Episode 231: Gerald Vincent Bull was a smart cookie from North Bay, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Toronto at 20, got a master’s degree at age 21, and at 22 earned a Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering from the University of Toronto’s newly created Institute of Aerodynamics.

Magazines touted him the ‘boy rocket scientist’. Nations sought him for his innovative ideas regarding long range artillery, ballistics and other military related endeavours. He was charged several times with breaching arms embargoes, even spending time in prison, a sore spot for the proud scientist. Eventually he became involved in Iraq’s ‘Project Babylon’ in which he was asked personally by then Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to build a Supergun which would launch weapons into space, giving Hussein the capability of bombing targets 1000’s of kilometres away. This obviously worried Iraq’s neighbours in the Middle East.

Before the project was completed Gerald Bull was assassinated, shot five times outside his apartment building in Brussels, Belgium. A lot of nations hated Gerald Bull and some, no doubt, wanted him dead, but it remains a mystery who was behind his killing. It isn’t clear who actually pulled the trigger in the murder of Gerald Bull, most likely it was someone either within, or acting on behalf of, one of those governments who’d felt threatened by Bull’s activities and alliances.

Sources:

Gerald Bull - Wikipedia

Gerald Bull | The Canadian Encyclopedia

The tragic tale of Saddam Hussein’s ‘supergun’ - BBC Future

Superguns 1854–1991 by Steven J. Zaloga, Jim Laurier - Ebook | Scribd

Bull’s Eye: The Assassination and Life of Supergun Inventor Gerald Bull eBook : Adams, James: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store

Strange Crime by Editors of Portable Press - Ebook | Scribd

Three in the Back, Two in the Head by Jason Sherman - Ebook | Scribd

Ready the Cannons! by William Gurstelle - Ebook | Scribd

Who Killed Gerald Victor Bull | PDF | Mossad | Central Intelligence Agency

Gerald Bull │ Super Gun │ History Documentary │ YouTube

NYT — Gerald Bull — Wayback Machine

Israel to kill in U.S., allied nations - UPI.com

Doomsday Gun (TV Movie 1994) - IMDb

CBC Archives — Who killed Gerald Bull?

Gerald Bull

The Man Behind Iraq’s Supergun - The New York Times

Dr. Gerald Bull: Scientist, Weapons Maker, Dreamer - People - CBC Archives

THE GUNS OF SADDAM - The Washington Post

A Brief History of the HARP Project

Gerald Bull, 62, Shot in Belgium; Scientist Who Violated Arms Law - New York Times

Remarks by President Biden on a Successful Counterterrorism Operation in Afghanistan | The White House

The Mossad

Mossad | History & Functions | Britannica

Was Gerald Bull murdered by the Mossad? | CBC.ca

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