ISI Did not create Taliban- Taliban FM

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Pakistan’s intelligence agencies did not create Taliban: former Taliban FM​

* Mutawakil doubts Taliban will attend Islamabad peace jirga
* Claims foreign troops needed until Afghans can resolve differences
* Says there is no such thing as ‘moderate’ Taliban

By Daud Khattak

KABUL: A former Afghan diplomat has denied the claim that Pakistani intelligence agencies created the Taliban and aided their government, saying that the “roots of the Afghan problem lie inside Afghanistan”.

Maulvi Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil, foreign minister in the Taliban regime, told Daily Times from his residence here that, “In my view, the root cause of the problem lies in Afghanistan and a solution must be sought within the war-devastated country.” He said Afghanistan’s internal situation, including the establishment of mini-states by warlords, infighting among mujahideen and widespread lawlessness in the wake of the Soviet pullout had led to the emergence of the Taliban, which had drawn support from all segments of Afghan society.

He said the best way of bringing peace to Afghanistan was to let the Afghans decide their own future without any outside interference. He appreciated the recent peace jirga between Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying the positive beginning could go a long way towards resolving Kabul-Islamabad disagreements. However, he added, the jirga “would not address internal issues facing Afghanistan”.

No Taliban at jirga: He said he did not believe the Taliban would attend the second jirga in Islamabad considering their opposition to the first jirga. He said the US-led coalition’s support was required for successful peace talks with the Taliban. “The US-led coalition, NATO troops and other international backers of the Afghan government must lend support to negotiations. It is the only way out of the existing quagmire,” he said.

He said the existing security situation was dismal, adding that the Afghan government had failed to bring about peace and stability by opting for war. They did not attempt to initiate dialogue after toppling the Taliban regime, he added.

Favours foreign troops: Mutawakil said he favoured the presence of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan until the various Afghan factions were independently able to resolve their problems. He said it would not be a speedy process and would require time and patience. He said the battles between Taliban insurgents and foreign troops would never end and could only lead to bad consequences for Afghanistan. “Whether balanced or otherwise, a war such as the one being fought by NATO and coalition forces in Afghanistan can never reach a logical conclusion,” opined the former minister.

Regarding the replacement of NATO and US troops with a force drawn from Muslim countries, Mutawakil said foreign armies were not the answer to the Afghan imbroglio. He also said neighbouring countries such as China, Russia, Iran and Saudi Arabia did not have a good history of participation in the region’s peace efforts.

No moderate Taliban: Concerning talks between “moderate” Taliban and some European countries, he said there was no such thing as a moderate Taliban. Seen as a moderate Taliban himself, Mutawakil confessed that the Taliban regime had made several mistakes. However, he said they would amend those in any future set up. He also said he thought that Mullah Omar was still controlling the Taliban. “Considering that no other man inside the movement has challenged him, it is enough to believe he is leading the militia,” he concluded.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

“CIA worked in tandem with Pak to create Taliban”

LONDON: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) worked in tandem with Pakistan to create the "monster" that is today Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, a leading US expert on South Asia said here.
"I warned them that we were creating a monster," Selig Harrison from the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars said at the conference here last week on "Terrorism and Regional Security: Managing the Challenges in Asia."
Harrison said: "The CIA made a historic mistake in encouraging Islamic groups from all over the world to come to Afghanistan." The US provided $3 billion for building up these Islamic groups, and it accepted Pakistan's demand that they should decide how this money should be spent, Harrison said.
Harrison, who spoke before the Taliban assault on the Buddha statues was launched, told the gathering of security experts that he had meetings with CIA leaders at the time when Islamic forces were being strengthened in Afghanistan. "They told me these people were fanatical, and the more fierce they were the more fiercely they would fight the Soviets," he said. "I warned them that we were creating a monster."
Harrison, who has written five books on Asian affairs and US relations with Asia, has had extensive contact with the CIA and political leaders in South Asia. Harrison was a senior associate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace between 1974 and 1996.
Harrison who is now senior fellow with The Century Foundation recalled a conversation he had with the late Gen Zia-ul Haq of Pakistan. "Gen Zia spoke to me about expanding Pakistan's sphere of influence to control Afghanistan, then Uzbekistan and Tajikstan and then Iran and Turkey," Harrison said. That design continues, he said. Gen.Mohammed Aziz who was involved in that Zia plan has been elevated now to a key position by Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Harrison said.
The old associations between the intelligence agencies continue, Harrison said. "The CIA still has close links with the ISI (Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence)."
Today that money and those weapons have helped build up the Taliban, Harrison said. "The Taliban are not just recruits from 'madrassas' (Muslim theological schools) but are on the payroll of the ISI (Inter Services Intelligence, the intelligence wing of the Pakistani government)." The Taliban are now "making a living out of terrorism."
Harrison said the UN Security Council resolution number 1333 calls for an embargo on arms to the Taliban. "But it is a resolution without teeth because it does not provide sanctions for non-compliance," he said. "The US is not backing the Russians who want to give more teeth to the resolution."
Now it is Pakistan that "holds the key to the future of Afghanistan," Harrison said. The creation of the Taliban was central to Pakistan's "pan-Islamic vision," Harrison said.
It came after "the CIA made the historic mistake of encouraging Islamic groups from all over the world to come to Afghanistan," he said. The creation of the Taliban had been "actively encouraged by the ISI and the CIA," he said. "Pakistan has been building up Afghan collaborators who will sustain Pakistan," he said. (IANS)
CIA worked in tandem with Pakistan to create the Taliban 7 Mar 01

