Pakistan–United States relations: Difference between revisions

Pakistan–United States relations (edit)

Revision as of 01:35, 20 February 2025

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 Believing that diplomatic avenues would not yield favorable outcomes for Pakistan, the country initiated [[Operation Gibraltar]] against India, which escalated into the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. The war resulted in a stalemate, and economic growth in 1965 plummeted to just 0.88%. However, the economy quickly recovered, achieving a GDP growth rate of 2.32% in 1966 and 9.79% in 1969. Despite this rebound, the immense economic toll of the war, coupled with the absence of a decisive victory, led Khan to relinquish his presidential powers to army commander Yahya Khan (who was not related) in 1969.
+American President Lyndon Johnson fostered warm personal relations with the leaders of both India and Pakistan, but this approach led to unintended negative consequences. Since 1954, the U.S. alliance with Pakistan had prompted India to strengthen its ties with the Soviet Union. Johnson aimed for a more balanced policy towards both nations to alleviate tensions in South Asia and draw both countries closer to the United States.
+With a significant military commitment already in Vietnam, Johnson moved away from the traditional American perspective that categorised Indian subcontinent into 'allies' and 'neutrals.' He envisioned a strategy to cultivate positive relations with both India and Pakistan by providing arms and financial assistance to each while maintaining a stance of neutrality amidst their ongoing border disputes. However, this perceived even-handedness inadvertently drove Pakistan closer to Communist China and further solidified India's alignment with the Soviet Union.
+=== Pakistan's role in U.S.-China relations ===
+President [[Richard Nixon]] and his National Security Advisor, [[Henry Kissinger]], leveraged Pakistan's close relationship with the [[People's Republic of China]] to establish secret communications that culminated in Kissinger's covert visit to China in July 1971, following a trip to Pakistan. These clandestine contacts paved the way for Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972, which ultimately led to the normalisation of relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China.
+=== 1971: Relations during war Indo-Pakistan war ===
+At the onset of hostilities that led to the two-week Indo-Pakistani War of December 1971, President Nixon urged Yahya Khan to restrain Pakistani forces to prevent further escalation and protect Pakistan's interests. Nixon was concerned that an Indian attack on West Pakistan could result in socialist India's dominance over the Indian subcontinent, thereby enhancing the influence of the Soviet Union. Conversely, Yahya Khan feared that the emergence of an independent Bangladesh would threaten the cohesion of West Pakistan.
+Despite these concerns, Indian military support for Bengali guerrillas and a significant influx of Bengali refugees into India contributed to escalating tensions, ultimately resulting in a declared war between India and Pakistan. During this period, the United States covertly facilitated the shipment of military equipment from Iran, Turkey, and Jordan to Pakistan, reimbursing these countries for their contributions despite facing objections from Congress. Simultaneously, the U.S. threatened to cut off aid to Pakistan as a means of pressuring it to cease hostilities, while also seeking to prevent India from establishing dominance in the evolving political landscape of the Indian subcontinent.
+Near the end of the Indo-Pakistani War in December 1971, the Nixon Administration recognised Pakistan's imminent defeat but responded by deploying the USS Enterprise and Task Force-74 of the United States Seventh Fleet into the [[Indian Ocean]]. This military maneuver was perceived as a warning to India against escalating its attacks on [[West Pakistan]]. Given that this was during the height of the Vietnam War, the show of force was interpreted as a sign of support for the beleaguered West Pakistan Armed Forces.
+Declassified [[CIA]] intelligence documents indicated that U.S. officials believed ''"India intended to dismember Pakistan and destroy its armed forces,"'' which posed a potential loss of a U.S. ally in the Cold War that America could not afford. Nixon characterised India as a "Soviet stooge" before ordering the deployment of the Enterprise to lead Task Force-74. U.S. assessments suggested that India could decisively defeat Pakistan if fully backed by the Soviet Union. Consequently, Nixon sent a message to the Soviet Union urging them to cease their support for India. In his words, he called on the Soviets ''"in the strongest possible...(...)... terms to restrain India with which... (Soviets) have great influence and for whose actions you must share responsibility."''
+=== Democratic government (1971–1977) ===
+Following the 1970 elections, [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]], a charismatic democratic socialist, assumed the presidency from 1971 to 1974 and subsequently became Prime Minister in 1974. This era is often characterised as a "quiet cold war" involving Pakistan and its democratic socialist government under Bhutto. Although his socialist ideas were aligned with some communist principles, he did not formally ally with communism. Under Bhutto's leadership, Pakistan sought to engage with the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, fostering closer ties with the Soviet bloc and the Soviet Union.
+At the same time, Bhutto attempted to maintain a balanced relationship with the United States, but these efforts were largely met with resistance. While he opposed ultra-leftist ideologies, Bhutto was a strong advocate for left-wing politics, which had been opposed by the U.S. since the early days of his government in Pakistan.
 == Space science collaboration ==