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{{Short description|American G.I.}} | {{Short description|American G.I.}} | ||
{{orphan|date=April | {{orphan|date=April 2022}} | ||
'''Russell K. Haight Jr.''' was an American [[G.I. (military)|G.I.]] who had served as a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant during [[World War II]]. After the war, he became "famous" by serving as a mercenary commander of the rebel forces of [[ | '''Russell K. Haight Jr.''' was an American [[G.I. (military)|G.I.]] who had served as a U.S. Army Air Force sergeant during [[World War II]]. After the war, he became "famous" by serving as a mercenary commander of the rebel forces of [[Pakistan-occupied Kashmir]] for a few months in 1947.<ref name=nytimes/> His testimony about Pakistan's involvement in the hostilities was cited in the [[UN mediation of the Kashmir dispute|United Nations debates]] on the Kashmir dispute.<ref name=Menon/> | ||
==Army career== | ==Army career== | ||
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In [[Rawalpindi]], then the hotbed of the [[First Kashmir War]] raging in 1947, Haight ran into the British correspondent Bill Sydney Smith of the ''[[Daily Express]]'', who suggested to him that he could utilise his expertise in commanding the Pakistani tribal raiders engaged in the Kashmir War. Haight was sold on the idea.<ref>{{harvnb|Trumbull|1956|p=93}}: "The correspondent suggested that the raiders could use such an experienced soldier, and why didn't Haight apply to the Pakistanis for a commission? Haight thought it over and decided it was a good idea."</ref>{{efn|The correspondent too evidently benefited from the enterprise, who was able to run by-lines like, "Brigadier Russell Haight, the American soldier of fortune fighting with the tribesmen in Kashmir".{{sfn|Trumbull|1956|p=93}}}} | In [[Rawalpindi]], then the hotbed of the [[First Kashmir War]] raging in 1947, Haight ran into the British correspondent Bill Sydney Smith of the ''[[Daily Express]]'', who suggested to him that he could utilise his expertise in commanding the Pakistani tribal raiders engaged in the Kashmir War. Haight was sold on the idea.<ref>{{harvnb|Trumbull|1956|p=93}}: "The correspondent suggested that the raiders could use such an experienced soldier, and why didn't Haight apply to the Pakistanis for a commission? Haight thought it over and decided it was a good idea."</ref>{{efn|The correspondent too evidently benefited from the enterprise, who was able to run by-lines like, "Brigadier Russell Haight, the American soldier of fortune fighting with the tribesmen in Kashmir".{{sfn|Trumbull|1956|p=93}}}} | ||
He signed up with the [[ | He signed up with the [[Pakistan-occupied Kashmir]] provisional government, then based in Rawalpindi. He was given a commission as a captain and sent to the [[Historical Poonch District|Poonch]] front. After he criticised the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir commanders there for their "boy scout tactics", the government apparently promoted him to the rank of a "brigadier general".<ref name=nytimes/>{{efn|The Pakistan-occupied Kashmir commanders' demands to one up each other led to numerous new ranks being invented.}} He later claimed to have commanded 8,000 troops.<ref name=LIFE> | ||
''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lVIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA42&dq=russell+haight+kashmir&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjR5Ii86sDrAhXCSRUIHfMuB8sQ6AEwAHoECAAQAg#v=onepage&q=russell%20haight%20kashmir&f=false LIFE]'', 16 February 1948, p.42. | ''[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lVIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA42&dq=russell+haight+kashmir&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjR5Ii86sDrAhXCSRUIHfMuB8sQ6AEwAHoECAAQAg#v=onepage&q=russell%20haight%20kashmir&f=false LIFE]'', 16 February 1948, p.42. | ||
</ref> According to a ''[[New York Times]]'' report by Robert Trumbull, Haight was able to successfully discharge his command by playing on the vanity of the tribesmen and exploiting their tribal rivalries.<ref name=nytimes/> | </ref> According to a ''[[New York Times]]'' report by Robert Trumbull, Haight was able to successfully discharge his command by playing on the vanity of the tribesmen and exploiting their tribal rivalries.<ref name=nytimes/> | ||
