BAY OF BENGAL AND TONKIN GULF

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000300100027-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 13, 2000
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: January 10, 1972
• Content Type: NSPR

WASHINGTON POST
Approved For Release 20 0Q/d8)b497blA-RDP80-01601
STATINTL
The Washington Merry?Go-Round
rh n If
uay of Ben6ul and Tonkin GU
By Jack Anderson
The secret White House
Papers reveal some ominous
similarities between the Bay
of Bengal and the Gulf of
Tonkin.
The Gulf of Tonkin incident
on Aug. 4,.1964, led to our
deep involvement In the Viet-
nam war. The American pub-
lic was told that North Viet-
namese torpedo boats had
staged an unprovoked attack
upon a U.S. destroyer, al-
though later evidence
cated that the attack was ac-
word that both the Soviet and
Indian military attaches had
asked Col. Melvin Hoist, the
American attache, what he
knew. about Chinese troop
movements and U.S. fleet
movements.
"U.S.S.R. Attache Loginov;'
said the secret dispatch,
"called upon PRC military at-
tache Chao Kuang Chih in
Katmandu advising Chao that
PRC should not get too serious
about intervention, because
U.S.S.R. would react, had
the Soviets "would open a dL-
versionary action" against the
Chinese and "will not allow
the Seventh Fleet to inter-
vene."
Here are the highlights of
this ominous Soviet pledge,
which the CIA claimed to
have picked up from a "relia-
ble source."
"Pegov stated that Pakistan
is trying to, draw both the
tates and China into
United State's'
the present conflict. The So-
viet Union, however, does not
many missiles, etc." I believe that either country
Hoist concluded, the dis- will intervene.
patch added, that "both the i "According to Pegov, the
U.S.S.R. and India Embassies, movement of the U.S. Seventh
have a growing concern that Fleet is an effort by the Unit-
The risk of a similar naval I'ig"`s PRC might intervene." to bully India, to
As the American warships ed States
incident in the Bay of Bengal moved through the strait ands Simultaneously, the Central! discourage it from striking
caused grave apprehensions Headed into the Bay of Bengal,) Intelligence Agency rushed against West Pakistan, and at
inside the State Departmentleven more ominous reports out a top secret report that the same time to boost the
'
as a U.S. task force steamed
the height of the Indian-Paki-
stani fighting.
On Dec. 7, a top secret warn-
ing was flashed to Washington
that "three Soviet naval ships,
it seagoing minesweeper and a
tanker have begun to move message reported tersely. "Ac-
northeastward Into the Bay of cording to a reliable clandes-
Bengal.. The units entered the I tine source, (Pakistan's) Presi-
Indian Ocean from the Ma dent Yahya Khan claimed ...
laeca Strait on 3 December and today that the Chinese Ambas-
'
were located approximately
b00 nautical miles east of Cey-
lon on 7 December."
Urgent huddles in the White
House led to a decision on
Dec. 10 to assemble-in Ma-
lacca Strait a U.S. task force,
;spearheaded by the aircraft
carrier Enterprise, the Navy's
most powerful ship. The pri-
mary purpose was to make a
"show of force" and to divert
Indian planes and ships from
Pakistan.
As the task force moved
into position, Admiral John
McCain, our Pacific com?
mander, inquired on Dec. 11
about "the feasibility of ...
aerial surveillance of Soviet
.task group located approxi-
mately 180 NM (nautical
miles) southwest of Ceylon."
Air Surveillance
Authorization was flashed
back the same day "in the
event Task Force 74 is directed
to transmit the Strait of Malac-
ca. At that time, appropriate
reached Washington from the) he Chinese have been pass-;morale of the Pakistani forces.
Defense Intelligence Agency. I ing weather data for locations! Pegov noted that a Soviet
"Recent indicators have in Tibet and along the Sine In?ifleet is now in the Indian
been received which suggest I than border since 8 December. I Ocean and that the Soviet
the PRC (Peoples Republic of The continued passing of iUnion will not allow the Sev-
planning ac-weather data for these loca-tenth Fleet to intervene.
e
a) may b
Chin
uld decide to
ed unusual "'
id
h
h
er
o
ina s
If C
the Indo-Paki-I Lions is cons
regarding
tions
Stan conflict," a top secret and may indicate some form intervene in Ladakh, said
11 : U ' would
on
t
sador in Islamabad had as-
sured him that within 72 hours
the Chinese Army will move
towards the border.
"President Yahya's claim
cannot be confirmed. How-
ever, recent Peking, propa-
ganda statements have be-
come more critical of India's
involvement in East Pakistan."
From Katmandu in the
Himalayas, meanwhile, came
nt
of alert posture. Pegov, the Sovie
open a diversionary action in
Soviet great inkiang. Pegov also com-
And from New Delhi, the ented that after Dacca is lib-
CIA reported: "According to crated and the Bangladesh
reliable clandestine source, government Is installed, both
Prime Minister Gandhi told a',the United States and China
leader of her Congress Party will he unable to act and will
that she had some indications i change their current attitude
that the Chinese intend to in-
tervene along India's northern
border . Mrs. Gandhi said
that the Chinese action might
toward the crisis."
This is how the big powers
danced precariously on the
edge of the brink just before
be in the Ladakh area." I Christmas as people sang
Russia's Ambassador to ' about peace on earth and
India Nikolai M. Pegov, how-good will toward men.
ever, promised on Dec. 13 that ( Bell-McClure Syndicate
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-01601 R000300100027-2