India Supporting Taliban-US Intel Official

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

The former intelligence official strongly supported the regional approach to Afghanistan suggested by US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke. "Afghanistan is a classic power vacuum," the former official said. "Neighbors see it as point of instability to guarantee their own stability or an opportunity to score points."

While the U.S. media has frequently reported on Pakistani ties to jihadi elements launching attacks in Afghanistan, it has less often mentioned that India supports insurgent forces attacking Pakistan, the former intelligence official said. "The Indians are up to their necks in supporting the Taliban against the Pakistani government in Afghanistan and Pakistan," the former intelligence official who served in both countries said. "The same anti-Pakistani forces in Afghanistan also shooting at American soldiers are getting support from India. India should close its diplomatic establishments in Afghanistan and get the Christ out of there."

"None of this is ever one-sided," he added. "That is why it was so devastating and we were so let down" when India got taken out of Holbrooke's official brief.

Can the intel community defuse India-Pakistan tensions? | The Cable

I know, the same 'anonymous Intelligence officials' - but since my criticism of 'anonymous intelligence officials' has not deterred people from using such reports and comments from 'anonymous officials' as being 'proof' of Pakistani complicity, I figure a similar report should suffice as 'proof' of Indian complicity in terrorism for these folks.

All these 'cats out of the bag' recently eh ...

 

[Omar1984]

Its obvious India is causing trouble for Pakistan in this war.

People need to really learn the Indian-Pakistani history and think why India was so eager to make its prescence in Afghanistan when Pakistan started fighting this War on Terror.

US needs to do something quick about India or we are never going to win this war.

 

[Halaku Khan]

There is an update that has been added at the end of that article:

UPDATE: A Washington South Asia expert, among others, wrote to dispute the allegation made by a former U.S. intelligence official cited in the piece that India is aiding anti-Pakistan insurgent groups. "It doesn't square with my observations/sources, even though lots of Pakistanis will say it is true," one said.

I know, the same 'anonymous Intelligence officials' - but since my criticism of 'anonymous intelligence officials' has not deterred people from using such reports and comments from 'anonymous officials' as being 'proof' of Pakistani complicity, I figure a similar report should suffice as 'proof' of Indian complicity in terrorism for these folks.

All these 'cats out of the bag' recently eh ...

 

[Energon]

If this were true, Richard Holbrooke and his entire entourage would be raising hell in India right now; and it would be the NATO forces bombing Indian embassies in Afghanistan. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

Do you honestly think US and NATO would let India get away with supporting the Taliban when we've have been taking such high casualties of late? This matter would be plastered over every major news media network in the West and would be the focal point of all discussions with India; furthermore all defense deals with India would be threatened and/or severed instantaneously. Every American policy group and think tank worth its salt would be investigating this topic in earnest and publishing their results; but none of this seems to be the case either; all we have is a post on a glorified blog with irritating graphics and pop up ads claiming to expose the "myth of Israel."

 

[Jihad]

Great find AM, it looks like even more uncomfortable details are being revealed regarding our war against terror.
I hope this is yet another step forward on dismantling all the hypocrisy and all the fingerpointing only aimed at Pakistan.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Other respectable Western analysts have alluded to this Indian involvement as well, albeit obliquely.

For whatever reason, there has been a reluctance to openly and strongly articulate these concerns, perhaps becasue doing so might have given Pakistan a leveraging point in the WoT, and justification for its regional concerns.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

There is an update that has been added at the end of that article:

UPDATE: A Washington South Asia expert, among others, wrote to dispute the allegation made by a former U.S. intelligence official cited in the piece that India is aiding anti-Pakistan insurgent groups. "It doesn't square with my observations/sources, even though lots of Pakistanis will say it is true," one said.

Indeed - and there are a few 'Western experts' who have also disagreed strongly with the argument that the ISI as an institution supports either the Taliban or terrorist attaks such as that in Mumbai.

 

[Omar1984]

There is an update that has been added at the end of that article:

UPDATE: A Washington South Asia expert, among others, wrote to dispute the allegation made by a former U.S. intelligence official cited in the piece that India is aiding anti-Pakistan insurgent groups. "It doesn't square with my observations/sources, even though lots of Pakistanis will say it is true," one said.

The South Asian "experts" are probably working for New Delhi.

I trust U.S intelligence over biased Indian-loving South Asian "experts".

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

And as further validation of pakistan's allegations, that 'Update' mentions this:

"The Indians have - by many accounts - had a longstanding connection with Baluch nationalists/separatists in Pakistan,.."

So Pakistan's allegations of Indian support for terrorism in Pakistan are validated there as well.

 

[IceCold]

India involvement is there all along. Its just GOP can't pursue our case properly to the international community and also because of the vested interests of countries like US in India, they turn a blind eye to this sponsored terrorism.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I trust U.S intelligence over biased Indian-loving South Asian "experts".

Be careful - these same 'intel officials' also accuse Pakistan of complicity with the Taliban ...

 

[roadrunner]

I think it was obvious that India was exporting terrorism to Pakistan through the BLA, and there were rumours about the Pakistani Taliban being supported by India.

This confirms that even the US knows India is exporting terrorism to Pakistan by lending support to the Pakistani Taliban.

Previously Pakistan reported this

http://www.dawn.com/2008/08/26/nat9.htm

 

[RedBaron]

Other respectable Western analysts have alluded to this Indian involvement as well, albeit obliquely.

For whatever reason, there has been a reluctance to openly and strongly articulate these concerns, perhaps becasue doing so might have given Pakistan a leveraging point in the WoT, and justification for its regional concerns.

Had this allegation of Indian support for Taliban been true, there would have been absolutely no reluctance on the part of US gov't to confront India.
- The allegation implies India supports the very people who kill American troops. Why is US gov't silent if this is true?
- Also, the Afghan gov't would throw India out of the country as Taliban threaten the existence of the current gov't and routinely target gov't employees in addition to ANA. Why is the Afghan gov't silent?
- Equally important, it's obvious if Taliban manages to retake Afghanistan, it will kick out India and embrace Pakistan. So why would India support Taliban, with whom it has nothing in common?

This allegation defies all logic and is pure sensational journalism.

 

[IceCold]

We all know afghan government is nothing more then a lap dog and specially karzai's relations with India. As for the US as i have said earlier, US does not mind if few of its citizens get killed for a larger cause as they like to call is there in this case to raise India against China.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Had this allegation of Indian support for Taliban been true, there would have been absolutely no reluctance on the part of US gov't to confront India.
- The allegation implies India supports the very people who kill American troops. Why is US gov't silent if this is true?
- Also, the Afghan gov't would throw India out of the country as Taliban threaten the existence of the current gov't and routinely target gov't employees in addition to ANA. Why is the Afghan gov't silent?

This allegation defies all logic and is pure sensational journalism.

The TTP is largely active in FATA and Swat. This is the distinction between the various groups that we have been pointing out on the FATA threads. The groups that are primarily active in Afghanistan are those of Mullah Nazri, Gul Bahadur, Hekmetyar, Haqqani etc. while Mehsud, Faqir Mohamed, Mullah Fazlullah etc. have primarily focused on fighting the PA. This is why US drone strikes are almost always in the territory of the above mentioned figures, and hardly ever directed at the TTP fighting in Pakistan.

The focus of the TTP on fighting the PA even led Mullah Omar to strongly denounce the TTP and ask it to not fight the PA but NATO forces in Afghanistan. India supporting these forces would have little blow back in Afghanistan directly.

The US has also pursued a strong strategic relationship with India, ostensibly to build a counterweight to China, steam rolling the 123 agreement through the NSG etc.

So no, the article does not 'defy logic'.