India, Israel planned to hit Kahuta in early ‘80s Oct. 28, 2007 NEW DELHI (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.” Associated Press of Pakistan
Alternative History Porn -- nothing but. though maybe at the time it would've been a good idea. there would have been no AQ Khan network that peddled nuclear know-how and materials to NK and Iran (and Syria and ... Iraq?) EDIT: remember that 1 bullet is all it would take to get a Osama-friendly new President who would now have nukes at his disposal -- that would be 10 times worse than having a nuclear Iran.
That's all you can say about that article????? If something like that comes up about American in the past, is it okay if I just shrug it off as "Well, with "xyz" as President, anything was possibe."? ...and you'd accept that reply? So, Sam, does that mean that you forgive everything that America has done in the past? You forgive your own nation quite nicely ....is the same forgiveness due the USA? Baron Max
Sure if the US had 'almost' done anything, it would be forgivable. One cannot be judged for poor intentions, only poor actions.
