M. S. Kohli - Spies in the Himalayas: Secret Missions and Perilous Climbs (Modern War Studies (Hardcover))

MODERN WAR STUDIES

Theodore A. Wilson

General Editor

Raymond A. Callahan

J. Garry Clifford

Jacob W. Kipp

Jay Luvaas

Allan R. Millett

Carol Reardon

Dennis Showalter

David R. Stone

Series Editors

Spies

in the

Himalayas

Secret Missions and
Perilous Climbs

M. S. Kohli

Kenneth Conboy

University Press of Kansas

2002 by the University Press of Kansas

All rights reserved

Published by the University Press of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas 66045), which was organized by the Kansas Board of Regents and is operated and funded by Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas, and Wichita State University

Library of Congress

Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kohli, M.S., 1931

Spies in the Himalayas : secret missions and perilous climbs/M.S. Kohli and Kenneth Conboy.

p. cm. (Modern war studies) Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-7006-1223-9 (cloth : alk. paper)

ISBN 978-0-7006-2824-7 (ebook)

1. Electronic intelligenceHimalaya Mountains. 2. Electronic intelligenceUnited States. 3. Electronic intelligenceIndia. 4. Espionage, AmericanHimalaya MountainsHistory20th century. 5. EspionageIndiaHistory20th century. 6. MountaineeringHimalaya MountainsHistory20th century. 7. Himalaya MountainsHistory, Military20th century. 8. United StatesMilitary relationsIndia. 9. IndiaMilitary relationsUnited States. I. Conboy, Kenneth J. II. Title. III. Series.

UB256.H56 M68 2002

327.127305109046dc21 2002151341

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The paper used in the print publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials Z39.48-1984.

List of Illustrations

Prologue

1. Almost Heaven

Epilogue

Appendix

Notes

Index

Map of Nepal

M. S. Kohli and Intelligence Bureau Director B. N. Mullik

Map of India

ARC Director R. N. Kao and Cabinet Secretary S. S. Khera meeting members of the 1961 Annapurna III expedition

Senior intelligence officer Balbir Singh addresses members of the Annapurna III expedition

Map of China

M. S. Kohli

Harish Rawat

Sonam Wangyal

Gurcharan Bhangu viewing a purported yeti scalp and hand

Sonam Gyatso

Erecting the sensor antenna in the snowfield near Mount McKinley

Escort officer Mac with Indian mountaineers at the New York Worlds Fair

Nanda Devi from the south

Nanda Devi and Nanda Devi East photographed from Nanda Kot

Map of the Sanctuary

Map of Uttar Pradesh province

An ARC Helio Courier landing at the Kalsi airstrip during support operations

Sherpa Kalden hauling supplies up Nanda Devi

Camp Three, Nanda Devi

Camps along the south face of Nanda Devi

An Indian Air Force Alouette chopper removing supplies from the Sanctuary helipad

Nanda Kot from the south

Nanda Devi photographed from a Twin Helio

Tucker Gougelmann, senior CIA paramilitary adviser in India

Kohli and Defense Secretary Harish Sarin

Nanda Devi showing likely lines of fall and nullahs leading to the moraine

On the march toward Nanda Kot

Kohli and Barry Corbet on Nanda Kot

Nanda Kot from the perspective of Advance Base Camp

Edging over the Saddle

Camp Two, Nanda Kot

Sam Currie prior to leaving the Nanda Kot base camp

CIA survival instructor Joe Mazerowski with Rawat and ARC officer M. K. Anand

Map of NEFA (now Arunachal Pradesh)

Sam Currie receiving the Intelligence Medal of Merit from CIA Director Richard Helms

In modern times, intelligence officers often fall into one of two categories. There are those on classic espionage assignmentsthe clichd, tedious, and often frustrating attempts by case officers to extract kernels of information from foreign nationals in the back alleys of places like Moscow and Geneva. Then there are those on paramilitary operationsbrushfire wars fought by covert warriors who train, direct, and often lead guerrillas in obscure corners of the globe like Afghanistan, Laos, and Nicaragua.

This story is neither. Due to a pressing requirement for unique skills, the intelligence agencies of the United States and India could not turn to their normal roster of spies or paramilitary operatives. Instead, they had to draw on a small fraternity of elite mountaineers to place a delicate monitoring device at the roof of the world. Gone were cloaks and daggers; in their place were crampons and ice axes.

To the credit of those involved, the story stayed a secret for over a decade. Not until 1978 did details begin to emerge in the press. Many of those details, however, were based on hearsay and supposition; many, not surprisingly, were inaccurate. The more inflammatory chargessuch as the holy Ganges being poisoned by radioactivityhad an incendiary effect in India. This effect was even more pronounced because of the political situation at the time. A fragile opposition alliance had recently come to power, and the former ruling party, now the outspoken opposition, was seeking a comeback.

Over the ensuing decades, oblique mention of the covert climbs occasionally cropped up in mountaineering journals, but the full story has never been told. Not a single member of these expeditions ever went public with an authoritative account. One of the authors, M. S. Kohli, was a joint leader of the mission. He kept his participation veileduntil now.

Here for the first time, all the Himalayan mountaineering expeditions sanctioned by the U.S. and Indian intelligence agencies are chronicled in detail. It is important that this story be told for several reasons. First, it puts Indo-U.S. relations in a more nuanced and pragmatic light. On the surface, bilateral relations often seemed strained at the highest levels. The relationship between President Lyndon Johnson and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, which was initially warm, developed a noticeable frost. Between intelligence agencies, however, cooperation in areas of bilateral interest, including the Himalayan project, was uninterrupted. And among the expedition members, rapport was outstanding.

Second, it is not often that the story of an intelligence operation can be told in such rich operational detail. This is possible in large part because mountaineers have a penchant for notations; their climbing diaries are often the only records they have of defining moments in their lives. This books draws on the notebook entries of several of the participants, offering insights and even sensations that are usually lost in accounts of other covert operations. Having such an authentic account sheds proper light on these controversial events and goes far in dispelling long-standing rumors that once caused such diplomatic and political angst.

Last, it is a good yarn. Rarely can one appreciate the excitement of a major Himalayan expedition mixed with clandestine overtones. And from a wholly mountaineering perspective, it fills in gaps in the history of ascents around the Nanda Devi Sanctuary during the mid-1960s. Until now, this period has been a black hole in climbing references.

This book is based on both written sources and extensive oral interviews. In the United States, the written sources were gathered from the Foreign Relations of the United States series, as well as releases in the Declassified Documents Reference System and relevant media transcripts recorded by the Foreign Broadcast Information Service. Particularly helpful were the electronic briefing books on Chinas nuclear weapons program compiled by the National Security Archives.