U.K. National Archives

1971-12-02

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Excerpt from the Records of the UK Cabinet CAB 128/49/61

Conclusions of a meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street, on Thursday, 2 December, 1971 at 11.15 am

Conclusions of a meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street, on Thursday, 2 December, 1971 at 11.30 am

Attendees: E Heath; R Maudling; W Whitelaw; K Joseph; R Carr; G Campbell; P Walker; J Prior; A Douglas-Home; Carrington; G Rippon; M Thatcher; Jellicoe; P Thomas; J Davies; F Corfield; F Pym; M Macmillan; P Rawlinson.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary said that the latest reports indicated that the Indian Government were now moving up larger forces in support of the guerillas in East Pakistan and it must be accepted that the early disintegration of Pakistan was now a real possibility. It was thought to have been the objective of the Government of India for some time to detach the East Wing of Pakistan and to instal there some regime over which they could hope to exercise a measure of control. It was by no means certain, however, that an independent Government in East Bengal would not be dominated by elements of a more extreme character than the Indian authorities would find palatable. Meanwhile, President Yahya Khan of Pakistan was now faced with the alternatives of allowing East Pakistan to secede or of going to war with India in an attempt to retain it. He had sent to the United Nations an urgent request for observers to be stationed on the borders of Pakistan and India; and this would now be considered by the Security Council. It was just possible that the outbreak of war could be prevented by United Nations intervention; but more Probably a peace-keeping operation would prove too difficult for the United Nations, particularly since the Indian Government would be sure to resist it and could count on the support of the Soviet Union. The extent to which China would support Pakistan in these circumstances was unpredictable. No Resolution had yet been tabled in the Security Council; and our attitude would have to be determined in the light of its text and of the situation at the time of its presentation.

The Cabinet—
Took note of the statements by the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary.