Ex - US diplomat blames Israel for Pakistani dictator’s
death
A retired US ambassador has
reignited the debate about one of south Asia's greatest whodunits, the death in
1988 of Pakistan's president General Zia ul-Haq, by saying that Israel was
responsible.
John Gunther Dean, then
US ambassador to India, said he suspected Israel's secret service Mossad of
downing Gen Zia's aircraft in an effort to stop Pakistan developing the nuclear
bomb. But when he reported these suspicions to Washington, he was accused of
being mentally unbalanced and subsequently forced into retirement. Almost 20
years later, Mr Dean, 80, was speaking out in an attempt to tell his side of
the story.
The
circumstances of Gen Zia ul-Haq's death are as contentious as the 1963
assassination of John F Kennedy. The military dictator died on August 17 1988,
after leaving the town of Bahawalpur, in Punjab province, where he had been
watching a trial of American M1 tanks.
Moments after Gen Zia's C-130 plane took off it wobbled then
plunged to the ground, killing all on board including the US ambassador to
Pakistan and a US general. Conspiracy theorists have focused on a crate of
mangos placed on board moments before take-off. Some believe it was sprayed
with VX, a poison gas, which only a few countries had.
Gen
Zia had a long list of enemies, all of whom have been blamed for his death over
the years. But Israel has received little attention. Mr
Dean told the World Policy Journal that it was plausible Mossad had
orchestrated an assassination plot, believing Gen Zia's boast that he was only
"a screwdriver's turn away from the bomb". But when he told his
superiors he was removed from his position in Delhi and his career ended. Mr
Dean, a Jew who fled Nazi Germany, said he had no proof of Israeli responsibility.
General Muhammad Ali Durrani, a retired Zia-era commander, told the journal the
Israeli thesis was "far-fetched" and blamed the crash on the C-130,
which he said had a history of faults.
At this critical time…
… for our
natural world, our societies and our media, The Guardian is committed to a
different model for open, independent journalism – sustained through generous
reader support. When progressive ideals are being challenged by those in power
across the globe, we’re dedicated to investigating with courage and reporting
with honesty. But we need your ongoing support to keep working as we do.
The
Guardian will engage with the most critical issues of our time – from the
escalating climate catastrophe to widespread inequality to the influence of big
tech on our lives. At a time when factual information is a necessity, we
believe that each of us, around the world, deserves access to accurate
reporting with integrity at its heart.
Our
editorial independence means we set our own agenda and voice our own opinions.
Guardian journalism is free from commercial and political bias and not
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challenge those in power.
We need your
support to keep delivering quality journalism, to maintain our openness and to
protect our precious independence. Every reader contribution, big or small, is
so valuable.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/dec/05/pakistan.israel
A retired US ambassador has
reignited the debate about one of south Asia's greatest whodunits, the death in
1988 of Pakistan's president General Zia ul-Haq, by saying that Israel was
responsible.
John Gunther Dean, then
US ambassador to India, said he suspected Israel's secret service Mossad of
downing Gen Zia's aircraft in an effort to stop Pakistan developing the nuclear
bomb. But when he reported these suspicions to Washington, he was accused of
being mentally unbalanced and subsequently forced into retirement. Almost 20
years later, Mr Dean, 80, was speaking out in an attempt to tell his side of
the story.
The
circumstances of Gen Zia ul-Haq's death are as contentious as the 1963
assassination of John F Kennedy. The military dictator died on August 17 1988,
after leaving the town of Bahawalpur, in Punjab province, where he had been
watching a trial of American M1 tanks.
Moments after Gen Zia's C-130 plane took off it wobbled then
plunged to the ground, killing all on board including the US ambassador to
Pakistan and a US general. Conspiracy theorists have focused on a crate of
mangos placed on board moments before take-off. Some believe it was sprayed
with VX, a poison gas, which only a few countries had.
Gen
Zia had a long list of enemies, all of whom have been blamed for his death over
the years. But Israel has received little attention. Mr
Dean told the World Policy Journal that it was plausible Mossad had
orchestrated an assassination plot, believing Gen Zia's boast that he was only
"a screwdriver's turn away from the bomb". But when he told his
superiors he was removed from his position in Delhi and his career ended. Mr
Dean, a Jew who fled Nazi Germany, said he had no proof of Israeli responsibility.
General Muhammad Ali Durrani, a retired Zia-era commander, told the journal the
Israeli thesis was "far-fetched" and blamed the crash on the C-130,
which he said had a history of faults.
At this critical time…
… for our
natural world, our societies and our media, The Guardian is committed to a
different model for open, independent journalism – sustained through generous
reader support. When progressive ideals are being challenged by those in power
across the globe, we’re dedicated to investigating with courage and reporting
with honesty. But we need your ongoing support to keep working as we do.
The
Guardian will engage with the most critical issues of our time – from the
escalating climate catastrophe to widespread inequality to the influence of big
tech on our lives. At a time when factual information is a necessity, we
believe that each of us, around the world, deserves access to accurate
reporting with integrity at its heart.
Our
editorial independence means we set our own agenda and voice our own opinions.
Guardian journalism is free from commercial and political bias and not
influenced by billionaire owners or shareholders. This means we can give a
voice to those less heard, explore where others turn away, and rigorously
challenge those in power.
We need your
support to keep delivering quality journalism, to maintain our openness and to
protect our precious independence. Every reader contribution, big or small, is
so valuable.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/dec/05/pakistan.israel
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