Ex-CIA officer recounts India-Israel proposal to strike Pak's nuke facility amid 'Islamic bomb' fears: 'Shame Indira didn't approve'

Ex-CIA officer Richard Barlow (Courtesy: ANI photo)

Ex-CIA officer Richard Barlow has criticised former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's decision to reject a secret India-Israel plan for a pre-emptive strike on Pakistan's Kahuta nuclear facility.

Calling it a missed chance, Barlow said that the approval of the plan in the early 1980s would have helped solved a lot of problems. "Israel once offered to help India carry out pre-emptive strike on Kahuta nuclear facility in Pakistan. It's a shame Indira didn't approve the plan ... It would have solved a lot of problems," he told news agency ANI.

Barlow, who was part of the American intelligence agency as a counterproliferation officer during Pakistan's clandestine nuclear activities in the 1980s, confirmed that he had heard of the reported plan within intelligence circles but was not directly involved.

"I was out of government from 1982 until 1985. And I think that may have occurred while I was out of government. I heard about it at some point. But I didn't get my teeth into it because it never happened. It's a shame that Indira didn't approve it," he added.

According to Barlow, the US administration under then President Ronald Reagan would have strongly objected to such an operation, particularly one involving Israel, since it could have jeopardised America's clandestine campaign against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

 What was Israel's offer?

The Israel-India proposal for a preemptive strike on Pakistan’s Kahuta nuclear facility was a secret plan conceived in the early 1980s amid fears of Pakistan developing an 'Islamic bomb'. Israel, having conducted a successful strike on Iraq's Osirak reactor in 1981, saw Pakistan's nuclear ambitions as a significant threat not just to India, but to regional and global security.

Israel, reportedly, offered to deploy its fighter jets including F-16s and F-15s to Indian airbases at Jamnagar and Udhampur. The plan involved Israeli aircraft refueling mid-air from these bases while Indian Jaguar deep-strike aircraft would provide operational support. This strike aimed to destroy the Kahuta nuclear enrichment facility, which was then in the early stages of developing nuclear weapons technology.

From initial nod to backing out

Former PM Indira Gandhi initially gave preliminary approval for the strike, however she later withdrew her consent fearing geopolitical risks. The reasons included potential massive Pakistani retaliation, risks of all-out war, and pressure from global powers, particularly the United States, which was supporting Pakistan at the time due to its role in the Afghan-Soviet conflict.

Additionally, CIA reportedly tipped off Pakistan about the planned strike, heightening tensions and defensive measures at Kahuta.

Then, Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984 changed the course of events. Her son Rajiv Gandhi assumed office and chose the path of diplomacy, effectively putting an end to the Kahuta plan.

Assam CM's 'history blunder' attack on Congress

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, in June, accused the Congress of committing a 'historic blunder' by letting Pakistan become a nuclear state. Pakistan has been using 'nuclear blackmail' to deter international action, he claimed.

In the post titled "Congress's Historic Blunder: How India Let Pakistan Become a Nuclear State", Sarma claimed Israel had offered to help—from actionable intel to joint strike planning. Jamnagar Air Base was shortlisted as a potential launchpad and the Indian military gave full backing to a preemptive airstrike on Kahuta. "India had the capability and consensus to eliminate the threat before it became a reality. Yet at the last minute: Indira Gandhi hesitated, fearing international fallout," he alleged.

Kahuta nuclear facility & AQ Khan's role

Built under the supervision of Pakistan's nuclear scientist AQ Khan, the Kahuta enrichment plant later emerged as the hub of the nation's nuclear ambitions, culminating in its first tests in 1998.

"Pakistan's primary motive for developing nuclear weapons was to counter India. But it was also very clear from AQ Khan and the generals' perspective that it was not just the Pakistani bomb; it was the Islamic bomb, the Muslim bomb," Barlow said.

Born in 1936 in Bhopal, then part of undivided India, Khan migrated with his family to Pakistan in 1952 after Partition. He later went on to become one of the world's most notorious nuclear smugglers, having supplied sensitive technology to countries such as North Korea, Iran, and Libya.