1971-06-10
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WASHINGTON, June 10.-A bipartisan amendment to cut off U.S. economic as well as military aid to Pakistan was introduced in the Senate today.
The measure was co-sponsored by Senators Frank Church (Democrat, Idaho) and William Saxbe (Republican, Ohio). It would suspend military and economic aid to Pakistan until food and medical relief supervised by international agencies is provided on a regular basis throughout East Pakistan and the majority of the five million Pakistani refugees now in India are repatriated. Senator Church, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee which will consider the measure, said in a Senate speech that "a full scale international relief operation is mandatory."
He also told the Senate that the refugee situation not only imposed an unbearable burden upon India but could threaten peace.
"The creation of another refugee problem along the Indian border, like that which plagues the Middle East, would be alarming in its implications for the future," he declared. "Under these circumstances the United States must apply such leverage as it can to alleviate this human tragedy through the implementation of essential international relief and the speedy repatriation of refugees."
Earlier this week, Senator Church told a press conference that an estimated 80 million dollars (33 million sterling) was ill the economic aid pipeline to Pakistan and the proposed legislation would cut off future American contributions to the international consortium providing economic assistance to that country.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jon (RPT Jon) Rohde, an American doctor who until recently worked in East Pakistan, told the Foreign Relations Committee that "Through continuance of economic assistance of any kind to the military Government of Pakistan, we are a partner to what may become the greatest loss of human life in one area in this century."
Urging the committee to cut off economic aid as it began hearings on the administration's foreign aid bill, he said: "One is reminded of other situations in southeast Asia in which massive U.S. support of a military elite has dragged us into a continuing commitment of unforeseen magnitude."