Why does the President insist on covering up Pakistan's ruthless and premeditated campaign of genocide when the rest of the world is crying out with horror? The 11 member nations of the aid to-Pakistan consortium agreed to cut off all aid to Pakistan after a World Bank delegation saw at first hand the destruction perpetrated by Yahya Khan's soldiers. The United States alone intends to continue feeding the Pakistani war machine.
Any end to the suffering in Bangladesh requires a realistic political solution in addition to a rapid distribution of relief equipment and food. Indeed, under the present circumstances the provision of food grains by itself may actually serve to retard any potential resolution. In the past, 95,000 tons of Public Law 480 food grains presented for relief use in the cast have been diverted to the west by the Central Government of Pakistan and 24 U.N. vehicles intended to be used for distribution of humanitarian supplies have been commandeered by the Pakistani generals and used instead to transport troops into battle.
What assurances are there that the 200 jeeps, 26 coastal vessels and nine minibulkers recently given to the United Nation will not be similarly commandeered? How can the 70 U.N. observers-all of whom are presently huddled together in the sanctuary of the Capital City, Dacca-prevent misuse of funds, food, and medicine by the Pakistan Army? It is foolish to think that that army-a foreign force occupying a distant land and speaking a strange language-will suddenly stop gunning down Bengalis to graciously offer them the needed supplies. In a war of genocide food is often just as deadly a weapon as bullets. Until the people of East Bengal can determine their political future the torment will continue, the refugees will flee in ever greater numbers and the Indian subcontinent will remain a powder keg only waiting to explode.
