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Indian Express
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
When US wanted Iran and China to help Pakistan in war against India
The United States has bombed Iran using its strategic bomber aircraft fleet. This is an opportune time to recall the past friendship of the US with Iran and how at one point in the India-Pakistan war in December 1971, it wanted Iran to help Pakistan with urgent fuel supplies and also fighter aircraft to save the country from decimation at India's hands. Declassified US State Department documents include minutes of a meeting held in Washington on December 9, 1971, which was chaired by Henry Kissinger, then national security advisor to US President Richard Nixon. In this meeting, the US officials worried about the lack of fuel reserves in West Pakistan and the fact that the Pakistani military would soon come to a standstill because its major fuel reserves had been destroyed by Indian attacks on the Karachi port. Kissinger asked the officials if fuel supplies could be rushed from Tehran to Pakistan so that West Pakistan could be saved from being captured by India after the successful conquest of East Pakistan. In the same meeting, discussions were also held on supplying Pakistan with fighter aircraft from Iran and asking China to make threatening mocks on the border with India. CIA Director Richard Helms informed the participants that in the last few hours, he had received a report from Karachi that the oil tanks there had been hit again, in the 12th or 13th air raid, and that six or eight of them had been burning. 'An ESSO representative has indicated that this means the loss of 50% of Karachi's oil reserves, which amounts to over 80% of the POL [petrol, oil, lubricants] for all of Pakistan. He estimates that they are left with a two-week supply, possibly less at the rate at which POL is now being consumed,' he said. Kissinger asked the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Thomas H Moorer for his estimate of the military situation. Moorer stated that in East Pakistan, in the absence of a ceasefire, it was just a matter of time until the Pakistan Army would be essentially ineffective. 'Their supplies are cut off and they have no air left. Any serious fighting could be over in ten days or two weeks, depending on whether the Paks continue to fight to the last man or whether they begin to surrender in large numbers, which does not seem to be in the cards now,' he said. The admiral added that in West Pakistan, the Pakistanis are trying to occupy enough of Kashmir to give them a bargaining chip if and when there is a ceasefire. 'They are trying to block the main lines of communication. South of the Kashmir area, the Indians outnumber the Paks two-to-one, and they may plan to move south to Lahore, although there is no indication of that now. The best Pakistan can do is to gain as much control of Kashmir as possible,' he said. Moorer added that the Pakistanis can operate for about three weeks or so. 'However, if there is a period of attrition, with no ceasefire, the Indians can hold out longer and the Paks have had it. Mrs. Gandhi has stated that her objective is to destroy the Pak military forces,' he said. Kissenger asked whether in that case in a prolonged war, even if Pakistan got Kashmir, it would be unable to hold it and it would lead to the destruction of the Pakistan Army. 'Exactly. When East Pakistan is gone, the Indians will transfer their divisions to West-possibly four of the six divisions now in the East. This will take one to three weeks, depending on how much air they use. If the war continues to the end, the outcome for Pakistan is inevitable,' said Admiral Moorer. At this point, John N Irwin, the undersecretary of state, mentioned a CIA paper, Implications of an Indian Victory Over Pakistan, that predicts the possible acceleration of the breakup tendencies in West Pakistan— possibly into as many as four separate states. The admiral pointed out that the Indian objective was to take out the Pakistani tanks and planes. 'If they run out of POL and can't move, they'll be sitting ducks,' he said. The meeting then discussed the possibility of trucking POL from Tehran. 'There is one road. We have one report that indicates that Chinese trucks are coming in but we don't know what they are carrying. Iran is the logical source of POL. I talked to the Turkish Chief of Staff at NATO and asked him how much assistance he thought Iran was prepared to give to Pakistan. He said he thought the Shah wanted to be helpful, but had one eye cocked on Iraq. In the end, he didn't believe the Shah would give significant assistance,' said the Admiral. The documents also reveal that on instructions from Washington, a senior embassy official met the Shah of Iran in Tehran on December 8, 1971, to discuss the possibility of Iranian military support for Pakistan. The Shah stated that he had informed the Pakistani ambassador in Tehran that, in light of the treaty of friendship signed by India and the Soviet Union, he could not send Iranian aircraft and pilots to Pakistan. He was not prepared to risk a confrontation with the Soviet Union. The Shah proposed an alternative way to support the hard-pressed Pakistani Air Force. He suggested that the United States urge King Hussein to send Jordanian F-104 fighters to Pakistan. The Shah in turn would send two squadrons of Iranian aircraft to Jordan to defend Jordan while Jordanian planes and pilots were in Pakistan engaged in support of fellow Muslims. 