BD creation was Indian national objective & US had to preserve WP-Kissinger

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Sunday, March 18, 2012
US direly needed to preserve West Pakistan: Kissinger

http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=36531

Henry Kissinger delivering his speech at India Today Conclave on Friday. Photo courtesy: India TodayStar Online Report

Forty years after Bangladesh’s liberation from Pakistan, former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said while creation of Bangladesh was Indian national objective, it was essential for the US to preserve West Pakistan.

Addressing the opening gala dinner keynote address at India Today Conclave on Friday, the veteran diplomat denied that the US had made a secret pact with India to prevent an attack on West Pakistan, India Today reported.

After the 1971 war which saw the break up of Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh, the US asked India not to strike against West Pakistan, the report added.

The war broke out just when the US was conducting negotiations with China through Pakistan, said Kissinger who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 jointly with Vietnamese revolutionary Le Duc Tho for their efforts in negotiating peace in Vietnam and an end to the Vietnam War.

“India and the former Soviet Union had made a near-alliance around this time. It was in the national interest of the US to preserve West Pakistan,” he said.

The Indian army moved into East Pakistan on December 4, 1971. The Indian offensive led to the creation of Bangladesh. The US responded with gunboat diplomacy. President Nixon sent the Seventh Fleet led by the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise into the Bay of Bengal.

“Each side did what it had to do. Each acted on its own national interest which clashed for a brief moment,” Kissinger said.

Kissinger also laid another Cold War ghost to rest. White House tapes of the Nixon presidency declassified in 2005 reveal the former Secretary of state used unparliamentary language while referring to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the India Today report said. The declassified tapes reveal Nixon calling then Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi an “old witch” and Kissinger agreeing with that assessment.

“I was under pressure and made those comments in the heat of the moment. People took those remarks out of context,” Kissinger said, adding that he had the highest regard for Indira Gandhi.

The veteran statesman who turns 90 next year, spoke on ‘the making of an Asian century’ during period when Israel has threatened to attack Iran destabilizing the Middle East, the US is embroiled in the Afghan quagmire and India wearily watches the rise of China.

Kissinger, the architect of President Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972, had a word of advice for India. It would not be in India’s national interests to allow a dominant power or a transnational power that would intrude into its sphere of influence: from Singapore to East Africa.

He also said that China would treat India with respect and that India, China and the US would have to work together to balance China’s internal forces that had the potential to destabilize it.

Dr Kissinger signed off with his interpretation of the art of foreign policy: "to have a vision of the future and the courage to pursue it".

 

[wild_fire1979]

So whats new? Off-course, we wanted to neuter the threat on our eastern border. So say "Thank You" and move on

 

[Kompromat]

Russkis screwed us up in E.Pakistan & we returned the favor in Afghanistan just 8 years later. No matter what the zionist Kassinger says , we helped pull their heads out of Vietnam.

 

[pari.mehta]

So whats new? Off-course, we wanted to neuter the threat on our eastern border. So say "Thank You" and move on

Quite the opposite. The 71 war was almost more a Liberation war than a indo pak war. Most of the legwork was done by the bengalis and Sam's blitz brought out the realization of fears that the mukthi bahani had put in the genocidal maniacs heads.
Dont disparage their roles. they need to thank their forefathers and theor kin in west bengal who whole heatedly supported their struggle.

But yeah pakistanis dont quite understand, they owe their countries integrity to america. So every time they say pakistan zindabad it should be followed by thank you america, thank you nixon.
Indira wanted to get the eastern cores to break the back of the already crumbling Western defences, Nixon threatened war if west pakistan was pushed beyond a certain point.
So yeah, say thank you to america.

 

[illusion8]

Quite the opposite. The 71 war was almost more a Liberation war than a indo pak war. Most of the legwork was done by the bengalis and Sam's blitz brought out the realization of fears that the mukthi bahani had put in the genocidal maniacs heads.
Dont disparage their roles. they need to thank their forefathers and theor kin in west bengal who whole heatedly supported their struggle.

But yeah pakistanis dont quite understand, they owe their countries integrity to america. So every time they say pakistan zindabad it should be followed by thank you america, thank you nixon.
Indira wanted to get the eastern cores to break the back of the already crumbling Western defences, Nixon threatened war if west pakistan was pushed beyond a certain point.
So yeah, say thank you to america.

There was a repeat of the saving part after the kargil adventure when Nawaz Sharif ran to the US to stop India from attacking. The US is Pakistan's biggest benefactor. All the more reason for us to be wary of it.

 

[idune]

instead of being grearful to Bangladesh india is constantly working against Bangladesh. That is India.

 

[Luffy 500]

Quite the opposite. The 71 war was almost more a Liberation war than a indo pak war. Most of the legwork was done by the bengalis and Sam's blitz brought out the realization of fears that the mukthi bahani had put in the genocidal maniacs heads.
Dont disparage their roles. they need to thank their forefathers and theor kin in west bengal who whole heatedly supported their struggle. .

SO why not our west bengali babus join us in greater bangladesh? There were various ill intent
behind supporting the struggle, so no we don't need to be grateful to opportunistic invaders.

 

[harpoon]

instead of being grearful to Bangladesh india is constantly working against Bangladesh. That is India.

On the contrary ,you should be grateful to us for saving you from the Pakistani slavery.

 

[Desert Fox]

, we helped pull their heads out of Vietnam.

We did? How?

 

[Luffy 500]

^^^^^^@harpoon: stop that "be grateful to us BS". Beg some other countries for gratefulness....Oh sorry
you don't have any other countries to beg.

 

[harpoon]

^^^^^^@harpoon: stop that "be grateful to us BS". Beg some other countries for gratefulness....Oh sorry
you don't have any other countries to beg.

You compatriot CaPtAiN_pLaNeT started it and as for begging no can beat you.

 

[Kesang]

^^^
^^^ Now day. Our puppet talking too much. Let the master decide that whom should they beg,

 

[alphamale]

Every Indian, Pakistani & Bangladeshi knows what happened in 1971. conflict erupted in East pakistan & india saw this as a opportunity to break the back of its enemy & hence supported it. i believe if soviet union was not behind india at that time U.S would have attacked india. only the threat of involvement of soviet union kept U.S at bay.

 

[ares]

instead of being grearful to Bangladesh india is constantly working against Bangladesh. That is India.

Be great-full to Bangladeshis for what?...

That you gave us opportunity to save your hind sides from your own armed forces, who were slaughtering you by millions?
or
Sending million of refugees into India, who not only were an economic burden or but also had to trained and armed..so that could least of all defend themselves?
or
For thousands of soldiers, we lost to attain your freedom?

 

[pari.mehta]

SO why not our west bengali babus join us in greater bangladesh? There were various ill intent
behind supporting the struggle, so no we don't need to be grateful to opportunistic invaders.

Its like most other states that have demographic overrlays with another country. Tamil nadu, punab bengal parts of the NE and burma etc. Most people are happy with the indian union and it gives a great deal more power to be combined and speak as one by consensus. E.g most tamils are for eelam from SL but hardly any (if any) from india

Also there is a glaring difference, there is almost no want among the hindus to deal with the islamic right wing and vice-versa, i suppose.
There needs to be more cooperation and better contacts people to people to ensure that outdated attitudes like the one that disparage bangladesh or nepal or anyone else(hopefully even Pakistan ).