In May 1971, a war between India and Pakistan was looming due to the continuing military repression in East Pakistan since March 25, the very heavy flow of Bengali refugees into India, and Indian training and cross-border support for Bengali guerrillas.
According to a State Department document dated May 25, mortar barrages and small arms fire had been exchanged frequently across the East Pakistan-India border with substantial Indian army forces kept on high alert in the area. On the other hand, the Pakistani troops were in forward positions along the border.
The US feared that the possibility of Chinese pressure on India along their border, followed by increased Soviet military assistance to India, could not be excluded, Secretary William P Rogers said in a memorandum for President Richard Nixon on the morning of May 26.
Soon afterwards, Nixon and his Assistant for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger discussed the developments in South Asia in the Oval Office of the White House.
Kissinger opened the conversation by referring to the letter that had recently been received from Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Answering the letter, Kissinger said, would give Nixon the opportunity to "bring pressure on her not to take military action."
President AM Yahya Khan would appreciate a letter from Nixon to give him an opportunity to respond with a litany of all the things he was doing to resolve the unrest in East Pakistan, Kissinger said, quoting the Pakistani ambassador to the US.
Kissinger also said he and the ambassador had it all worked out: Nixon would write that he hoped the refugees would soon be able to go back to East Pakistan, and Yahya would respond that that was exactly what he wanted.
Nixon could take credit for trying to pour calming oil on troubled waters. "You can tell the Indians to pipe down, and we'll keep Yahya happy," Kissinger said.
The conversation turned to what they saw as India's role in fostering an insurgency in East Pakistan. Nixon said that "the goddamn Indians" were promoting another war. Kissinger agreed: "They are the most aggressive goddamn people around."
Earlier, during a phone call with Kissinger on May 23, Nixon said he would cut off aid if India launched military action inside East Pakistan. Kissinger supported the view, saying there was no justification for it; India did not have a right to invade Pakistan.
Excerpts from the phone call
Kissinger: Yesterday, Mr. President, I didn't have a chance to talk to you about it, because we were both in transit. We have reports that the Indians are massing troops at the Pakistan border.
Nixon: Which one, East or West?
Kissinger: East. And I asked Alex [Johnson] let Keating tell the Indians that whatever the problem is and while we were keeping our hands off and while we were willing to help humanitarian efforts, we were strongly opposed to military action.
Nixon: We certainly will; if they go in there with military action, by God we will cut off economic aid.
Kissinger: And that is the last thing we can afford now to have the Pakistan government overthrown, given the other things we are doing.
Nixon: And also they have got to know that if [sic] what is in jeopardy here is economic aid. That is what is in jeopardy.
Kissinger: And there is absolutely no justification for it-they don't have a right to invade Pakistan no matter what Pakistan does in its territory. Besides the killing has stopped.
Nixon: It has quieted down.
Kissinger: Oh yes. It may not be a tenable situation in the long term, but again that is not for India to decide.
