110.11 DU/6–1153: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Afghanistan1

confidential

515. Regret no report conversations with Afghan Ambassador at Delhi was sent you (Embtel 700, June 11).2 Conversations were general with Secretary seeing Ambassador only a few minutes and longer substantive discussions with Byroade.

Ambassador presented the familiar Afghan case on issue of Pushtoonistan and requested Secretary’s party negotiate in Karachi for some change in Pakistan position. He was informed such specific negotiation was inconsistent with Secretary’s mission of fact-finding within area. Ambassador was informed we would discuss matter however in Karachi which was subsequently done with Mohammed Ali.3 Ambassador was not led to believe that any message would be sent to Afghan Foreign Minister after such discussions.

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These discussions resulted in nothing new on situation and Department pleased you turned conversation into the constructive line of Afghan sending Ambassador to Karachi. Regret no mention of Afghanistan in Secretary’s speech4 but it was limited to report on countries Secretary visited plus Iran on which he received report enroute from Henderson.

Dulles
  1. Drafted by Byroade.
  2. Supra.
  3. The subject of Pushtunistan came up in the conversation which Secretary Dulles and Assistant Secretary Byroade had in Karachi with Prime Minister Mohammed Ali on May 24. The Prime Minister felt that economic difficulties were at the root of Afghan agitation on Pushtunistan. He added that, if the Afghan Government were to devote itself to economic development, it would enjoy the support of Pakistan. See memorandum of this conversation in volume IX.
  4. This speech is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, June 15, 1953, pp. 831–835.