'The Embassy official indicated that, because of legal constraints regarding the use of military equipment provided by the United States, it would be difficult for officials in Washington to give permission for the transfer of the F-104s from Jordan to Pakistan, or to overlook their absence in Jordan. The Shah said that the United States could not hope to achieve the objective of bolstering Pakistan while maintaining that it was not involved in the effort,' the document says. President Nixon, Attorney General John N Mitchell, and Henry Kissinger had earlier met on the afternoon of December 8, 1971, for an extended discussion of the crisis in South Asia. Turning to the situation in East Pakistan, Kissinger warned that 'the Indian plan is now clear. They are going to move their forces from East Pakistan to the west. They will then smash the Pakistan land forces and air forces.' He added that India planned to 'annex the part of Kashmir that is in Pakistan.' Kissinger went on to attribute to the Gandhi government the goal of balkanising West Pakistan into units such as Baluchistan and the Northwest Frontier Province. West Pakistan would become a state akin to Afghanistan and East Pakistan would equate with Bhutan. Nixon said that he had given Prime Minister Indira Gandhi a warning during his dinner in Washington with her. 'I told her that any war would be very, very unacceptable.' Kissinger observed that any such warning obviously fell on deaf ears. 'She was determined to go.' 'As I look at this thing, the Chinese have got to move to that damn border. The Indians have got to get a little scared,' said Nixon. He instructed Kissinger to get a message to that effect to the Chinese. Kissinger suggested that another pressure move would be to move a US aircraft carrier force into the Bay of Bengal. Summarising the decisions they were considering, Kissinger said, 'We should get a note to the Chinese, we should move the carrier to the Bay of Bengal.' Nixon interjected, 'I agree.' Kissinger also pointed to the threat to West Pakistan, 'At this stage, we have to prevent an Indian attack on West Pakistan.' Nixon agreed. Kissinger continued, 'We have to maintain the position of withdrawal from all of Pakistan.' He stated that by introducing its military power into the equation, in the form of a carrier and other units from the Seventh Fleet, the US was seeking to prevent 'a Soviet stooge, supported by Soviet arms' from overrunning an ally. Nixon returned to his conviction that China could exercise a decisive restraining influence on India. 'The Chinese thing I still think is a card in the hole there. I tell you a movement of even some Chinese toward that border could scare those goddamn Indians to death.' Kissinger agreed, 'As soon as we have made the decision here, we can then talk to the Chinese.' Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger engaged in conversation outside the Oval Office. Source: US National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials Project Photo Collection)
Boston Globe
14-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Boxing legend George Foreman to be honored at Houston memorial service
'We're going to celebrate the life of George Foreman, two-time heavyweight champion of the world and certainly the face of how great Houston is,' Whitmire said. Advertisement Foreman died on March 21 at age 76. Foreman's family has not disclosed his cause of death, only saying on social media that he 'peacefully departed … surrounded by loved ones.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Born in Marshall, Texas, Foreman was raised in Houston's Fifth Ward, one of the city's historically Black neighborhoods. He began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist in 1968, turning pro the next year. Foreman became the heavyweight champion of the world when he beat Joe Frazier in 1973. But he lost the title the following year when Muhammad Ali beat Foreman in the famous 'Rumble in the Jungle' fight in Zaire. Foreman then gave up boxing and after a religious awakening, became an ordained minister in 1978. He began preaching in Houston, later founding The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in 1980. Advertisement The middle-aged fighter returned to the ring after a 10-year absence and in 1994 pulled off one of the most spectacular knockouts in boxing history, flooring Moorer — 19 years his junior — with a surgical right hand to claim Moorer's two heavyweight belts. Foreman retired in 1997 with a 76-5 career record. He then moved to the next chapter in his life as a businessman, pitchman and occasional actor. He became known to a new generation as the face of the George Foreman Grill. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and brought him more wealth than boxing. A biographical movie based on his life was released in 2023. Foreman had 12 children, including five sons who are all famously named George Edward Foreman.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
‘He hasn't let her go': Heather Elvis' family reacts to Sidney Moorer wanting new trial
