India-Israel 1980s plot to strike Pakistan’s nuclear siteAs claimed by former CIA counterproliferation officer Richard Barlow, in the early 1980s, India and Israel secretly planned a joint preemptive strike on Pakistan's Kahuta nuclear facility to stop Pakistan's nuclear weapons development amid fears of an "Islamic bomb," as reported by ANI.
"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 said.
Israel offered to use its fighter jets from Indian airbases, with India providing operational support. The plan initially received tentative approval from then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. However, she later withdrew consent due to concerns about massive Pakistani retaliation, the risk of a full-scale war, and geopolitical pressure, particularly from the United States, which was supporting Pakistan during the Soviet-Afghan war.
Furthermore, the CIA reportedly warned Pakistan about the planned strike, leading to heightened Pakistani defenses. Following Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984, her successor Rajiv Gandhi abandoned the plan in favor of diplomatic measures. This decision allowed Pakistan to continue developing nuclear weapons, with Pakistan's nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan playing a central role in proliferating nuclear technology internationally.
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