Islamabad - The man who led Pakistan's powerful ISI spy agency as it funnelled US cash to jihadis in Afghanistan to fight the Russians, and would later cheer Osama bin Laden after the 11 September attacks, has died of a brain haemorrhage aged 78.
Hamid Gul came to personify the murky and often contradictory policies pursued by the US in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the internal splits in Pakistan's power structures and its own meddling in its neighbours affairs.
The veteran of two wars with India became head of ISI in 1987.
By then, the US and Saudi Arabia were using the agency to funnel billions of dollars to fund militants fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan.
The same groups would later become the Taliban and al-Qaeda, led by Bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto forced him out in 1989 but his influence persisted for years and the ISI remained one of Pakistan's most powerful institutions.
Washington itself appeared aware of his anti-US views even before the 2001 attacks.
US officials said they suspected Gul tipped Bin Laden off to a failed 1998 cruise missile attack targeting him in Afghanistan.
After September 11, 2001, he became an outspoken opponent to the US while cheering the Taliban in public and media appearances.
Gul also was a close ally of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who received US assistance against the Soviets but was later declared a “global terrorist” in 2003.
But by the time US special forces killed Bin Laden in Abbottabad in 2011, Gul helped spread a rumour that US forces actually killed the al-Qaeda leader in Afghanistan and brought his body to Pakistan to humiliate the country.
“My feeling is that it was all a hoax, a drama which has been crafted, and badly scripted I would say,” he said.
And in conspiracy-minded Pakistan, many believed him. As the last line of his online autobiography reads: “People wait to listen to his direction before forming their own opinions.”
Gul died late on Saturday night in Murree near the capital, Islamabad.
The Independent