[SolidWood]

Not good. Not at all. India back then was a bit cozy to the Soviets, and we favored the Pakis. But letting them go nuclear will be a growing problem.

[CarrotAndStick]

President General Zia-ul Haq

Ah, the father of Pakistan's Islamofascist Movement.

[MNJohnnie]

Is there any verification for any of this or is this yet another example of a supposed “Journalists” reporting rumor and innuendo as “news” and demanding the accused prove themselves innocent?

[Publius6961]

I feel totally and absolutely that the U.S. intelligence services would never share intelligence information with any foreign country without the president's knowlege and perhaps even insistence.

Since I am tired of educating other people's children, I will let you determine who was the president then!

[AnotherUnixGeek]

If Al-Qaeda ever manages to set off a nuclear device in the US, it’s likely to have come from Pakistan. This one could really end up biting us.

[G8 Diplomat]

FReepmail if you want on or off

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

In hindsight, a bad move by the American government.

But India was an ally of the Soviet Union (and is still an ally of Russia), and so using the adage 'the enemy of your enemy is your friend,' and maybe a corollary 'the friend of your enemy is your enemy' for both Pakistan and India, can see where the government was figuratively coming from.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

If true, too bad.

[tarheelswamprat]

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 CIA and the State Department. The gifts that just keep on giving...

[familyop]

"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 more that we learn about the Nixonites, the less we like. We've needed new genes in US leadership for a long time.

[swarthyguy]

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.

[swarthyguy]

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.