I wonder when and how the lines merged from the Mujhaideens to the Taliban or did they not merge at all?

Or the difference betweem the Mujahideens, AQ and Taliban.

It appears that these terms are used as and when it is convenient to use them.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I wonder when and how the lines merged from the Mujhaideens to the Taliban or did they not merge at all?

Or the difference betweem the Mujahideens, AQ and Taliban.

It appears that these terms are used as and when it is convenient to use them.

I agree. From all I have read, Mullah Omar started his movement against oppression from his own town, and soon built up support. The Pakistani support, private and "official", probably came in when they realized that the Taliban presented a hope for stability on its eastern border, and a much friendlier regime than the Northern Alliance chaps.

Of course the Tribal chaps pitched in with men and money of their own, and its obvious that they don't have trouble getting their hands on that stuff even when they are not in charge.

 

[HAIDER]

Those who watch "SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING" (I think 2004 or 2005 on CPAN )(Can found in CSPAN section of Congress library)about the formation of Taliban. Wouldn't deny the fact of CIA and ISI form Taliban.Admitted by top govt officials.

 

[antiobl]

Wouldn't deny the fact of CIA and ISI form Taliban.Admitted by top govt officials.

Back in the 90s, Afghanistan had two major groups and several smaller warlords fighting for control over that hell-hole of a country. One became known as Taliban mostly comprising of Pashtoons. The other group was known as Northern Alliance (NA).

Taliban were lead by Mullah Omer, and NA was headed by Masood. Both of these groups and many other war lords took money from sources all over the world. Taliban got money from Pakistanis and Americans etc. NA on the other hand got money and arms from India, Iran, Turkey, France, and Russia.

Unfortunately for Pakistan and USA, their warlord Omer got married (virtually) with Bin Laden, and the rest (as they say) is history.

The bottom line is that Taliban, NA and other warlords were Afghanis who got money form different sources. Therefore it is fruitless to accuse only ISI or one country for supporting an Afghan warlord.

Remember this! If there are bunch of women providing their "services" for cash-and-carry clients, then why would you pick on just one of the customers and ignore others including: India, Turkey, Iran, France, Russia, and above all Bin Laden?

 

[Energon]

I agree. From all I have read, Mullah Omar started his movement against oppression from his own town, and soon built up support. The Pakistani support, private and "official", probably came in when they realized that the Taliban presented a hope for stability on its eastern border, and a much friendlier regime than the Northern Alliance chaps.

Of course the Tribal chaps pitched in with men and money of their own, and its obvious that they don't have trouble getting their hands on that stuff even when they are not in charge.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it Benazir's administration in 1994 that decided to support the Taliban? If so, that would be very ironic, given her current rhetoric.

 

[dabong1]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it Benazir's administration in 1994 that decided to support the Taliban? If so, that would be very ironic, given her current rhetoric.

In 1994, there was a serious failure of the Pakistani cotton crop, which threatened to bring its textile industry to a standstill. Asif Zardari, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, then prime minister, entered into a contract for the purchase of a large quantity of cotton. The Turkmen authorities wanted to send the cotton to Iran and from there ship it to Karachi.

Zardari did not agree. Instead, he asked them to send the cotton by road via Afghanistan. He had the contract for the road transport of the cotton awarded to a Pakistani crony of his based in Hong Kong. But the first two cotton convoys from Turkmenistan were looted by mujahideen groups operating in the Herat area of Afghanistan.

Zardari thereupon sent retired Major-General Nasirullah Babbar, Benazir Bhutto's interior minister, and Pervez Musharraf (then just in the army) to Afghanistan to provide protection to the cotton convoys. They asked Mullah Omar, who subsequently became the amir of the Taliban, to collect a large number of students (Talibs) from the madrassas of Pakistan and constitute them into a force for the protection of the cotton convoys.
They were helped in this by Fazlur Rahman and his protégé, Mufi Shamzai of the Binori madrassa of Karachi.
Thus, in one sense, the Taliban was born as a force.

