Secret telegram
From: American Embassy Islamabad
To: Secretary State Washington DC
Subject-. Yahya-Nurul Islam Meeting
1. Summary: Yahya agreed to meet with Nurul Islam
plus his group of former Awami Leaguers for purpose discussion of Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman's future and exploring means of effecting contacts with
2. I met with President Yahya Khan at the
President's House in
3. I utilized this opportunity to tell Yahya that a cleared
former Awami League MNA, Nurul Islam, had approached our Congen in Dacca with
the suggestion that a small delegation of former Awami Leaguers be given the
opportunity to meet with him (Yahya) to discuss the possibility of a political
settlement. I did not go into the substance of Islam's proposal (Reftel Dacca
4497). However, I did forewarn him that one of the topics the Awami Leaguers
intended to raise was the release of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, this in order to
forestall any adverse reaction that might occur if the subject were brought up
without advance notice.
4. In conveying this information to Yahya I made it
as clear as possible that what I was doing was nothing more than serving as a
channel for the proposal; the decision to accept or reject the idea of such a
meeting was entirely up to him. I added that if he wished, nevertheless, I
would be happy to get in touch with Nurul Islam through Consul General Spivack
for the purpose of conveying his decision along with any comments he might want
to make.
5. Yahya said that he would welcome an opportunity
to talk to Nurul Islam since the point of view of these "cleared"
MNAs would be very interesting and, hopefully, useful. He also observed that
Nurul Amin, President of Pakistan Democratic Party, would be calling upon him
shortly with suggestions applicable to
6. With Yahya cooperatively amenable to my
suggestions, I asked him if he would be averse to meeting with a Bangladesh
leader in India or elsewhere other than East Pakistan for a discussion looking
toward the easing of the present crisis, it being understood that GOP would
grant the Bangladesh representative "white flag" passage to and from
Pakistan. In a vein similar to his answer regarding Nurul Islam, Yahya said
that he would have no objection to such a meeting and would be willing to
participate in the arrangements therefor. He added one caveat, however, to the
effect that the
7. I pressed the matter one point further by
wondering aloud whether or not Yahya would agree to permitting Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman to designate the Bangladesh representative specifically one such as we
had been discussing (reftel state 199249). Yahya said that he would consider
that possibility although he felt, off hand, that Mujibur had been discredited
to the point where a suggestion by him of such a representative might not carry
as much weight as supposed. Yahya added that, given the occasion, he would
raise this idea with Nurul Islam and his group during their meeting. Yahya
concluded by re-
questing Consul General that he (Yahya) would look
forward to an early meeting. I told Yahya that I would pass the word along.
8. For
Farland
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