John Kiriakou, a former CIA officer with 15 years of service, stated that Pakistan would lose any conventional war with India, emphasizing that provoking India yields “literally nothing good” for Islamabad. Recalling heightened tensions, Kiriakou noted that the CIA anticipated war following the 2001 Parliament attacks.
Key Revelations and Warnings:
- Conventional War: Kiriakou stressed that even without considering nuclear weapons, Pakistan would lose a conventional conflict.
- Past Tensions: In 2002, during Operation Parakram, the US anticipated escalation and began evacuating its civilians from Islamabad.
- Nuclear Control Claim: During his tenure in Islamabad, Kiriakou claimed he was unofficially told that the Pentagon controlled Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal after then-President Musharraf turned control over to the US.
- Counter-Terrorism Focus: He admitted that the CIA at the time focused primarily on Al Qaeda and Afghanistan, paying less attention to India’s concerns.
On A.Q. Khan
The former officer also claimed the US could have eliminated Abdul Qadeer Khan, the architect of Pakistan’s atomic bomb, but spared him at the request of the Saudi government.
Whistleblowing Stance
Kiriakou, who became a whistleblower in 2007 by exposing the CIA’s “torture programme” and served 23 months in jail, stated he has “no regrets, no remorse” for his actions.
