INDIA: SENATOR KENNEDY MEETS MRS. GANDHI AND TELLS NEWSMEN HE BELIEVES GENOCIDE WAS COMMITTED IN PAKISTAN (1971)

TRANSCRIPT SEQ 4: KENNEDY: "Was the question am I convinced that Pakistan has committed genocide and what's the second part? (Indistinct question). Do I think that Pakistan will surrender or should surrender? Well, I would say that the answer to the first question is yes. The answer to the second question, should they surrender, I'd er hope they would surrender. But I don't think it's very realistic or expect that they would."



QUESTION: "Do you want your government to stop their economic aid and stop arms sales to Pakistan."?



KENNEDY: "Yes, I do. The question is will I urge my government to halt economic aid and sale of arms? I urged them to halt the sale of arms prior to coming here, and I will still make every effort in the United States Senate not only to halt the arms -- not those that are in the pipeline, that would be extremely difficult because of the prior authorisation -- but I'll make every effort to halt the arms in the future and to halt all economic aid until there has been a political solution realised."








Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: United States Senator Edward Kennedy said yesterday (Monday) in New Delhi that he was convinced the Pakistani Army had committed genocide in East Pakistan. He told a conference of newsmen that he would also be recommending a halt to all American arms supplies to Pakistan when he returned home.

The Senator had spent four days last week visiting East Pakistan. Prior to the news conference, he had a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi.

Newsmen asked the Senator what he thought about allegations of genocide in East Pakistan and coupled it with a question about the continuing hostility between East and West Pakistan.