Posted on 10/28/2007 11:56:43 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
India, Israel planned to hit Kahuta in early ‘80s
NEW DELHI Oct. 28 (APP): India and Israel had secretly planned to hit Pakistan’s nuclear facility in Kahuta near Islamabad in 1983-84, but backed off when the CIA in 1984 tipped off then President General Zia-ul Haq.
“The Asian Age” reported this in its report published on Sunday from London quoting details revealed by investigative journalists Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark in their new book, Deception: Pakistan, the United States and the Global Weapons Conspiracy.
The authors also revealed details about India’s secret intelligence links with Israel at the time when officially the two countries did not have any diplomatic contacts. “In February 1983, with the strike plan at an advanced stage, Indian military officials had travelled secretly to Israel, which had a common interest in eliminating (A.Q.) Khan, to buy electronic warfare equipment to neutralise Kahuta’s air defences,” the book said.
Indian put its plans on hold after Raja Ramanna, then director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, was warned by the then Chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission Munir Ahmed Khan in Vienna in the autumn of 1983 that Islamabad would attack Trombay, if its facilities in Kahuta were attacked.
At this juncture, the book said, Israel suggested that they would carry out the raid on Kahuta using the Indian Jamnagar base in Gujarat to launch its jets and another IAF base in northern India to refuel. “In March 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi signed off (on) the Israeli-led operation, bringing India, Pakistan and Israel to within a hair’s breadth of a nuclear conflagration.”
However, the authors said India and Israel backed off from the plan after the CIA tipped off President Zia ul Haq and the US state department warned India that “the US will be responsive if India persists.”
The book further said Prime Minister Indira Gandhi then aborted the operation despite protests from military planners in New Delhi and Jerusalem. The authors quoting Gen. K.M. Arif, who was at the time Vice Chief of Pakistan Army as saying: “Our friends had let us know what the Israelis and Indians intended to do, and so we let them know how we would respond. Both sides were harrying the other and were absolutely aware of the consequences of every move. In the end, it was India that blinked.”
These guys regularly slam the Pakistani media and discredit it, unless it says something anti-American and then they eat it up.
The Communists are technically Socialists, and can never have absolute power like in the case of the Soviet Union or China. The Indian Constitution simply forbids such a power arrangement. They are like the Communist Party, USA, except that the Kerala equivalents have won power a couple of times. Currently the recent state elections were won by the Congress Party, who are moderate-to-right wing. Kerala, and the other state of West Bengal, are the only two states among the 28 that have ever had the Communist Party win power.
They’re for practising inter-operability, in case there ever needs a combined Indo-US front against a third country (read: China).
Personally, I think the US can handle all possible threats against it, on its own, currently. But, the training is for those 'just-in-case' scenarios.
Interesting. Will have to read the book.
Intriguing that Israel was willing to take on this project and that India had actually had the guts to contemplate it.
No doubt the US looked the other way at Kahuta while the Afghani Jihad was funded by the US and Saudis. Nailing the Soviets was more important than worrying about the Pakis getting the bomb.
Could also have been a strong motive in wanting to get rid of Indira to forestall any future attempts.
Khalistani assets utilised.
Speculative, sure, but history is awfully strange.
Who knows-the old lady was cynical and played all sides, but she got things done.
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