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{
    "localId": "193223570",
    "label": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Prime Minister of Afghanistan Sardar Shah Mahmud Khan, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Afghanistan Abdul Hamid Aziz, George McGhee, and Elbert Mathews",
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    "id": "193223570",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Prime Minister of Afghanistan Sardar Shah Mahmud Khan, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of Afghanistan Abdul Hamid Aziz, George McGhee, and Elbert Mathews",
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        "Dean Acheson Papers",
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            "logicalDate": "1951-04-01",
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{
    "seq": 2,
    "pageIndex": 0,
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    "ocrText": "$.\nCONF IDENTIAL\nand\nRECORDAND\n- 2 -\nMr. McGhee urged that the Afghan Government give very careful con-\nsideration to the Pakistan counter-proposal. It was not too far removed\nfrom our original suggestion and since both governments were in agreement\nas to the first three points of that suggestion, it would be unfortunate\nif this measure of progress were lost. The Prime Minister indicated that\nhe would pass these comments on to his colleague, the Acting Prime Minister\nand Foreign Minister, and remarked that we might now be embarking upon a\nperiod of bargaining between Kabul and Karachi which could be time-consuming.\nIn more general discussion of the Pushtoonistan issue, the Prime\nMinister emphasized that he was speaking not only for himself and his govern-\nment, but for all the people of Afghanistan. They felt very strongly that\ntheir 4 to 4 1/2 million Pathan brethren in Pakistan should have the right\nto determine their own future. He warned me that Pakistan could never be\nstrong as long as these unwilling people were kept within its borders. On\nthe other hand, if there were a free Pushtoonistan the peoples of that\nnation and of Afghanistan would be a solid bulwark against the threat from\nthe north. He urged that I think on these things and I said that I would\ndo so.\nThe Prime Minister expressed the gratitude of his Government and his\npeople for the loan extended to Afghanistan by the Export-Import Bank.\nHe went on to say that Afghanistan looked to the United States as a stronger\nand richer brother which would help his poor country along the road to self-\nreliance. The Afghan people were strong and his country had many resources,\nbut it needed outside help to develop itself. He hoped that the United\nStates would provide the necessary assistance; if it did, it could rely\nupon the loyal support of Afghanistan. I assured the Prime Minister that\nwe were interested in the progress of his country.\nDECLASSIFIED\nE. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 3(D) OF\nDept. of State letter, 5-12-26 -9,1973\nBy NLT. He NARS Data 6-24-76\nNEA :SOA: EGMathews: gep"
}