 

[Energon]

^^ damn. I didn't know Benazir had more intimate connection with the Taliban prior to supporting them militarily to take over.

This is another reason why bringing her back is such a bad idea imo. One of the primary problems that has historically plagued Pakistan politics is tit for tat revenge scheme between different politicians. Now you have a third party which is coming in with bombs strapped to their chest. I cannot possibly see how this can be a good thing for the people of Pakistan.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

In 1994, there was a serious failure of the Pakistani cotton crop, which threatened to bring its textile industry to a standstill. Asif Zardari, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, then prime minister, entered into a contract for the purchase of a large quantity of cotton. The Turkmen authorities wanted to send the cotton to Iran and from there ship it to Karachi.

Zardari did not agree. Instead, he asked them to send the cotton by road via Afghanistan. He had the contract for the road transport of the cotton awarded to a Pakistani crony of his based in Hong Kong. But the first two cotton convoys from Turkmenistan were looted by mujahideen groups operating in the Herat area of Afghanistan.

Zardari thereupon sent retired Major-General Nasirullah Babbar, Benazir Bhutto's interior minister, and Pervez Musharraf (then just in the army) to Afghanistan to provide protection to the cotton convoys. They asked Mullah Omar, who subsequently became the amir of the Taliban, to collect a large number of students (Talibs) from the madrassas of Pakistan and constitute them into a force for the protection of the cotton convoys.
They were helped in this by Fazlur Rahman and his protégé, Mufi Shamzai of the Binori madrassa of Karachi.
Thus, in one sense, the Taliban was born as a force.

Wow!

I sure did not know this!

Is there any official link or record to this or is this popular knowledge.

Politics sure makes strange bedfellows!

 

[dabong1]

Wow!

I sure did not know this!

Is there any official link or record to this or is this popular knowledge.

Politics sure makes strange bedfellows!

As far as i am aware this is common knowledge,if you want the links google benazir,taliban.

 

[antiobl]

In 1994, there was a serious failure of the Pakistani cotton crop, which threatened to bring its textile industry to a standstill. Asif Zardari, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, then prime minister, entered into a contract for the purchase of a large quantity of cotton. The Turkmen authorities wanted to send the cotton to Iran and from there ship it to Karachi.
.....

Good story!

However cotton was not the only objective for Pakistanis and Americans. You can buy shiploads of cotton on slightly higher prices than going through a complicated process of setting up Taliban.

Pakistanis and Americans wanted to get oil pipelines through the south, and any group be it Mullah or Haji was to be supported. Russians saw this and sent in pro-Soviet Afghanis. These Niazovs and Qazimovs became Mullah Niaz and Mullah Qazi.

So in a way Taliban had many masters and funding sources. In the end however Wahabi-Arabs won the Talibanic pot albeit for a short time.

Off course by then Northren Alliance switched its masters from Ruskies to Americans and Kabul was theirs again.

This is how the pathetic history of Afghanistan is and the blame goes squarely on the shoulders of Afghanis more than any ISIers or BBer.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it Benazir's administration in 1994 that decided to support the Taliban? If so, that would be very ironic, given her current rhetoric.

Not necessarily.

While the Taliban had their faults, their rule ushered in a tectonic change, from completely ungovernable badlands ruled by drug lords, war lords, smugglers and criminals, to a region where poppy cultivation dropped to its lowest levels in a while, crime dropped drastically, and peace reigned.

Afghanistan was worse than Iraq, on a bad day, not necessarily from the POV of bombs going off, but the lack of security, the complete loss of any sanctity of life or material possessions.

Pakistan was obviously suffering the consequences of this instability as well, given the porous border between the two sides. The Taliban, I still believe, presented a choice between the lesser of two evils. In that context, the same reasoning that led to Pakistan supporting them, to establish some semblance of stability in a country with strong cultural and ethnic ties to Western Pakistan, was responsible for our abandonment of them post 911. Now with the West finally taking an interest in stabilizing Afghanistan, their insurgency, and support for it from the Tribal areas, became more of a threat to Pakistani stability.

BB has been consistent from the POV of supporting Pakistani interests, in the matter of the Taliban at least.

Of course I am oversimplifying, the other posters have mentioned valid points as well, but at the root of everything was "stability in Afghanistan" - of some sort - whether the reason for desiring stability was "strategic depth", "pipelines", "cotton" (which I had never heard of before either).