পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/২৩৫

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বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড

 শিরোনাম  সূত্র   তারিখ
সিনেটর জে ডাবলু ফুলব্রাইটকে লিখিত পররাষ্ট্র দপ্তর কর্মকর্তার পত্রগুচ্ছ সিনেট বৈদেশিক সম্পর্ক কমিটির রিপোর্টঃ পরিশিষ্ট ১৩ মে, ১৯৭১

(Senate Foreign Relation Committee Report Appendix-May 13, 1971, calling for the suspension of military assistance to Pakistan)



Department of State
Washington, D.C., April 23, 1971.
Hon. J. W. Fulbright,
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations,
U. S. Senate.


 Dear Mr. Chairman: The Secretary has asked me to reply to your letter of April 6, 1971 indicating your concern over the situation in East Pakistan and requesting information on the use of U. S. supplied military grant assistance in East Pakistan and the -current status of discussions with the Government of Pakistan for the sale of military equipment and the status of any current shipments.

 We share your concern that U. S. equipment has been used in this situation and have not been silent on the matter. Since the military action began on March 25, the Department's spokesman has expressed our concern over the reported use of American weapons, and we have done so privately to the Pakistan as well. The reports which we have received indicate that some M-24 tanks and F-86 aircraft have been observed in use in East Pakistan in recent weeks. It also seems likely that military equipment supplied to Pakistan by a number of other countries, including China, the Soviet Union and Western European countries, has also been used. Our information is fragmentary and is largely confined to first-hand reports from the cities of Dacca and Chittagong.

 This U. S. origin equipment would have been provided in the late 1950's under our Military Assistance Program with Pakistan. That program, as you may know, specifically permitted the use of our assistance for the maintenance of internal security, and in the case of a 1959' agreement for the preservation of national independence and integrity, as well as for external defense. We provided equipment for Pakistan Army units only in West Pakistan since the threat was perceived to be from the north-west of that province. No equipment was supplied for the Army division in East Pakistan. However, there was no obligation on the part of the Government of Pakistan to consult with us if it in. wished to transfer equipment from one wing of the country to the other. Although we were not informed, it would appear that some U. S. supplied equipment was sent from West to East Pakistan, especially older items replaced by newer equipment in the West, as in the case of M-24 tanks,

 Since we terminated MAP grant assistance and suspended military sales to Pakistan and India in 1965, we have supplied no lethal end-items to Pakistan. After resuming a