Backchannel
Message from the Ambassador to
/1/
Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 643,
Country Files, Middle East, India/Pakistan, December 1-10. Secret;
Sensitive. The text of this message was conveyed to Haig
in a December 10 memorandum. (Ibid.)
1. I met
with Yahya in his residence at 1000 hrs. local Dec.
10 and conveyed to him the information contained in your message of Dec. 9./2/ Yahya's initial reaction was to indicate a lack of
comprehension regarding exactly what was implied by the information conveyed.
After I went over the entire subject again and reiterated salient points, Yahya still indicated strong objections because "
/2/
Document 259.
2. I then
undertook the hardest "sell job" of my life. After about 30 minutes I
brought Yahya around to a point where he was making
his own proposition. Except for the slightly different wording and the fact it
was his own proposal and not the Russian one, Yahya
in fact "bought" the original proposal as delivered.
3. Yahya proposes that, subject to the provisos contained in
paragraph 2 of your communication, (a) India and Pakistan should agree to an
immediate ceasefire with the separate armed forces "standing fast";
and that the United Nations or other international organization provide
observers to see that the ceasefire is effective; (b) that India and Pakistan
"at any effective level" immediately open negotiations aimed at a
settlement of the war and troop withdrawal; and coincident therewith
simultaneously enter into negotiations looking towards the political
satisfaction of Bengali aspirations, i.e., a political settlement.
4. I read
the operative paragraph above to Yahya and he reaffirmed
his position. Warm regards.
Source: Document 271, volume XI,