US SENATOR ÜRGES END OF AID TO PAKISTAN
WASHINGTON,
Senator Frank Church called for an end of American military and economic aid to Pakistan, saying such aid had made possible what he called a carnage in East Pakistan.
The Idaho Democrat, in a Senate speech strongly critical of the Pakistan Government and U.S. policy towards the current situation, said there is mounting evidence to suggest that mass killings by Pakistani troops have taken place in East Pakistan.
“In sum, our millitary ties with Pakistan have implemented and made possible the carnage,” he declared.
Senator Church called for Senate approval of a resolution urging an end to U.S. -military aid to Pakistan. The measure, which would not be binding on the Administration, was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week.
Senator Church said also plans to introduce legislation later this year to force the Nixon Administration to change its policies of providing American arms to foreign countries. However he gave no details.
Senator Church, an influenial member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said America must stop favouring the West Pakistan Government over the East by suspending its military and economic aid to the Central Covernment.
Necessary
This was necessary if the U.S. was to take a truly neutral position in the current strife between Bengali separatists in the East and the Central Government, he said.
Senator Church’s speech was the latest expression of congressional opposition to any further direct U.S. economic aid to Pakistan at this time.
It was understood that Ahmed has failed to obtain any fresh commitments of aid from the U.S. Government or from the World Bank pending further study of the situation in Pakistan.
Senator Church said that the United Sates since 1918 has developed a special relationship with what he called the ruling feudal oligarchy of West Pakistan and provided substantial military and economic aid which has been channelled primarily to West Pakistan.
U.S. and Britain as training sites
Calling for an end to this policy, the Senator said: “The officers in charge (of the operations in the East) were men trained in the U.S. or Great Britain.
“Most of the ordnance and supplies came from the United States acquired over the years through our lavish grants of millitary assistance and subsidised arms sales programmes”.
He said the large amount of arms aid to West Pakistan had been justified on the grounds that such aid was necessary to protect the Pakistanis and the United States against communist agression.
“Far from containing the Russian fear or the Chinese dragon, however, Pakistan has used its American furnished military equipment first against India in 1965 and now against their own people,” Senator Church declared. “By all standards, our millitary assistance … has proved a failure…
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 21.05.1971