India: War of Words

In public speech and private chat, Pakistan's President Mohammed Ayub Khan had proved himself the most outspoken visiting statesman Washington had heard in years. Some found the frankness refreshing, but most diplomats were appalled at his bald attempts to downgrade India and India's Nehru in U.S. esteem.

He had asked President Kennedy to help push Nehru toward a settlement of the Indo-Pakistan dispute over Kashmir, which is ruled by India but is heavily Moslem in population. "Work on Mr. Nehru's nerves." Ayub urged Kennedy. He argued that the Kennedy Administration had highly overrated the importance of neutral India in its...

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