U.S. National Archives 1972-01-03

Telegram 26 From the Consulate General in Karachi to the Department of State, January 3, 1972, 1154Z

JANUARY 3 CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT BHUTTO RE HIS LETTER TO PRESIDENT

Foreign Relations of the United States
Volume E7
Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972

Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 15–1 PAK. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Islamabad, New Delhi, Dacca, and Lahore. The text of Bhutto’s letter to Nixon on December 21, 1971, transmitted to Islamabad on December 30 in telegram 233015, is in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. XI, South Asia Crisis, 1971, Document 330

January 3, 1972, 1154Z

SUBJECT:
JANUARY 3 CONVERSATION WITH PRESIDENT BHUTTO RE HIS LETTER TO PRESIDENT

REF:
STATE 233015

JAN 72

FM AMCONSUL KARACHI

TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5923

INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY

AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI AMCONSUL DACCA

AMCONSUL LAHOREE

FROM AMBASSADOR

1. I MET WITH PRESIDENT BHUTTO IN HISKARACHI RESIDENCE AT 1100 HOURS LOCAL TIME. THE CONVERSATION WHICH ENSUED LASTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES. AMONG OTHER MATTERS DISCUSSED WAS THE AFORESAID SUBJECT. SEPTELS FOLLOW.
2. WITH ALL THE CARE BEFITTING THE MATTER, I ENUNCIATED THE VARIOUS SUBJECTS AND POINTS MADE IN PARAS 2, 3 AND 4 OF REFTEL. PRESIDENT BHUTTO EXPRESSED HIS FULL APPRECTATION FOR THE POINTS MADE AND INDICATED COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING. HIS ONE ADDITIONAL SUBSTANTIVE COMMENT OUTSIDE THE CONTEXT OF THAT TO WHICH WE WERE SPEAKING, WAS HIS EXPRESSION OF HOPE THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD USE ALL OF ITS INFLUENCE IN EVERY POSSIBLE AREA "TO HELP GET OUR MEN BACK FROM EAST PAKISTAN.” I TOLD HIM I WOULD ADVISE MY GOVERNMENT NOT ONLY 0F HIS REQUEST BUT OF HIS GREAT CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF HIS COUNTRYMEN.
3. PERTAINING TO PARAGRAPH 5 OF REFTEL, I TOLD PRESIDENT BHUTTO THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD AUTHORIZED NEGOTIATIONS TO BEGIN WITH THE GOP FOR A NEW PL- 480 TITLE I AGREEMENT, AND SPELLED OUT THAT WHICH WAS INVOLVED BOTH IN FOOD AND IN VALUE. I WENT ON TO STATE THAT THIS ACTION WAS TANGIBLE EVIDENCE OF USG’S AWARENESS OF THE FOOD REQUIREMENTS NOW OF MOMENT TO WEST PAKISTAN AND ALSO A CONCRETE INDICATION OF USG’S DESIRE TO ASSIST GOP ON ITS ROAD BACK TO RECOVERY FROM THE TRAGIC EVENTS RECENTLY TRANSPIRED. PRESIOENT, BHUTTO EXPRESSED HIS SINCERE AND DEEP APPRECIATION FOR THIS ACTIONS, INDICATING THAT IT REFLECTED PRECISELY NOT ONLY WHAT I HAD SAID, BUT IN ADDITION INDICATED A MAJOR STEP TOWARD THE RETURN TO NORMALCY. SHE ADDED THAT AS HE HAD HERETOFORE INFORMED ME AND AS HE HAD PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED, HE WAS LOOKING TOWARD A "NEW ERA IN US-PAK RELATIONSHIP.”
4. SAYING THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF MY COMMENTS WAS SUCH THAT THE FOREIGN OFFICE SHOULD BE MADE AWARE THEREOF HE ASKED THAT THE DCM IN ISLAMABAD CONTACT THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SULTAN KHAN AND CONVEY THE GIST OF THIS MESSAGE TO HIM ALSO. DCM TELEPHONICALLY ADVISED TO DO SO. LUPPI