SRINAGAR Central Investigation Agencys (CIA) former official Bruce Riedel has claimed in his book named JFKs Forgotten Crisis: Tibet, the CIA and the Sino-Indian War that former dictator General Ayub Khan demanded Kashmir in return for not attacking India in 1962.
Riedel states that China had offered Pakistan to join in supposed attack on India in 1962. However, John F Kennedy, the then President of the United States (Potus) had intervened.
The book claims that Kennedy was to give a USD 500 million aid to India to boost arms production after the attack was anticipated. The package was shelved due to the assassination of the Potus. The aid included USD 120 million which was to be split between US and Britain.
The then Pakistani president Field Marshal General Ayub Khan had put forth a demand after Kennedys intervention. He had allegedly asked US to secure Kashmir for Pakistan if the leadership was to revert decision regarding attack on India.
Nehru, the then Indian prime minister was striving for at least USD 1.3 billion to fend off the attackers. The negotiations got India USD 500 million only, the new book states.
Riedels book is yet to hit the retailers shelves as it is set for a launch in November.
The author also states that a US-India meeting which was scheduled in the White House on November 26, 1963 was to see a final decision over the military aid.
The alleged Memorandum No 209 states, according to the book that US would help built as many as six mountain divisions to secure Himalayan perimeter. The agreement aimed at enhancing Indias military capabilities and also involved a joint exercise of US, British and Indian troops.
Nehru was not happy with the package available as he wanted more from the US. Thus, under the then PMs leadership, TT Krishnamachari, minister for defense production visited US to convince for USD 1.3 billion aid.
The main objective of 1962 Sino-Indian war, for founding father of China, Mao Zedong was to humiliate PM Nehru. Mao wanted to down Nehru as he was coming up to be a leader of the third world. Nehru had sought jet fighters among other kinds of assistance from US.
Sino-Indian war occurred over a dispute regarding Himalayan border between China and India in 1962. However, besides the primary cause of the war there were other factors in the picture. The Chinese troops had advanced and captured more than one key areas in the battle however, the country announced a ceasefire on November 20, 1962.
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