The United States had refused King Hussain of Jordan’s request to permit him to transfer F-104 fighter jets to Pakistan for use in the war against India in 1971 war, a declassified diplomatic cable of US reveals.
This rejection came amid an urgent plea to US from the then President of Pakistan Gen Yahya Khan that if it couldn’t help Pakistan, it should not prevent others from doing so.
As F-104 fighters were purchased from US, Jordan could not have allowed their use to another country without securing approval from the manufacturing country.
American law on the other hand prohibited permission to a client state allowing the use of its weaponry to another country unless the US itself would transfer the defense article to that country, explains the cable.
As the war broke out, the Nixon administration dispatched the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to the Bay of Bengal on December 9 when CIA director warned him that East Pakistan was crumbling. The aircraft was sent in an attempt to intimidate the Indian government and pre-empt Russian invasion, reveals another cable. But an Indian admiral disclosed in a separate account that PM Indra Gandhi gave him a deaf ear when he repeatedly apprised her of the advancement of US aircraft carrier.
On December 5, 1971, King Hussain dispatched a hand-written note to Washington through US mission in Amman. It read: “…..Pakistani request is connected to their urgent need for additional aircraft for air defense the lack of which will mean that they will soon not be able to put up sufficient aircraft to intercept intruders which would be a prelude to disaster. We are awaiting your clearance that we send them a number of F-104s despite our grave need for them at a very dangerous time here…...”
The US mission after consultation with Washington returned his mail stating that US government had decided not to supply equipment either to India or Pakistan.
Under the present US policy of suspending all arms transfer to Pakistan, King Hussain was told, Washington couldn’t consent to such a transfer. He was further told that the legislation prevented US government from authorising any 3rd country, including Jordan, from transferring US-origin military equipment to either India-Pakistan.
The US has since 1965 India-Pakistan hostilities refused to supply or license the export of lethal end-items for Pakistan, explains the diplomatic cable.
The only exception was the one announced in October 1970 under which the US offered to supply 300 armoured personnel carriers and approximately 20 aircraft, according to the cable. In a separate account, a veteran of Indian army told an interviewer that Admiral S M Nanda, then Naval Chief told Indra Gandhi during the course of a presentation on war that the US Fleet was sailing into the Bay of Bengal. She did not utter a single word and briefing continued discussing other issues. Admiral repeated: “Madam, I have to inform you that the 8th Fleet is sailing into the Bay of Bengal.” She cut him off immediately: “Admiral, I heard you the first time, let us go on with the briefing.”
“All the officers present were stunned. Ultimately, their morale was tremendously boosted by the prime minister’s attitude. She had demonstrated her utter contempt for the American bluff,” said Dr N S Prasad.
US had stopped Jordan from sending jets to Pakistan in 1971 war - thenews.com.pk
