SOURCE: AFI
In a sobering encounter during a visit to the India-Pakistan border, two US Senators, Vance Hartke and Quentin Burdick, were confronted with the grim consequences of US arms proliferation. Their journey to Amritsar, India, unveiled a chilling scene: a “Patton Tank Graveyard” – 70 battered American tanks captured from Pakistan.
These tanks were originally supplied by the US to Pakistan with the explicit condition that they would be used solely for defense against communist aggression. Yet, ironically, they were deployed against India, a nation actively combating communist influence. The stark hypocrisy of this situation was not lost on the Senators.
The visit was marked by a poignant display of public sentiment. As the Senators walked the streets of Amritsar, they were met with taunts of “Patton! Patton!” from young Indian boys, a stark reminder of the impact of these weapons on the ground.
While Pakistani officials claimed that only a quarter of the tanks were of US origin, Senator Hartke’s retort was simple: “We can count.” The discrepancy in the numbers further highlighted the complexities of the arms trade and its unintended consequences.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential pitfalls of arms transfers and the importance of carefully considering the implications of such deals. It underscores the need for robust oversight and accountability to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands and exacerbating conflicts.