Pakistan and US spy mission 1960s that led to 1960 plane shooting by USSR

In July 1958, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower requested permission from

the Pakistani prime minister Feroze Khan Noon for the U.S. to establish a secret intelligence
facility in Pakistan and for the U-2 spyplane to fly from Pakistan. The U-2 flew at altitudes that
could not be reached by Soviet fighter jets of the era; it was believed to be beyond the reach of
Soviet missiles as well. A facility established in Badaber (Peshawar Air Station), 10 miles
(16 km) from Peshawar, was a cover for a major communications intercept operation run by the
United States National Security Agency (NSA). Badaber was an excellent location because of its
proximity to Soviet central Asia. This enabled the monitoring of missile test sites, key
infrastructure and communications. The U-2 "spy-in-the-sky" was allowed to use the Pakistan
Air Force section of Peshawar Airport to gain vital photo intelligence in an era before satellite
observation.[2]
Usa trying to exploit UK for its own gain
President Eisenhower did not want to fly American U-2 pilots over the Soviet Union because he
felt that if one of these pilots were to be shot down or captured, it could be seen as an act of
aggression. At a time like the Cold War, any act of aggression could spark open conflict between
the two countries. In order to ease the burden of flying Americans into Soviet airspace the idea
developed to have British pilots from the Royal Air Force fly these missions in place of the
American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). With the United Kingdom still reeling from the
aftermath of the Suez Crisis and in no position to snub American requests, the British
government was amenable to the proposal. Using British pilots allowed Eisenhower to be able to
use the U-2 aircraft to spy for American interests in the Soviet Union, while still being able to
plausibly deny any affiliation if a mission became compromised.
Japan and USA treaty
The 1960 treaty significantly revised the U.S.-Japan security agreement in the direction of
greater mutuality between the two nations. The original 1951 treaty had contained a provision
permitting the United States to use forces based in Japan throughout East Asia without prior
consultation with Japan, made no explicit promise to defend Japan if Japan were attacked, and
even contained a clause allowing U.S. troops to intervene in Japanese domestic disputes.
[2] These portions were altered in the revised version of the treaty in 1960. The amended treaty
included articles delineating mutual defense obligations and requiring the US, before mobilizing
its forces, to inform Japan in advance.[3] It also removed the article permitting U.S. interference
in Japanese domestic affairs.
Pakistan and USSR
The U-2 incident severely compromised Pakistan's security and dented relations with the United
States. After the incident, Nikita Khrushchev threatened to drop a nuclear bomb on Peshawar,
[48] thus warning Pakistan that it had become a target of Soviet nuclear forces.
[49] General Khalid Mahmud Arif of the Pakistan Army stated that "Pakistan felt deceived
because the US had kept her in the dark about such clandestine spy operations launched from
Pakistan's territory", although Pakistan's president Muhammad Ayub Khan may have known
about the operations.[50] Khan visited the USSR in 1965 and apologized for the incident.
[51] When Khan invited Soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko to visit Pakistan, pointing out
he'd never visited the country, the latter sarcastically replied "I always keep ahead of the U-2".
Pakistan and USA
In July 1958, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower requested permission from
the Pakistani prime minister Feroze Khan Noon for the U.S. to establish a secret intelligence
facility in Pakistan and for the U-2 spy plane to fly from Pakistan. The U-2 flew at altitudes that
could not be reached by Soviet fighter jets of the era; it was believed to be beyond the reach of
Soviet missiles as well. A facility established in Badaber (Peshawar Air Station), 10 miles
(16 km) from Peshawar, was a cover for a major communications intercept operation run by the
United States National Security Agency (NSA). Badaber was an excellent location because of its
proximity to Soviet central Asia. This enabled the monitoring of missile test sites, key
infrastructure and communications. The U-2 "spy-in-the-sky" was allowed to use the Pakistan
Air Force section of Peshawar Airport to gain vital photo intelligence in an era before satellite
observation.