Indian Army's subtle dig at US over Trump tariffs recalls Nixon-Kissinger arms support to Pakistan during 1971 war. Photos/X.
The Indian Army on August 5 appeared to take a dig at the United States after President Donald Trump announced plans to “substantially” increase tariffs on India over its purchase of oil from Russia.
In a post shared on social media platform X, the Indian Army’s Eastern Command invoked a historical parallel by referencing American military aid to Pakistan during the run-up to the 1971 war.
“This Day That Year” Build Up of War – 05 Aug 1971 #KnowFacts,” the post read, accompanied by a newspaper clipping with the headline:
“𝑼.𝑺 𝑨𝑹𝑴𝑺 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑻𝑯 $2 𝑩𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑷𝑷𝑬𝑫 𝑻𝑶 𝑷𝑨𝑲𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑵 𝑺𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑬 ’54”
The post referred to historical records that resurfaced in 2023, when the US National Security Archive re-circulated declassified documents following the death of former US National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger at age 100.
The documents reveal that in December 1971, a day after war broke out between India and Pakistan, U.S. President Richard Nixon and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger broke America’s official arms ban on Pakistan and worked behind the scenes to deliver air support to Islamabad through third countries such as Jordan.
These records shed new light on the critical 13 days during the first fortnight of December 1971 and reveal that Nixon and Kissinger feared an all-out Indian offensive against West Pakistan, and sought to prevent the “crumbling” of the Pakistani state.
A declassified cable dated December 4, one day after the war began, shows that the US believed India had initiated the conflict by attacking Pakistan. It also records an urgent appeal by Pakistani President Yahya Khan for military support.
During a conversation at the White House, Kissinger told Nixon, “we have had an urgent appeal from Yahya. Says his military supplies have been cut off, in very bad shape.” He then asked, “would we help through Iran?”
At the time, Iran, under the Shah, had close relations with the United States. Other nations, like Jordan, also had strong military ties with Pakistan. Nixon responded positively to the idea, saying, “I like the idea. The main thing is to keep India from crumbling them up.”
The Indian government issued a strong-worded response on Monday to President Trump’s fresh threat of tariffs. In a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi said it was being unfairly targeted by the U.S. and the European Union over its decision to purchase Russian oil.
Earlier that day, President Trump had posted on his platform Truth Social, threatening more tariffs on India over its continued procurement of Russian oil and military hardware amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Also Read: India Hits Back After Donald Trump Threatens To Raise Tariffs Over Importing Russian Oil
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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