Did CIA Have ‘Secret Bases’ In Delhi, Kolkata? JFK Assassination Files Say…

Newly declassified documents related to the 1963 assassination of US President John F. Kennedy have revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operated secret bases in New Delhi and Kolkata during the Cold War era. These findings, shared by Russian media outlet RT and reported by The Week, were released by the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), shedding light on the covert activities of the CIA in India and other global locations.

CIA’s Covert Operations in India

According to the declassified files, the CIA’s New York division oversaw secret bases in multiple locations, including New Delhi and Kolkata in India, Rawalpindi in Pakistan, Colombo in Sri Lanka, Tehran in Iran, Seoul in South Korea, and Tokyo in Japan. These bases, also known as “black sites,” were reportedly used for clandestine operations, including surveillance, intelligence gathering, and interrogation of suspected operatives.

While the full extent of these operations remains unclear, some of these secret sites have previously been subjects of legal and political scrutiny, with allegations that detainees were held without formal charges or trials. The revelations provide a fresh perspective on the CIA’s deep-rooted intelligence network across South Asia and its strategic interests during the Cold War.

India’s Historical Ties with the CIA

India has had a complex history with the CIA, especially during the Cold War. In 2013, declassified documents revealed that India had permitted the US to use the Charbatia airbase in Odisha for refueling CIA-operated U-2 spy planes conducting surveillance missions over Chinese territory in 1962.

Following India’s independence, intelligence collaboration between New Delhi and Washington took shape. In 1949, India’s Intelligence Bureau director, T G Sanjeevi, worked with the CIA to monitor Communist China. The collaboration intensified after China’s annexation of Tibet in 1950, with the CIA assisting Tibetan resistance fighters.

One of the most significant instances of CIA involvement in India was its role in the Dalai Lama’s escape to India in 1959. After the 1962 Indo-China war, the US intelligence agency further deepened its support by establishing a secret military base at Charbatia, Odisha, for U-2 reconnaissance flights over Chinese territory.

Implications of the Revelations

The declassified documents offer new insights into the extent of CIA operations in India during the Cold War and raise questions about historical US-India intelligence cooperation. While India has since pursued a more independent foreign policy, past associations with US intelligence highlight the geopolitical complexities of the era.

As these revelations gain traction, they may reignite debates on India’s historical intelligence policies and foreign relations during the Cold War. Experts suggest that further scrutiny of the newly released JFK files could provide additional information on other undisclosed operations in the region.

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