বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড
reading some of the commentaries, the impression is created that we were equipping four armored divisions. The fact of the matter is that $35 million worth of arms were cut off immediately, and the only thing that was continued to be shipped was something less than $5 million-I don't have the precise figure; I think it is between $4 and $5 million-of spare parts that were in commercial channels under existing licenses.
So I behave it is correct to say that the United States, by its actions, took a stand, staring in March of this year; and that the United States did indicate, through its performance, what evolution it wanted to take that the United States has made a greater contribution than the rest of the world combined to ease the suffering in India and Pakistan, but especially the suffering generated by the actions of the end of March.
Now, then, we come to the problem of political evolution. What has the United States done in this respect?
It is true the United States did not make any public declarations on its views of the evolution, because the United States wanted to use its influence with both Delhi and Islamabad to bring about a political settlement that would enable the refugees to return. At the request of the President, this was explained by me to the Indian Foreign Minister and to the Indian Prime Minister when I was in New Delhi in early July, and both indicated that they understood our decision in this respect and made no criticism of our decision.
They did make a criticism of the arms shipments. Secondly, we consistently used our influence that we gained in this manner to urge the Government of Pakistan in the direction of a political evolution. We urged the Government of Pakistan and they agreed that relief supplies be distributed by international agencies, in order to take away the criticism in East Pakistan that they might be used to strengthen the central authority, and the Government agreed that a timetable be established for returning Pakistan to civilian rule. That was supposed to be done by the end of December.
We urged a mutual withdrawal of troops from the border, and when India rejected this, we urged a unilateral withdrawal of Pakistan troops from the border, and that was accepted by Pakistan and never replied to by India.
We urged an amnesty for all refugees, and that was accepted.
Q. By whom?
DR. KISSINGER. By Pakistan. There are no refugees from India in Pakistan.
We urged Pakistan to extend an amnesty to all refugees so that they could return without fear of reprisals.
We went further. We established contact with the Bangladesh people in Calcutta, and during August, September and October of this year no fewer than eight such contacts took place.
We approached President Yahya Khan three times in order to begin negotiations with the Bangladesh people in Calcutta. The Government of Pakistan accepted. We were told by our contacts in Calcutta that the Indian Government discouraged such negotiations. In
