Speech #920183013

I concluded. ran even greater risks. Acquiescence had ominous implications for the survival of Pakistan. for the stability of many other countries in the world. for the integrity of international processes for keeping the peace. and for relations among the great powers. These risks were unacceptable. * We did not act out of bias. or in ignorance of Indias agony under the burden of the refugees. or in sympathy with Pakistani actions that had generated the crisis. As Ambassador Bush stressed in the Security Council on December 4. the United States "values its close relations with both India and Pakistan." He continued: "We recognized that a fundamental political accommodation still has not been achieved in East Pakistan . . . this body cannot accept recourse to force to solve this problem. . . . The very purpose which draws iis together herebuilding a peaceful worldwill be thwarted if a situation is accepted in which a Government intervenes across its borders in the affairs of another with military forces in violation of the United Nations Charter." If we had not taken a stand against the war. it would have been prolonged and the likelihood of an attack in the West greatly increased.