India-Israel Operation to Strike Pakistan's Nuclear Facility Foiled by Indira Gandhi, Ex-CIA Official Reveals

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A former CIA officer has made a shocking claim about a secret operation between India and Israel to target Pakistan's nuclear site in the 1980s. Richard Barlow, a counterproliferation expert, said the plan to bomb the Kahuta nuclear facility could have prevented Pakistan's nuclear ambitions, but it was never approved by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. According to Barlow, the operation was intended to halt Pakistan's nuclear development, which was seen as a threat to regional stability. The plan was reportedly a joint effort between India and Israel, but it was ultimately foiled, with Barlow describing Gandhi's decision as a 'shame'. The comments come as the US President has criticized Pakistan for its nuclear activities, with India also hitting out at the country's 'clandestine and illegal nuclear activities'. The proposed operation was aimed at preventing Pakistan from developing nuclear weapons, which could have been used to proliferate to other countries, including Iran, a significant adversary of Israel. Declassified accounts reveal that the US administration under President Ronald Reagan would have strongly opposed the strike, as it could have disrupted America's covert war effort against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Pakistan exploited this US dependency as leverage, with officials warning US lawmakers that disrupting aid flows could jeopardise cooperation on Afghanistan. The Kahuta enrichment facility, central to Pakistan's nuclear programme, was established under the direction of nuclear architect AQ Khan and later played a key role in Pakistan's successful pursuit of nuclear weapons, culminating in its first atomic tests in 1998. Barlow's comments have shed new light on a previously unknown chapter in international relations, highlighting the complex web of alliances and rivalries that have shaped the region's nuclear landscape.