Editing Cairo Conference (section)

==== The Cancellation of Operation Buccaneer ====
[[File:Tehran Conference, 1943.jpg|alt=Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill at the Tehran Conference|thumb|Stalin, Roosevelt, Churchill at the Tehran Conference]]
At the Tehran Conference from November 28 to December 1, Stalin controlled everything, with Roosevelt and Churchill seemingly doing his bidding.<ref name=":2"/> Stalin proposed the option of a rapid end to World War II, making the strategic importance of China secondary.<ref name=":1"/> He strove to open up the Western Front in Europe, with the Soviet Union fighting against Japan as soon as Germany was defeated.<ref name=":5"/> He also disapproved of the counter-offensive in Southeast Asia as he felt that the main theatre of war against Japan should be the in Pacific.<ref name=":7"/> Churchill also declared that fighting the Japanese deep in the swampy jungle of Burma was like jumping into the sea and fighting sharks. He felt that if China were really one of the real Four Powers, they should prove it themselves.<ref name=":9"/> Hence, Churchill urged Roosevelt to go back on his promise to Chiang. Roosevelt believed that if the Soviet Union cooperated, the war could be ended early and China's position was no longer important.<ref name=":5"/> Churchill's argument was all the more convincing for Roosevelt since the US and Britain needed to use their landing ships to open up the Western Front in France.<ref name=":2"/>

After the Tehran conference, the two returned to Cairo together and Churchill formally proposed to call off Operation Buccaneer. Roosevelt initially insisted that he had made a promise to Chiang and hence could not break it without Chiang's acknowledgement. He justified his insistence by pointing out that since the shortage of landing craft was only about 18–20, it would not excessively impede allied plans on the Western Front.<ref name=":2"/> In December, the British-American Joint Chiefs of Staff decided to cancel Operation Tarzan, while arguing that the occupation of the Andaman Islands was more than worth the loss. Churchill was unhappy that Operation Buccaneer required such a large amount of supplies, suggesting that the operation should be postponed until after the end of the monsoon season and that landing craft should be allocated to the more costly European theatre.<ref name=":7"/> Churchill insisted on the cancellation of Operation Buccaneer, while US Admiral Ernest King opposed it.

On December 5, after consulting with his military advisers, Roosevelt finally agreed to Churchill's demands and decided that Operation Buccaneer should be cancelled. Roosevelt telegraphed Chiang<ref name=":2"/> suggesting that China launch the counterattack alone first, or wait until November 1944, when the Allies had a major offensive capability at sea. He attempted to reverse this decision by informing Churchill that China would continue to build up its Yunnan forces but would not move into Burma unless the planned amphibious operation was launched as scheduled.<ref name=":1"/>