U.S. National Archives

December 11, 1971, 1125Z

TO
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4829

SUBJECT:
BRITISH PLAN IS RE BANGLA DESH

REF:
ISLAMABAD 123430 LONDON 11230

PAGE 01 DACCA 05592 1111592

22S

ACTION NEA-ll

0 1111252 DEC 71

FM AMCONSUL DACCA

INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD IMMEDIATE

AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI IMMEDIATE

AMCONSUL CALCUTTA IMMEDIATE

AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE

DACCA 5592

1. WE NOTE WITH INTEREST THAT BRITISH ARE MOVING SMARTLY AHEAD TO ESTABLISH SOME BASIS FOR EARLY DEALING WITH BANGLA DESH, WHICH NOW APPEARS TO BE AS CERTAIN AS ANYTHING NORMALLY IS IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS.
2. WHILE WE APPRECIATE DIFFICULT AND COMPLICATED QUESTIONS INVOLVED IN WORKING OUT CONDITIONS IN WHICH WE WOULD RECOGNIZE NEW SOVEREIGNTY, SUCH AS BANGLA DESHA IT SEEMS TO US THAT AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME, SOME LITTLE PREPARATION SUCH AS THE BRITISH HAVE OBVIOUSLY BEEN DOING’ COULD MAKE THINGS, MUCH EASIER. WE ASSUME THAT LAST SENTENCE, PARA ONE OF STATE 222979 REFERS ONLY TO WEST PAKISTAN AND THAT USG IS NOT "READY TO MAKE A MAJOR EFFORT…TO PRESERVE PAKISTANI TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND ARMED FORCES”, INCLUDING EAST PAKISTAN. I THEREFORE AGAIN STRONGLY URGE THAT WE MAKE PRELIMINARY SOUNDINGS WITH RELIABLE BANGLA DESH REPS IN WASHINGTON OR ELSEWHERE WHICH WOULD, AT VERY LEAST, PREVENT THEM FROM ASSUMING THAT WE ARE INALTERABLY OPPOSEDTO IDEA OF INDEPENDENT BANGLA DESH OR THAT WE WOULD TAKE INORDINATELY LONG TO RECOGNIZE A BDG SUBSTANTIALLY ESTABLISHED IN EAST BENGAL