitably result in a cessation of hostilities" and for Pakistan to cease acts of violence in East Pakistan which "led to the deterioration of the situation". But it was defeated -- two in favor (USSR and Poland), one against (China) and 12 abstaining (including the US).
Another resolution co-sponsored by eight non-permanent members, calling for a cease-fire, withdrawal, efforts to bring about conditions necessary for the return of refugees, lost to a Soviet veto -- 11 in favor (including the US), two against (USSR and Poland) and two abstaining (UK, France), just as the US draft had on December 5. “The Pak representative found this resolution acceptable,” Kissinger said.
The eight countries are Argentina, Belgium, Burundi, Italy, Japan, Nicaragua, Sierra-Leone, and Somalia.
The Chinese resolution condemning Indian aggression was not put to the vote, but the Chinese continued to attack India sharply. Sino-Soviet name-calling continued throughout the debate.
“Most speakers deplored the inability of the Council to act, with the British and the French lamenting the Council's proceeding to vote on resolutions which would fail,” Kissinger wrote in the memorandum.
Following the vote, the Italian representative tabled a resolution limited to a call for an immediate cease-fire as a first step but was stopped from pressing the resolution to a vote by a movement to adjourn until December 6 afternoon supported by the USSR, US, UK and France. It was accepted by the Council.
There were suggestions during the corridor consultations that the issue be taken to the General Assembly if the Council proved unable to act. “The more likely immediate pressure, however, will operate in the direction of the Italian proposal for a simple cease-fire resolution,” Kissinger said.
