Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XI, South Asia Crisis, 1971
Document 155
155. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs (
Kissinger
) to President
Nixon
1
Washington
,
September 30, 1971
.
SUBJECT
South Asian Relief
AID
Administrator,
Hannah
, is proposing a
FY
1972 budget amendment of $250 million to the foreign assistance appropriation for our South Asian relief programs. Mr.
Shultz
is sending you separately and without a recommendation a memorandum on the pending alternatives. [Tab A]
2
Dr.
Hannah
ʼs proposal rests on estimates by Maury
Williams
following his recent trip to both wings of Pakistan. To allow flexibility, the money would not be designated specifically for use in either Pakistan or India but the plan now is that about $100 million would be needed in East Pakistan and the rest for East Pakistani refugees in India.
The larger framework is an estimate that total costs in both countries will reach $1.1 billion this year—$300 million of that for avoiding famine in East Pakistan.
3
Grant food shipments would amount to about half—$590 million. Of the remaining need for cash assistance—$390 million for refugees and $150 million for East Pakistan—
Williams
proposes that the
US
meet about two-thirds of the requirement in Pakistan and about 40% in India.
Mr.
Shultz
presents three options without recommendation:
—Go to the Congress in two tranches, $125 million now and possibly another $125 million early next session. Everyone agrees this buys the worst of all worlds: we would probably end up doing $250 million but would lose the political impact of doing it.
—Go for $200 million now rather than the $250 million recommended.
Williams
could live with this, but what this would do is remove all contingency cushion for an increase in the number of refugees or a breakdown in the distribution system in East Pakistan.
—Go for the whole $250 million as recommended by
Williams
.
Mr.
Shultz
ʼs concern, understandably, is the budget impact of a program of this size. In those terms, the real choice is between going ahead with $250 million and doing something very little. It might be possible to shave $50 million from the $250 million if that would help, but the overall problem is so large that one could argue that the $50 million saved would not be that significant and that if we are going to pursue an all-out effort to avert famine and war, it should be done right. On balance, I recommend $250 million, but point out that you have a real alternative of $200 million.
If you approve this program, I strongly recommend the attached statement for release when the appropriations request is transmitted to Congress. Senator
Kennedy
has begun hearings on the refugee issue.
Maury Williams
will testify Monday (October 4). If you wished to make such a statement, optimum timing would seem to be Friday.
4
Williams
would then be in a strong position to defend a record that is already sound and a plan that had been announced and submitted to the Congress. Since only your press conference comment is on the record on this issue, I feel this statement would be a good idea. It would be released on a natural occasion and directed exclusively at a humanitarian problem. [Tab B]
5
Recommendations:
1.
That you approve a program of $250 million to be submitted to the Congress tomorrow. [Tab A]
Approve $250 million
6
Approve $200 million
2.
That you approve the attached statement for release tomorrow. [Text cleared with Mr. Price. Tab B]
Approve
6a
Other
Contents
Preface
Sources
Abbreviations