Former CIA Officer Reveals Pakistan Would Lose Conventional War with India and US Control Over Pakistani Nuclear Arsenal

A former US intelligence officer has stated that Pakistan would be defeated in any conventional conflict with India. John Kiriakou, who served 15 years with the CIA, revealed that following the 2001 Parliament attacks, the intelligence agency believed the two nuclear-armed nations were on the brink of war. During his interview with ANI, Kiriakou shared insights on the strained Washington-Islamabad relationship and his experience leading counterterrorism operations in Pakistan.

The ex-CIA officer emphasized that Islamabad needs to recognize there's nothing to gain from provoking conflict with India. "Nothing, literally nothing good will come of an actual war between India and Pakistan because the Pakistanis will lose. I'm not talking about nuclear weapons. I'm talking just about a conventional war. There is no benefit to constantly provoking Indians," Kiriakou stated.

Over the years, India has responded decisively to cross-border terrorism, including the 2016 surgical strikes, 2019 Balakot operation, and Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 innocent lives in April this year. New Delhi has made it clear to Islamabad that nuclear blackmail won't be tolerated, as Pakistan sought ceasefire after failing to target Indian cities.

Kiriakou disclosed that in 2002, during Operation Parakram following the Parliament attack, the US anticipated potential war between the nuclear neighbors and began evacuating its civilians from Islamabad. He also claimed being unofficially informed that the Pentagon had control over Pakistan's nuclear arsenal during that period, stating, "Musharraf had turned control over to the US."

The former intelligence officer admitted that at that time, the CIA was primarily focused on Al Qaeda and Afghanistan operations, paying less attention to India's security concerns.

Regarding Pakistan's nuclear program, Kiriakou revealed that the US could have eliminated Abdul Qadeer Khan, the scientist who designed Pakistan's atomic bomb, but refrained due to Saudi Arabia's intervention. "If we had taken the Israeli approach, we would have just killed him. We knew where he lived and spent his day. But he had the support of the Saudi government. The Saudis came to us and said, 'Please leave him alone. We like AQ Khan. We're working with AQ Khan. Just leave him alone,'" he explained.

In 2007, Kiriakou became a whistleblower, exposing the CIA's "torture programme" during a television interview, which resulted in him serving 23 months in prison. The charges against him were eventually dropped, with Kiriakou stating he has "no regrets, no remorse."