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Israel behind Zia's death, says former U.S. envoy

Declan Walsh

London: A retired U.S. 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 American ambassador to India, said he suspected Israel's secret service Mossad of downing Gen Zia's aircraft in an effort to stop Pakistan from developing the nuclear bomb. But when he reported these suspicions to Washington, he as accused of being mentally unbalanced and subsequently forced into retirement. Almost 20 years later, Mr Dean (80), was speaking out in an attempt to clear his name and tell his side of the story.

The military ruler died on August 17, 1988, after leaving the town of Bahawalpur, in Punjab province. Moments after Gen. Zia's C-130 plane took off, it wobbled and then plunged to the ground, killing all on board.

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.

General Muhammad Ali Durrani, a retired Zia-era commander, said the Israeli thesis was ``far-fetched'' and blamed the crash on the C-130, which had a history of faults. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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