SOCASTEE, S.C. (WBTW) – Heather Elvis' family spoke to News13 Sunday about Sidney Moorer filing for a new trial. Moorer and his wife, Tammy, were convicted in the kidnapping of Elvis, who disappeared in December 2013. Elvis was 20 years old when she went missing. Her abandoned car was found at Peachtree Landing in Socastee, but authorities have not found her almost 12 years later. Sidney Moorer was first found guilty of obstruction of justice in 2017 in connection with Elvis' disappearance before being found guilty on a kidnapping charge in a 2019 retrial. In a post-conviction relief form, it states Sidney Moorer wants a new trial because his attorney 'did very little work.' Moorer also claims prosecutors withheld evidence and changed their timeline to get Moorer convicted of kidnapping Heather Elvis. Debbi Elvis, Heather's mother, said in every appeal Moorer has filed, he has asked for a new trial. She said she is worried Moorer may get a new trial and be found not guilty of kidnapping her daughter. Morgan Elvis, Heather's sister, said she believes Heather's case and Moorer's trial were fair. 'It's been looked at by so many people, by so many courts, by so many officials, and nothing has been slipped through the cracks,' Morgan said. 'However, I do want to say that, in a system where he is able to advocate and fight for himself, I just wish he had thought the same, that Heather might have wanted to fight and advocate for her life as well.' Almost 12 years after Heather disappeared, Morgan said many people have become desensitized to Heather's story, so much so that the Elvis family has received hateful messages and seen rumors about Heather online. News13 asked Debbi and Morgan if they think they will see Heather again, if she will be able to tell her own story. 'I do wish I could see her again,' Morgan said. 'But the problem is, I wish I could see who she was again. The reality is, the person you bring home from any kind of traumatic situation is never the person that left.' Debbi said, if she sees Moorer in court again, she would want to tell him one thing. 'I would like to just beg him to let Heather go,' Debbi said. 'I said that to the judge when I gave my victim's impact statement, that I wanted the sentence to be longer, because he's still holding her hostage. He hasn't let her go.' Tammy Moorer is serving a 30-year sentence after being convicted of kidnapping Elvis in 2018. The Moorer's previous appeals were denied in 2023. * * * Skylar Musick is a multimedia journalist at News13. Skylar is originally from Long Island, New York. She joined the News13 team in June 2024 after graduating from Villanova University in May 2024. Follow Skylar on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Arab Times
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Foreman, fearsome heavyweight champion, dies at 76
WASHINGTON, March 22, (AP): George Foreman became the heavyweight champion of the world in his 20s, only to lose his belt to Muhammad Ali in perhaps the most memorable fight in boxing history. A full 20 years later in 1994, the 45-year-old Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship, throwing one perfect combination to steal Michael Moorer's title in an epic upset. Few fighters ever had more big moments than Big George Foreman - and even after he finally left the ring, he was only getting started. The fearsome heavyweight, who lost the "Rumble in the Jungle' to Ali before his inspiring second act as a surprising champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. Foreman was 76. Foreman's family announced his death on social media, not saying how or where he died. "A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose," his family wrote. "A humanitarian, an Olympian, and a two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected. A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name- for his family.' A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist who inspired fear and awe as he climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt. Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening. The middle-aged fighter then pulled off one of the most spectacular knockouts in boxing history, flooring Moorer - 19 years his junior - with a surgical right hand and claiming Moorer's two heavyweight belts. Foreman's 20 years is easily the longest gap between heavyweight title reigns. Foreman's transformation into an inspirational figure was complete, and he fought only four more times - finishing 76-5 with 68 knockouts - before moving on to his next career as a genial businessman, pitchman, and occasional actor. Outside the ring, he was best known as the face of the George Foreman Grill, which launched in the same year as his victory over Moorer. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and made him much wealthier than his sport ever did. "George was a great friend to not only myself, but to my entire family,' Top Rank president Bob Arum said. "We've lost a family member and are devastated.' In the first chapter of his boxing career, Foreman was nothing like the smiling grandfather who hawked his grills on television to great success. Foreman dabbled in petty crime while growing up in Houston's Fifth Ward, but changed his life through boxing. He made the U.S. Olympic team in 1968 and won gold in Mexico City as a teenager, stopping a 29-year-old opponent in a star-making performance. Foreman rose to the pinnacle of the pro game over the next five years but was also perceived as an aloof, unfriendly athlete, both through his demeanor and through the skewed racial lenses of the time. Jim Lampley, the veteran boxing broadcaster who worked alongside Foreman for many years at HBO, told The Associated Press on Friday night that Foreman's initial demeanor was an attempt by his camp to emulate Sonny Liston, the glowering heavyweight champ of the 1960s.
