Changes

During the South Asian crisis in 1971, the White House stood firmly behind Pakistani president Yahya Khan and demonstrated a disdain for India and particularly its leader, [[Indira Gandhi]], because of India's tilt or favoritism towards the Soviet Union. Kissinger had disdain for India and was using Pakistan as a tool to reach China, which he considered much more important to the U.S.   

During the South Asian crisis in 1971, the White House stood firmly behind Pakistani president Yahya Khan and demonstrated a disdain for India and particularly its leader, [[Indira Gandhi]], because of India's tilt or favoritism towards the Soviet Union. Kissinger had disdain for India and was using Pakistan as a tool to reach China, which he considered much more important to the U.S.   

Khan's administration was responding to an insurrection launched by Communist guerillas (the ''Awami League''), armed with Indian weapons and demanding independence for East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), with a massive campaign of violence dubbed "''Operation Searchlight.''"  India was exploiting these internal tensions within Pakistan as part of a divide-and-rule strategy; it hoped for Pakistan's division into smaller Indian proxy states that could be played against one another and used the violence committed by Pakistani forces as a possible pretext for military intervention in Pakistani affairs.  

Khan's administration was responding to an insurrection launched by Communist guerillas (the ''Awami League''), armed with Indian weapons and demanding independence for East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), with a massive campaign of violence dubbed "''Operation Searchlight.''"  India was exploiting these internal tensions within Pakistan as part of a divide-and-rule strategy; it hoped for Pakistan's division into smaller Indian proxy states that could be played against one another and it used the violence committed by Pakistani forces as a possible pretext for military intervention in Pakistani affairs.  

Nixon relayed messages to Yahya, urging him to restrain Pakistani forces.<ref>Black, Conrad, Richard Nixon:  A Life in Full (2007), p. 751.</ref> His objective was to prevent a war and safeguard Pakistan's interests, though he feared an Indian invasion of West Pakistan that would lead to Indian domination of the sub-continent and strengthen the position of the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,877618-2,00.html</ref>  Similarly, Yahya Khan feared that an independent Bangladesh could lead to the disintegration of Pakistan.  Indian military support for Bengali guerillas led to war between India and Pakistan.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,878408,00.html</ref>

Nixon relayed messages to Yahya, urging him to restrain Pakistani forces.<ref>Black, Conrad, Richard Nixon:  A Life in Full (2007), p. 751.</ref> His objective was to prevent a war and safeguard Pakistan's interests, though he feared an Indian invasion of West Pakistan that would lead to Indian domination of the sub-continent and strengthen the position of the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,877618-2,00.html</ref>  Similarly, Yahya Khan feared that an independent Bangladesh could lead to the disintegration of Pakistan.  Indian military support for Bengali guerillas led to war between India and Pakistan.<ref>http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,878408,00.html</ref>