পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৩৭৫

347 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ সিনেটর কেনেডী কর্তৃক আমেরিকার সিনেটের কার্যবিবরণী ২২ জুন, ১৯৭১ পাকিস্তান নীতির সমালোচনা S9640 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE June 22, 1971 U.S. POLICY TOWARD PAKISTAN Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, the American people and Congress have been misled again-this time on the question of U.S. policy toward Pakistan. Since very early in April, I have been assured repeatedly-in private conversations and official correspondence-that our Government was not supplying arms to Pakistan. I know that other Senators have had similar assurances. In a letter to me on April 20, for example, the State Department said: Since we placed an overall embargo on map assistance to Pakistan in 1965, we have supplied no lethal end-items of military equipment to Pakistan. Last October we announced a one-time exception to sell to Pakistan a limited quantity of lethal arms. Nothing has been delivered following this decision nor is anything in the pipeline under this decision. Technical talks on this subject have not been held during the past 6 weeks. The matter is being kept under review. In addition, we have a modest program of cash and credit sales to Pakistan of non-lethal military end-items as well as some spare parts and ammunition. We have been informed by the Department of Defense that none of these items has been provided to the Pakistan Government or its agencies since the outbreak of fighting in East Pakistan March 25-26. and nothing is presently scheduled for such delivery. Now we learn from press reports, Mr. President, that a Pakistani ship the Padma, sailed last night from New York to Karachi with American military supplies sold to Pakistan under the Foreign Military' Sales Act, Apparently this is not the first violation of officially stated policy, and according to some sources, it is not to be the last. Whether it is double talk, incompetence or both, the shipment of U.S. arms to Pakistan is a violation of policy. And even worse, it will continue to fuel military actions which have already been the primary cause of over 6 million refugees and countless civilian dead. Last Friday, I expressed, again, my dismay over our Government's silence and apparent indifference over the actions of the heavily American supplied Pakistan Army toward the people of East Bengal. Today we find it is not just silence and indifference, but a degree of complicity, which is unconscionable. But saddest of all, Mr. President, is the fact that our great Nation is more efficient in moving military hardware than in arranging humanitarian relief. A ship left last night