Secret

September 5, 1971

Washington DC

 

President's Monday Brief

 

For HAK- - Yahya on Contacts with Bangla Desh: Ambassador Far­land remained behind for a private talk with President Yahya fol­lowing his receiving visiting Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs David Abshire (We do not have full report on that as yet) to raise the matter of Bangla Desh approaches to our people in Calcutta. Farland took the tack of recalling his earlier report to Yahya that a clandestine approach had been made and suggested our Interest in having direct contact with the Bangla Desh "Foreign Minister" to verify the bona fides of BD interest. Farland added that we would tell the BD "Foreign Minister" that the substance of their talks with the US had been passed to Yahya who expressed interest in a possible meeting between GOP officials and BD reps.

 

Farland reports that Yahya was "entirely agreeable" and "reacted fa­vorably" to the mention of the BD Foreign Minister whom Yahya knew and described as one of the true moderates among Mujib's fol­lowers. Yahya suggested a possible meeting could take place in East Pakistan but did not object to references to London as the BD For­eign Minister has expressed interest.

 

 

Source: Bangladesh Liberation War and the Nixon White House 1971, p.209-210