'US Purchased Musharraf, Got Control Over Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal': Ex-CIA Officer John Kiriakou
Ex-CIA officer John Kiriakou alleges the US "purchased" President Musharraf's cooperation with millions in aid and cash for Pakistan's intelligence. He highlighted Pakistan's corruption, citing Benazir Bhutto's lavish lifestyle while in exile.
Former CIA officer John Kiriakou has alleged that the United States spent millions of dollars in aid to effectively “purchase” then-President Pervez Musharraf’s cooperation during his rule in Pakistan. He also said that the US spent millions of dollars in cash on the Pakistan's intelligence agency at the time when Musharraf was in power to "buy his cooperation".
In an interview with news agency ANI, Kiriakou said that widespread corruption had plagued Pakistan to such an extent that former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto led a lavish life abroad while ordinary citizens struggled to survive.
Kiriakou, who served 15 years in the CIA as both an analyst and a counterterrorism officer, reflected on Washington’s close ties with Islamabad during Musharraf’s tenure. “Our relations with the Pakistani government were very, very good. It was General Pervez Musharraf at the time,” he said. “And look, let's be honest here. The United States loves working with dictators. Because then you don't have to worry about public opinion and you don't have to worry about the media anymore. And so we essentially just purchased Musharraf.”
'Musharraf Let US Do Anything They Wanted'
According to Kiriakou, the financial support gave Washington sweeping access inside Pakistan, and could do anything it wanted.
“We gave millions and millions and millions of dollars in aid, whether it was military aid or economic development aid. And we would meet with Musharraf regularly, several times a week. And essentially he would let us do whatever we wanted to do. Yes. But Musharraf also had his own people that he needed to deal with,” he said.
Kiriakou argued that Musharraf appeased Pakistan’s military while balancing alliances with the US on counterterrorism. “He had to keep the military happy. And the military didn't care about Al-Qaeda. They cared about India. And so in order to keep the military happy and keep some of the extremists happy, he had to allow them to continue this dual life of pretending to cooperate with the Americans on counterterrorism while committing terror against India,” he added.
India-Pak On Brink Of War In 2002
Recalling the tense period following the December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, Kiriakou said, “India-Pakistan were on the brink of war in 2002. December 2001 was when the parliament attack also happened. During that time.”
The former intelligence officer voiced concern about Pakistan’s internal instability, warning that political rifts could easily escalate into chaos. “I'm worried about continued disagreement in Pakistani politics that has the potential to spill into the streets because the Pakistanis have a tendency to get themselves spun up and people die during demonstrations and there are attacks against political figures and assassinations,” he said. “The country is not known for its transformative leaders making positive decisions.”
Kiriakou Recalls Meeting Benazir Bhutto
Kiriakou also recounted a striking encounter with Benazir Bhutto during her exile in Dubai, describing what he called a “Marie Antoinette moment.”
“When Benazir Bhutto was in exile in Dubai, I went to see her with another senior officer. I went as the note taker. And she lived in this $5 million palace on the Gulf,” he recalled.
“And we were sitting in the front room, the salon of the house, and we heard a car pull up. And she said, her exact words, so help me God, if he came home with another Bentley, I'm going to kill him!”
When asked if she was referring to her husband, Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto confirmed it. “Yeah. Her husband,” Kiriakou said, adding, “And I said to my boss afterwards, she makes $60,000 a year.”
He went on to criticise the stark contrast between Pakistan’s political elite and its impoverished citizens. “She lives in a $5 million house and he has a collection of Bentleys. Aren't they ashamed of themselves?” he said. “Like, how can they go back to Pakistan and look the Pakistani people in the face when their people don't even have shoes and enough food to eat? Like, I understand corruption is a problem there, but that level of corruption? Come on!”
Expressing frustration, he noted how the Pakistani public continues to endure leadership plagued by excess and corruption. “Well, those are the kinds of politicians that the Pakistani people have to deal with. Right. And so, you know, you talked about Benazir Bhutto, you talked about Zardari. Zardari is the current president over here,” he added.
(With inputs from ANI)
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