Anglo-USA differences over Bangladesh admitted
HAMILTON (Bermuda), Dec, 21.–Mr. Edward Heath, British Prime Minister, and President Nixon have tacitly agreed to leave aside differences over their approach to the Indo-Pakistani conflict and to concentrate on helping refugees and others afflicted by the two-week war, says Reuter.
Informed sources said this agreement was a significant part of the fist half of their two days of sumit talks here which began yesterday.
Anglo-US differences not only over the Indo-Pakistani developments but also the President’s China’ policy and the economic programme he had announced on August 15 were not denied by those takin part in the conference.
AP adds: quoting British sources here, that the British Foreign Secretary. Sir Alec Doulas-Home, had told the United States Secretary of State, Mr. William Rogers, that he was convinced that Indian Military action arose out of the dangerous situation caused by the influx of inillions of refugees into India and it came to an end after new Delhi had achieved it primary aim of resolving the crisis in Bangladesh.
India, according to the sources, had no designs whatsoever on West Pakistan, and the military operations in the west were the result of West Pakistani initiatives.
The American authorities say that “had information” had come to them indicating that India intended going beyond the immediate objective of resolving the Bangladesh crisis. The Americans had come to the conclusion that India’s intention was to move into West Pakistan, too, and destroy that State.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 22.12.1971