Secret telegram

31 August 1971

From: Amembassy Islamabad

To: Secretary State Washington DC

 

Sub: Contact with Bangla Desh Reps

 

1. 1 endorse fully Department's scenario (which is consistent with that first proposed by this Embassy-- Islamabad 8852) for further discreet feelers to test validity and feasibility of negotiations between BD reps and GOP.

 

2. My next meeting with Pres Yahya is scheduled for Sept 4. At that time I shall inform Yahya of our ideas as outlined in paras 3 and 4 reftel, and ask for his reaction. I shall stress that we will not go any further in our contacts with BD reps than Yahya desires.

 

3. If there is to be any change in my guidance for next meeting with Yahya I would appreciate being notified as soon as possible in ad­vance of Sept. 4 meeting. For example, do Calcutta's 2415 and 2416 indicate satisfactorily Qaiyum's bona fides? (If there remains doubt on this score, I recommend we proceed on reftel scenario which calls for our contacting BD "Fonmin" Moshtaque Ahmed directly if Yahya's general reaction to my approach is positive.)

 

4. I have serious reservations about embassy in New Delhi to get in­volved in this matter at this time as requested by Delhi 13841. At this moment we are only seeking to determine whether official reps of BD and GOP are willing to get together to talk. Do not believe desir­able to give veto power to one or another individual on question of right of BD "Fonmin" to speak for BD government. Also, if there should be anything in our effort, it could be death blow here if it be­came known that contacts with BD reps were being handled through embassy Delhi.

 

Farland

 

 

 

 

Source: Bangladesh Liberation War and the Nixon White House 1971. p. 204