WASHINGTON, Dec 25: The United States would also have built a nuclear bomb if it were in Pakistan’s position after India’s first nuclear test in 1974, according to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

Mr Kissinger made these remarks while chairing a State Department meeting on July 9, 1976 to discuss former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s efforts to buy a nuclear reprocessing plant from France.The details of this meeting were released recently along with other secret documents from that period.

“What he wants is to build a bomb,” the-then under secretary of state Philip Habib tells the meeting while talking about Mr Bhutto’s intentions for acquiring a reprocessing plant.

“If you were in his place you would do the same thing,” Mr Kissinger responded. “I must say I have some sympathy for Bhutto in this,” he added.

“We are doing nothing to help him on conventional arms; we are going ahead and selling nuclear fuel to India even after they exploded a bomb and then for this little project we are coming down on him like a tonne of bricks.”

According to the documents, the meeting also discussed a joint proposal by the former Shah of Iran and Mr Bhutto to build a multinational nuclear reactor in Pakistan to be run jointly by the two countries. The proposal, however, was never implemented as Americans felt that this would enable both Iran and Pakistan to acquire nuclear technology.

“Gentlemen, there are few countries in the world which by necessity or choice are still allies of ours. There is something indecent about our always proving that we are strong by kicking our allies in the teeth,” he observed.

“The Pakistanis don’t even have the appearance of a credible defence. What they have asked for from us is piddling compared to what the Indians have. I don’t think it adds to the stature of the United States to force an ally to be defenceless.”

Mr Kissinger then explained how he planned to convince Mr Bhutto to give up his nuclear plan.

“First, the only way we are going to get him off this reprocessing plant is to give him a reactor … Secondly, we should tell him that we will take steps to enhance his conventional defence. We can’t tell Bhutto that he can’t have either a conventional or a nuclear defence. Non-proliferation is not our only objective in South Asia.”

Commenting on the balance of power between India and Pakistan, Mr Kissinger observed: “An imbalance is being created in which Pakistan is totally dependent on India. There is no question that we can break Pakistan’s back because they have made the mistake of allying themselves with us.”