from Dave Windsor
I have extracted the most relevant parts of an article by Victor Anat which appeared as the lead story in the Daily Telegraph of September 13th. The article had a by-line: "by Victor Anant who left New Delhi so as to be able to send this report uncensored. The article begins:
"Before India made its decision to embarkipon the war with Pakistan the American Central Intelligence Agency told New Delhi that a coup dtetat in Pakistan was imminent. CIA Agents said that Field Marshall Ayub Khan, the Pakistani President, was politically unstable, They reported that he would soon be deposed. The Indian decision to re-occupy posts across the ceasefire line in Kashmir was "cleared" with U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Chester Bowles, American Ambassador, also had advance knowledge of India’s intention to open a second front, A hint of American approval of, but not connivance with, India's determination to escalate the conflict was given to me on Saturday, Sept. 4. It was the day Mr. Bowles called on Mr. Shastrieses.
"Since then I have been able to piece together some of the facts in the CIA effort. The relevance of the operation is not so much of America's commite ment to India, but of the State Department's urgent desire to cut President Ayub Khan down to. size, The story begins, tenuously, three autumns ago when the Chinese invaded India, The Americans then told President Ayub of their intense disapproval of Pakistan's indifference to India's plight. Pakistan, of course, added fuel to the fire, President Ayub retorted that India deserved the humiliation it had brought upon itself, By the middle of 1963, the largest American holding in Pakistan, General Motors, was “advised to sell out", It was bought by a firm of which Capt. Gauhar Ayub, the President's son is a director. After this relations deteriorated fast. It was in about Sept., 1963, that the CIA began to work in earnest in Pakistan.
"President Ayub was determined to hold an election and establish himself legally in power. Two American officials were withdrawn for allegedly "supplying funds" to the opposition candidate, Miss Fatima Jinnah, sister of the founder of Pakistan. The centre of CIA activities in West Pakistan was in Lahore, today the scene of the fiercest fighting in the present war, One United States information officer was suspected and he moved to Delhi, In Lahore, too, was Gen. Azame He was once governor of East Pakistan, but was so popular that President Ayub had him removed, Gen. Azam seems to have been the CIA's choice to succeed Presi~ dent Ayub ultimately. However, I understand that the general was reluctant to "play ball." Dismayed at the total disarray of Miss Jinnsh's supporters, the CIA is reported to have made an atterpt to recruit two Government Ministers directly, one of th@ Mr, Shoaib, in charge of finance. A halt to American aid to Pakistan was threatened and it was through Mr. Shoaib that these veiled threats were passed one
“Last May, soon after the Rann of Kutch battle, reports said that Pakistan's top brass was divided into two factions, the “hawks” and the "doves," ‘The "hawks" were eager to swoop on India, but the "doves" advocated restraint, It was about July this year that the CIA must have first passed on to military intelligence in India news of Pakistan's preparations for a renewed push in Kedmir, When, in August, Pakistan sent infiltrators, the Indian Government seems to have been convinced of the accuracy of the reports. On August 15 the "hawks" and the "doves" were sid to have been summoned by President Ayub, After listening to them hé went away to the Valley of Swat to decide. The first major CIA error seems to have been made around August 23. It was reported that the "doves" were ready to oust President Ayub. In Swat, President Ayub decided to put thé loyalty of both factions to the test. When he returned a decision was
conitnued over/
CIA complicity continued/
taken which was to have tremendous significance. During the Rann of Kutch days
he had specifically given orders that on no account were Indian Air Force planes
violsting Pakistani air space to be shot at. Now he gave orders that Indian
plenes were to be brought dom if they were used in Kashmir,
"Meanwhile in New Delhi, Mr. Bowles had returned from leave, It was
officially announced that America had postponed the "Aid Pakistan Consortium" "
meeting from September 9 to September 23. The fall of President Ayub was said
to be imminent. It was then India decided to cross the ceasefire line for
tactical reasons, and to escalate the war by opening a second front. I have
not been able to ascertain whether this vital decision was taken with the
approval of the United States. I am certain, however, that American sources
in New Delhi were aware of it. Mr. Shastri at a private briefing for six
leading Indian journalists told one of them that the Kashmir situation put
India in the same position as the Americans in Vietnam, Asked if he thought
the Chinese would support the Pakistanis by invading elsewhere, he said: "We
have considered that possibility. If that happens we will not be alone."
Whether or not American authorities actually approved of India's action, it
- is certain that much relicame was placed upon American intelligence reports.
It is also clear that the Indians had reason to feel sure this time, but not
during the Rann of Kutch battle that the United States would not disapprove
of a measured escalation.
"“T am personally convinced that the vreaki both relations between the
Americans and Pakistanis has been reached. The result of this would be
ominous for Asia. British advice during this period seems to have had little
effect. Anti-British opinion has been steadily building up in India the
last three days through newspapers and privately at the diplomatic level,
One leading Anglophile in authority told me s: "Why don't the British pack
up and go?" Bluntly, one by-product of this Indo-Pakistani war is likely to
be that America will gradually take over from Britain the responsibility for
keeping peace in the sub-continent, Because of the CIA's amateurish blunders
the Americans may have made a bad start."