U.S. Department of State

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PAGE 01   STATE  123406

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ORIGIN    SS-25

  INFO  OCT-01    ADP-00  /026  R

DRAFTED BY NEA/ RA: RWCHASE: BAM

6/21/73   X-20303

APPROVED BY S -  DLISSY

NEA: JJSISCO

NEA/ RA: SDSCHIFF

NEA/ IRN: JMIKLOS

NEA/ PAB: DCOCHRAN

S/ S : O: RMWRIGHT

                       ---------------------       036535

R 232126 Z JUN 73

FM SECSTATE WASHDC

TO  AMEMBASSY ANKARA

INFO  AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD

AMEMBASSY LONDON

AMEMBASSY MOSCOW

AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI

AMEMBASSY TEHRAN

  S E C R E T STATE 123406

EXDIS

E. O. 11652:   GDS

TAGS:   CENTO, MARR

SUBJ:   CENTO.   DEBATE ON PAKISTAN MEMBERSHIP IN CENTO

1.   FOLLOWING IS CLEARED SUMMARY OF PART OF CENTO MINISTER-

IAL COUNCIL DISCUSSION IN TEHRAN RELATING TO PAK MEMBERSHIP.

2.   IN REPLY TO SECRETARY ROGERS' REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL

SITUATION PAKISTAN FOREIGN MINISTER REPEATED PAKISTAN

CHARGE THAT CENTO HAD FAILED AS MILITARY ALLIANCE BY

FAILING TO HELP PAKISTAN WHEN ATTACKED BY INDIA.   HIS

DESCRIPTION OF GOP " SOUL- SEARCHING" ON DECISION WHETHER TO

REMAIN IN CENTO SEEMED STRONG INDICATION PAKISTAN SERIOUSLY

CONSIDERING LEAVING ALLIANCE UNLESS, OF COURSE, OTHER PART-

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NERS REVISED VIEWS OF CENTO' S ROLE.   HE CONCEDED VALUE OF

CENTO AS FORUM, AS CATALYST FOR RCD, AND SOURCE OF OTHER

DEVELOPMENT AID, AND AS "FACTOR" IN RELATIONS WITH NON-

REGIONAL MEMBERS.   WHY NOT, HE ASKED, ABOLISH "MILITARY

WING" OF CENTO, WHICH IS ONLY " PROVOCATIVE"  AND DOES

NOTHING.   MAKE CENTO AN ECONOMIC/ POLITICAL GROUPING FOR

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY.

3.   SECRETARY ROGERS REPLIED THAT HE FOUND THIS DISCUSSION

VERY USEFUL; IT REVEALS WHAT WAS ON EACH MEMBERS'  MIND IN

THIS VERY FRANK EXCHANGE.   HE SAID HE COULD UNDERSTAND PAK

MINISTER' S CONCERN, BUT ASKED THAT HE LOOK AT THIS

ORGANIZATION AND OUR RELATIONS WITH PAKISTAN FROM US POINT

OF VIEW.   ONE VALUE OF THE ORGANIZATION WAS TO TRY TO

UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.

4.   SECRETARY POINTED OUT PAK MINISTER ADMITTED CENTO

PLAYED ROLE IN PREVENTING MAJOR POWER CONFLICT IN AJA,

ALTHOUGH HE HAD NOT RPT NOT COME BACK TO THIS POINT IN

REST OF HIS EXPLANATION.   BUT IT IS TRUE, AND IF THERE

WERE NO CENTO, PAKISTAN MIGHT NOT RPT NOT HAVE ITS PRESENT

TROUBLES.   PAKISTAN MIGHT NOT RPT NOT EXIST.   THE KIND OF

ALLIANCES BEING DISCUSSED HAVE PREVENTED WORLD WAR III,

THE ULTIMATE HORROR.   ISN'T THAT IMPORTANT, SECSTATE ASKED,

OF UTMOST RPT UTMOST IMPORTANCE?

5.   SECRETARY REITERATED:   OUR ROLE IN CENTO MUST BE PART

OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALLIANCE MEMBERS.  SUCH AN ALLIANCE

WAS NEVER INTENDED TO PREVENT REGIONAL CONFLICT.   IMPORTANT

POINT IS ALLIANCE PREVENTED WW III AS US FOUGHT TWO WARS.

6.   ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN ALLIANCES DOES RPT DOES KEEP

CONFLICT FROM REGION.   IF SOVIETS UNDERSTAND WE WANT TO

PREVENT DISMEMBERMENT OF PAKISTAN, THEY ARE DETERRED.   IT

DOES NOT RPT NOT SOLVE ALL PAKISTAN'S PROBLEMS WITH INDIA

BUT STILL HAS DETERRENT EFFECT.   IF THERE WERE NO CENTO,

AND PAKISTAN FACED ITS PRESENT PROBLEMS, HAD SOMEONE COME

WITH THIS TREATY IDEA, PAKISTANIS WOULD BE DELIGHTED.

7.   AS PAKISTAN MAKES ITS ASSESSMENT, ESPECIALLY

PUBLICLY, GOP MUST REMEMBER THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND

ESPECIALLY THE US CONGRESS ARE ALSO ASSESSING.   WITH

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DELIBERATE EMPHASIS, SECRETARY SAID THAT IF PAKISTAN SHOULD

LEAVE CENTO, IT WOULD HAVE VERY SERIOUS EFFECT ON US

OPINION-- IT COULD FEED ISOLATIONISM.

8.   THE SECRETARY CITED NATO.   IN ICELAND US IS CRITICIZED

BECAUSE WE WON' T ATTACK GREAT BRITAIN.   THAT IS SILLY.

NATO WAS NOT CREATED TO SETTLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN

ICELAND AND BRITAIN.

9.   ALLIANCE HAS MORE THAN REGIONAL IMPORTANCE,  SECRETARY

CONTINUED.   WE MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT US PUBLIC OPINION.

BILATERAL RELATIONS CANNOT HELP BUT BE DAMAGED BY PUBLIC

CRITICISM OF CENTO-- AND OF OTHER ALLIANCES,  FOR IT IS

TRUE OF EUROPE AND NATO, OF SEATO.

10.   SECRETARY URGED PAKISTAN MINISTER TO KEEP IN MIND THAT

PRESIDENTS NIXON AND BHUTTO WILL CONSIDER THIS MATTER IN

THEIR FORTHCOMING TALKS, BUT HE WANTED ALL MEN GATHERED

IN PRESENT MEETING TO UNDERSTAND US POSITION.

ENSUING GENERAL DISCUSSION REPORTED SEPTEL.    RUSH

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