Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XI, South Asia Crisis, 1971
Document 221
221. Transcript of Telephone Conversation Between President
Nixon
and His Assistant for National Security Affairs (
Kissinger
)
1
Washington
,
December 3, 1971
.
P: Any late developments?
K
: Itʼs more and more certain itʼs India attacking and not Pakistan. We cut off other military supplies. Secy. wants to go to Security Council and go on TV. I say we can go just as soon as Pakistan says itʼs all right with them. We are sending a message
2
through our channels to speed it up. I donʼt think we should rush until we see what they want. And tell the Chinese itʼs done with Pakistanʼs concurrence.
P: Why stick our nose in unless they want us.
K
: The right way to do it is low key way and call a Security Council meeting.
P: If
Rogers
goes on TV itʼs not going to be a plague on both your houses. He understands?
K
: I hope so.
P: He knows. They have the same facts we have. Donʼt they know India—Everyone knows Pakistan not attacking India.
K
: Attacks took place at 5:45 when dusk falling. Three commercial airfields. The other attack at [omission in the source text]. Pakistan could not do it in 15 minutes. Pakistan must be [have] jumped off and India pursued. [omission in the source text] You canʼt follow us and other side has 5 hours on alert. Thatʼs what
Moorer
said.
P: They would do it at dawn to surprise them.
K
: And keep up attacks.
P: Itʼs a tragedy the Indians are so treacherous. Her attitude—not that it is [omission in the source text] our attitude but to put it on an anti-colored attitude. How much help is she getting from colored people?
K
: We should stop [
start?
] cutting economic aid now. $90 million of letters of credit unsigned.
P: Put a stop order on them. They must be signed by me. I think we should go slow on giving visas to Americans going there. American businessmen and others.

K
: Right.
P: Tell them to slow down. We donʼt want to have to evacuate some jerks and businessmen trying to make investments. What else?
K
: Administratively the [omission in the source text] is cut aid next year.
P: That would have to be done in Congress.
K
: [omission in the source text]
P: I see. Get
Hannah
busy and let it leak. We told her if they went in it would be tough.
K
: Scott made a speech and Morse and Frelinghuysen
3
already said something.
P: He
4
was pro-Indian but an honest man.
K
: He turned around.
[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to South Asia.]
[P:] On India/Pakistan we are not doing this out of peak [
pique
] or mad at India. They may react like Nasser did.
K
: Itʼs not in their interest.
P: It puts them fully in hands of Russians.
K
: It will drive Chinese to us.
P: Can Russians feed 400 million Indians?
K
: And Egypt and Cuba? They are getting overextended.
P: You give figure of 6 million dollars worth of aid.
5
K
: It turns out to be 10.
P: Multilateral also?
K
: Yes. But 10 is quite a slug.
P: I bet Passmanʼs figure is bigger. Give Passman a call.
6
Say President says 10 billion to India and ask what his figures show. He would appreciate being asked. Going to Gridiron tomorrow?
K
: No.
P: Lucky.
Contents
Preface
Sources
Abbreviations