Ex-CIA officer claims US ‘purchased’ Musharraf, controlled Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal

Former CIA officer John Kiriakou, who served as chief of counterterrorism operations in Pakistan, has made explosive claims about US dealings with Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf, Saudi Arabia’s influence in nuclear diplomacy, and the changing balance of power in South Asia.

In an interview with ANI, Kiriakou said Washington “essentially purchased” Musharraf with massive aid packages and gained access to Pakistan’s nuclear infrastructure. “The United States loves working with dictators. You don’t have to worry about public opinion or the media. We essentially just purchased Musharraf,” he said.

‘Musharraf sold out Pak’s nuclear control to US’

Kiriakou claimed that under Musharraf, Washington enjoyed near-unchecked freedom in Pakistan’s security and intelligence systems. “We gave millions and millions of dollars in aid — military and economic — and Musharraf let us do whatever we wanted,” he said.

He alleged that while Musharraf sided with the US publicly, he covertly allowed Pakistan’s military and extremist elements to continue hostile operations against India.
“The Pakistani military didn’t care about Al-Qaeda; they cared about India. Musharraf pretended to side with the US on counterterrorism while committing terror against India,” Kiriakou said.

‘Saudis told us to leave AQ Khan alone’

The former CIA officer also said the US dropped plans to neutralise Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, the architect of Pakistan’s atomic programme, after direct intervention from Saudi Arabia.

“If we had taken the Israeli approach, we would have just killed him. He was easy enough to find. But the Saudis came to us and said, ‘Please leave him alone. We like AQ Khan. We’re working with him,’” Kiriakou said.

He added that both the CIA and the IAEA were ordered not to act against Khan following pressure from Riyadh. “It had to be because the Saudis were insisting on it,” he said, calling it a major US policy mistake.

Kiriakou suggested that Saudi Arabia’s stance could be linked to its long-term nuclear ambitions. “We often wondered if the Saudis were also building a nuclear capability,” he remarked, hinting that the recent Saudi–Pakistan defence pact could represent Riyadh “calling in its investment.”

‘US hypocrisy and global power shift’

Kiriakou accused Washington of double standards in its foreign policy, saying the US champions democracy only when it suits its interests.
“We like to pretend we're a beacon of democracy and human rights. But it's just not true, we do what benefits us that day,” he said.

He added that the US–Saudi alliance is purely transactional: “Our foreign policy in Saudi Arabia is as simple as this, we buy their oil and they buy our weapons.”

Kiriakou recounted being told by a Saudi guard, “You are hired help. We paid for you to come here and defend us.”

He concluded that the global balance of power is shifting as Saudi Arabia, China, and India expand their strategic influence.
“We’re sitting on an ocean of oil. We don’t need the Saudis anymore. They’re hedging their bets, improving relations with China and India. We’re witnessing a transformation in how the world operates,” Kiriakou said.