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{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Ranbir |title=Major Defence Operations Since 1947 |publisher=Prabhat Prakashan |year=2005 |isbn=978-81-88322-67-1 |pages=28 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kzo9wyl0AK0C }} | {{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Ranbir |title=Major Defence Operations Since 1947 |publisher=Prabhat Prakashan |year=2005 |isbn=978-81-88322-67-1 |pages=28 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kzo9wyl0AK0C }} | ||
</ref> | </ref> | ||
According to journalist [[G. K. Reddy]], then a PR official in the | According to journalist [[G. K. Reddy]], then a PR official in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir government, Russell K. Haight was "a senior officer of the [[Office of Strategic Services|US Office of Strategic Services]] (OSS)".<ref name=Karanjia/>{{efn|The OSS was the intelligence agency of the US during World War II. It was the precursor to the modern [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]].}} He is said to have operated in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under the code name '[[General Tariq]]'.<ref name=Karanjia>{{Cite book|last=Karanjia |first=R. K. |chapter=G. K. with Blitz |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.219756|title=Capital Witness: Selected Writings of G. K. Reddy|date=1991|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=8 1-7023-3 16-X|editor-last=Bhagyalakshmi|editor-first=J.|location=New Delhi|pages=xxii}}</ref>{{efn|'General Tariq' was the code name assigned to the chief commander of all the rebel forces and raiders operating on behalf of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as per the [[Operation Gulmarg]] plan.<ref>* {{citation |last=Singh |first=Sm Jasbir |title=Roar of the Tiger – Illustrated History of Operations in Kashmir by 4th Battalion The Kumaon Regt in 1965 War |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9mcXVjswUrcC&pg=PA129 |date=2013 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |isbn=978-93-82652-03-8 |pages=129–}}</ref> Both Colonel [[Akbar Khan (Pakistani general)|Akbar Khan]] and Colonel Sher Khan later used the title while commanding the rebellion.}} | ||
Haight estimated that there were 15,000 tribal fighters in Kashmir, and a similar number on the move ("coming and going on dispersed along the border"). There were also said to be a fair number of Pakistani officers on leave involved in the war.{{sfnp|Whitehead|2007|p=197 (Chaptter 10)}} Robert Trumbull narrated: | Haight estimated that there were 15,000 tribal fighters in Kashmir, and a similar number on the move ("coming and going on dispersed along the border"). There were also said to be a fair number of Pakistani officers on leave involved in the war.{{sfnp|Whitehead|2007|p=197 (Chaptter 10)}} Robert Trumbull narrated: | ||
{{ | {{blockquote|Although he insisted that the Kashmir fighting broke out in rebellion against atrocities committed upon Moslems by the Hindu Maharajah’s Dogra troops, Mr Haight characterized the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Provisional Government ... as 'Pakistan puppets'. He also deeply implicated high Pakistan Government officials, notably the Premier of the North-West Frontier Province.{{sfnp|Whitehead|2007|p=197 (Chapter 10)}}}} | ||
== Later career == | == Later career == | ||
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* {{citation |last=Whitehead |first=Andrew |title=A Mission in Kashmir |url=http://www.andrewwhitehead.net/full-text-a-mission-in-kashmir.html |year=2007 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-670-08127-1}} | * {{citation |last=Whitehead |first=Andrew |title=A Mission in Kashmir |url=http://www.andrewwhitehead.net/full-text-a-mission-in-kashmir.html |year=2007 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-670-08127-1}} | ||
{{Authority control}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haight, Russel K.}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Haight, Russel K.}} | ||
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] | [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] | ||
[[Category:Living people]] | [[Category:Living people]] | ||
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]] | [[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Pakistan-occupied Kashmir]] | ||
[[Category:People of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]] | [[Category:People of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]] | ||