Excerpts from Tariq Ali and David Barsamian's book "Speaking of Empire and Resistance: Conversations with Tariq Ali"

In “Speaking of Empire and Resistance: Conversations with Tariq Ali” (Amazon link), Tariq Ali tells the story of how Zia ul-Haq was involved in the massacre of Palistinians in 1970s. It would be much easier to believe Ali's claim if he had published the picture along with the text. Although, it seems to be a non-disputed claim as I haven't found anything to the contrary (yet). Wikipedia also states: "He [Zia] was stationed in Jordan from 1967 to 1970, helping in the training of Jordanian soldiers, as well as leading the training mission into battle during the Black September in Jordan operations, a strategy that proved crucial to King Hussein's remaining in power". Below are some excerpts…

The key turning point was Black September, in 1970, when he [King Hussein] decided to crush the Palestinians. Interestingly enough, the Pakistani brigadier chosen to help them was Zia ul-Haq, the so-called friend of Islam, who was dispatched by the Pakistani government. Zia organized the massacre of the Palestinians, for which the Palestinians never forgave him. I [Tariq Ali] have in my archives a very striking photograph, of a celebration in a Jordanian army mess after the crushing of the Palestinian camps and the resistance in Jordon. Brigadier Zia and one of Hussein's officers are dancing; the Jordanian is clearly drunk, and whether Zia had had one or two remains an open question. Later, of course, he masqueraded as a devout Muslim, but I never forgot that episode in Palestine.

Tariq Ali warns Benazir Bhutto that Zia will carry out a coup:

I said to Benazir Bhutto, "This man [General Zia] is going to topple your father. He is the Uriah Heep of Pakistani politics. In front of you he sort of cringes and is servile and sycophantic, but in his head there is another plan." I said this after I returned from Pakistan in January 1977, after I had a few clashes with Benazir's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. She was then at the Oxford Union and invited me to speak. She said to me, "My father rang me today and asked me, 'Why are you inviting my enemies to speak?'" "He's always been very childish and stupid," I replied, and she said, "I know. But my father said to me, 'Now that you've got him there, ask him what he thinks is going to happen in Pakistan.' " I said--I'll never forget this conversation--"Tell your father from me that either he will be assassinated or there will be a military coup." And she said, "Assassinations, who can stop them? A military coup, never, because General Zia is in our pocket," and she touched her imaginary pocket. I said, "Benazir, you just tell your father I said that no Pakistani general is ever in the pocket of a civilian politician." Three months later, General Zia carried out his coup, and Bhutto lost his job and later his life.

Coming soon: More excerpts from Speaking of Empire and Resistance: Conversations with Tariq Ali