The National
22-03-2025
- Sport
- The National
Heavyweight boxing great George Foreman dies aged 76
George Foreman became the heavyweight champion of the world in his 20s, only to lose his belt to Muhammad Ali in perhaps the most memorable fight in boxing history. A full 20 years later in 1994, the 45-year-old Foreman became the oldest man to win the heavyweight championship, throwing one perfect combination to steal Michael Moorer's title in an epic upset. Few fighters ever had more big moments than Big George Foreman – and even after he finally left the ring, he was only getting started. The fearsome heavyweight, who lost 'The Rumble in the Jungle' to Ali before his inspiring second act as a surprising champion and a successful businessman, died Friday on night. Foreman was 76. Foreman's family announced his death on social media, not saying how or where he died. 'A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose,' his family wrote. 'A humanitarian, an Olympian and two-time heavyweight champion of the world, he was deeply respected. A force for good, a man of discipline, conviction, and a protector of his legacy, fighting tirelessly to preserve his good name – for his family.' A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medallist who inspired fear and awe as he climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt. Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening. The middle-aged fighter then pulled off one of the most spectacular knockouts in boxing history, flooring Moorer – 19 years his junior – with a surgical right hand and claiming Moorer's two heavyweight belts. Foreman's 20 years is easily the longest gap between heavyweight title reigns. Foreman's transformation into an inspirational figure was complete, and he fought only four more times – finishing 76-5 with 68 knockouts – before moving on to his next career as a genial businessman, pitchman and occasional actor. Outside the ring, he was best known as the face of the George Foreman Grill, which launched in the same year as his victory over Moorer. The simple cooking machine sold more than 100 million units and made him much wealthier than his sport ever did. 'George was a great friend to not only myself, but to my entire family,' Top Rank president Bob Arum said. 'We've lost a family member and are absolutely devastated.' In the first chapter of his boxing career, Foreman was nothing like the smiling grandfather who hawked his grills on television to great success. Foreman dabbled in petty crime while growing up in Houston's Fifth Ward, but changed his life through boxing. He made the US Olympic team in 1968 and won gold in Mexico City as a teenager, stopping a 29-year-old opponent in a star-making performance. Foreman rose to the pinnacle of the pro game over the next five years, but was also perceived as an aloof, unfriendly athlete, both through his demeanour and through the skewed racial lenses of the time. Jim Lampley, the veteran boxing broadcaster who worked alongside Foreman for many years at HBO, told the Associated Press on Friday night that Foreman's initial demeanour was an attempt by his camp to emulate Sonny Liston, the glowering heavyweight champ of the 1960s. 'At some point somewhere along the way, he realised that wasn't him,' Lampley said. Foreman stopped Frazier in an upset in Jamaica in January 1973 to win the belt, with his knockout inspiring Howard Cosell's iconic call: 'Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!' Foreman defended his belt against Ken Norton before accepting the fight with Ali in the now-immortal bout staged in Africa by promoter Don King. Ali put on a tactical masterclass against Foreman, showing off the 'rope-a-dope' strategy that frustrated and infuriated the champion. Foreman was eventually knocked down for the first time in his career, and the fight was stopped in the eighth round. Foreman told the BBC in 2014 that he took the fight almost out of charity to Ali, who he suspected to be broke. 'I said I was going to go out there and kill him, and people said, 'Please, don't say you're going to kill Muhammad,'' Foreman said. 'So I said, 'OK, I'll just beat him down to the ground.' That's how easy I thought the fight would be.' Exhausted and disillusioned, Foreman stopped fighting in 1977 and largely spent the next decade preaching and working with kids in Houston after his religious awakening. He returned to boxing in 1987 in his late 30s with a plan to defy time through frequent ring appearances, and he racked up a lengthy series of victories before losing to Evander Holyfield in a surprisingly competitive title fight in 1991. Three years later, Foreman got in the ring with Moorer in Las Vegas, more for his celebrity than for his perceived ability to beat Moorer. The champion appeared to win the first nine rounds rather comfortably, with Foreman unable to land his slower punches. But Foreman came alive in the 10th, hurting Moorer before slipping in the short right hand that sent Moorer to the canvas in earth-shaking fashion. Lampley, who was calling the fight, named his upcoming autobiography – which includes a prologue about Foreman – after his famous call of that moment: 'It Happened!' Foreman quit the ring for good in 1997, although he occasionally discussed a comeback. He settled into a life as a boxing analyst for HBO and as a pitchman for the grills that grew his fame and fortune. Much of the world soon knew Foreman as both a loveable friend and a ferocious fighter. 'He started performing as this pitchman, this product pitchman with the big, ever-present giant grin on his face,' Lampley recalled. 'When I was working with him, people would say, 'George is a big clown.' And I would say, 'Well, you can call him a clown, but he's actually a genius. He may be the greatest genius I've ever met.' 'And people would say, 'Well, genius, what do you mean?' I'd say, 'Well, check the bank account. If that isn't proof enough, I don't know what is.' So, he was a genius. He was a human genius.' Foreman briefly starred in a sitcom called 'George' in the 1990s, and he even appeared on the reality singing competition 'The Masked Singer' in 2022. A biographical movie based on his life was released in 2023. Foreman had 12 children, including five sons who are all famously named George Edward Foreman. 'Legendary boxing champion, life-changing preacher, husband, father, grand- and great-grandfather and the best friend you could have,' WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman wrote on social media. 'His memory is now eternal, may Big George rest in peace.'
