Deaths of Homi J. Bhabha and Lal Bahadur Shastri, key figures in India's early nuclear program
July 5, 1996, 1:45-2:10 PM (CST), secretly taped telephone conversation between Robert T. Crowley, a retired assistant deputy director of operations of the CIA, and author Gregory Douglas (note: a world class scam artist, but he certainly did talk to Crowley in the period; interesting enough to be mentioned in this section due to a lack of other sources, despite existing suspicions):
RTC: Now that’s something we never did. In fact, we prevented at least one nuclear disaster.
GD: What? A humanitarian act? Why, I am astounded, Robert. Do tell me about this.
RTC: Now, now, Gregory, sometimes we can discuss serious business. There were times when we prevented terrible catastrophes and tried to secure more peace. We had trouble, you know, with India back in the 60s when they got uppity and started work on an atomic bomb. Loud mouthed cow-lovers bragging about how clever they were and how they, too, were going to be a great power in the world. The thing is, they were getting into bed with the Russians. Of course, Pakistan was in bed with the chinks so India had to find another bed partner. And we did not want them to have any kind of nuclear weaponry because God knows what they would have done with it. Probably strut their stuff like a Washington nigger with a brass watch. Probably nuke the Pakis. They’re all a bunch of neo-coons anyway. Oh yes, and their head expert was fully capable of building a bomb and we knew just what he was up to. He was warned several times but what an arrogant prick that one was. Told our people to fuck off and then made it clear that no one would stop him and India from getting nuclear parity with the big boys. Loud mouths bring it all down on themselves. Do you know about any of this?
GD: Not my area of interest or expertise. Who is this joker, anyway?
RTC: Was, Gregory, let’s use the past tense if you please. Name was Homi Bhabha. That one was dangerous, believe me. He had an unfortunate accident. He was flying to Vienna to stir up more trouble when his 707 had a bomb go off in the cargo hold and they all came down on a high mountain way up in the Alps. No real evidence and the world was much safer.
GD: Was Ali Baba alone on the plane?
RTC: No it was a commercial Air India flight.
GD: How many people went down with him?
RTC: Ah, who knows and frankly, who cares?
GD: I suppose if I had a relative on the flight I would care.
RTC: Did you?
GD: No.
RTC: Then don’t worry about it. We could have blown it up over Vienna but we decided the high mountains were much better for the bits and pieces to come down on. I think a possible death or two among mountain goats is much preferable than bringing down a huge plane right over a big city.
GD: I think that there were more than goats, Robert.
RTC: Well, aren’t we being a bleeding-heart today.
GD: Now, now, it’s not an observation that is unexpected. Why not send him a box of poisoned candy? Shoot him in the street? Blow up his car? I mean, why ace a whole plane full of people?
RTC: Well, I call it as it see it. At the time, it was our best shot. And we nailed [Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur] Shastri as well [two weeks earlier]. Another cow-loving rag head. Gregory, you say you don’t know about these people. Believe me, they were close to getting a bomb and so what if they nuked their deadly Paki enemies? So what? Too many people in both countries. Breed like rabbits and full of snake-worshipping twits. I don’t for the life of me see what the Brits wanted in India. And then threaten us? They were in the sack with the Russians, I told you. Maybe they could nuke the Panama Canal or Los Angeles. We don’t know that for sure but it is not impossible.
GD: Who was Shastri?
RTC: A political type who started the program in the first place. Babha was a genius and he could get things done so we aced both of them. And we let certain people there know that there was more where that came from. We should have hit the chinks too, while we were at it but they were a tougher target. Did I tell you about the idea to wipe out Asia’s rice crops? We developed a disease that would have wiped rice off the map there and it’s their staple diet. The fucking rice growers here [this research certainly was done by the U.S. Army on Okinawa in the early 1960s; the big industries feared, for good reason, that the disease would spread to the United States - not to mention Europe. Also important: rice was the key aspect of the Rockefeller's Green Revolution] got wind of it and raised such a stink we canned the whole thing. The theory was that the disease could spread around and hurt their pocketbooks. If the Mao people invade Alaska, we can tell the rice people it’s all their fault.
GD: I suppose we might make friends with them.
RTC: With the likes of them? Not at all, Gregory. The only thing the Communists understand is brute force. India was quieter after Bhabha croaked. We could never get to Mao but at one time, the Russians and we were discussing the how and when of the project. Oh yes, sometimes we do business with the other side. Probably more than you realize.
GD: Now that I know about. High level amorality. They want secrets from us and you give them some of them in return for some of their secrets, doctored of course. That way, both agencies get credit for being clever.
RTC: Well, you’ve been in that game so why be so holy over a bunch of dead ragheads?
GD: Were all the passengers Indian atomic scientists?
RTC: Who cares, Gregory? We got the main man and that was all that mattered. You ought not criticize when you don’t have the whole story.
GD: Well, there were too many mountain goats running around, anyway. Then might have gotten their hands on some weapons from Atwood and invaded Switzerland.
RTC: You jest but there is truth in what you say. We had such a weight on us, protecting the American people, often from themselves I admit. Many of these stories can never be written, Gregory. And if you try, you had better get your wife to start your car in the morning.