Mumbai Attacks

[Flintlock]

Severing ISI link with terror groups in progress: Boucher

* US official says Obama’s special envoy will focus particularly on Pakistan, Afghanistan

Daily Times Monitor

LAHORE: Severing the link of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) from Pakistan-based terrorist groups ‘is a work in progress’ and the United States will make sure that it is done effectively, US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher told Outlook India on Saturday.

Talking to Ashish Kumar Sen in Washington, Boucher said Pakistan had been off to a ‘promising start’ in the process, but a lot more needed to be done to eliminate the threat. He said the US did not support calls in India to strike suspected terrorist sites in Pakistan, but did want to see the source of terror eliminated.

“We want to see the groups that helped organise this from Pakistani soil eliminated. The most effective way is to work with the Pakistanis,” Boucher told Outlook India.

Commenting on the Indian demands that Pakistan hand over Mumbai attacks’ masterminds to New Delhi, Boucher said the US expected to “deal with those kinds of legal questions in the appropriate legal framework and legal process”.

“Which means the investigators will investigate,” he told the paper.

Boucher said there was no need to draw any conclusions about the information contained in the dossier regarding the Mumbai attacks, which India provided to Pakistan.

“One shouldn’t draw too many distinctions about this information. It is useful information. Each side needs to take it, needs to explore it, needs to build on it,” he told the Outlook. Boucher said the Obama administration’s special envoy on South Asia “will focus particularly on Pakistan and Afghanistan because of the related nature of some of their problems”.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[s90]

"I think 99 per cent of my customers are Muslim,"

.......i also

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

isnt this wat everyone is saying? why target only indian leaders?

We get a reaction from the Indians on this forum!

But seriously, no offense to you guys personally. Quite honestly these statements are repeated so often, despite India's own exoneration of our institutions in the investigation, as well as that of the FBI, CIA, SY, that they hold little credibility anymore.

I read that report before Salahadin started the thread, dn continued on. A month ago I woudl have started the thread and bashed him no end. Its just absurd now.

I doubt any one in the world community is buying this stuff either - yes the ISI has worked with kashmiri militant groups, but India has also violated her international commitments on resolving Kashmir. The two go hand in hand. That is why you will note that bar India, no one else has asked Pakistan to act beyond the LeT/JuD and the alleged perpetrators, and against the entire Kashmiri Freedom movement.

So long as the rest of the groups confine themselves to fighting Indian security forces, and the region remains disputed, I doubt anyone is going to put a huge amount of pressure on Pakistan. Even the pressure in 2002 was after the Parliament attack, and becasue of the threat of war.

Pakistan is also investigating the attacks, and I think the world is going to wait and see what the investigation concludes, and what Pakistan will do as a follow up, in terms of prosecutions etc. of the suspects.

 

[srijeesh]

I think the world is going to wait and see what the investigation concludes, and what Pakistan will do as a follow up, in terms of prosecutions etc. of the suspects.

isnt this wat india is also doing?

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

isnt this wat india is also doing?

In reality yes, but then it also goes into these 'fits', like the GoI has turrets or something, and periodically blurts out something about 'Pakistani institutions are involved'.

I mean really, as I repeatedly have said, India's own evidence dossier said that no evidence of Pakistani institutional involvement was found - so why are all your leaders contradicting their own evidence and investigation?

Its obviously just distortions to try and keep pressure on Pakistan, but it has gone on so long that it is starting to wear thin. It has also poisoned the atmosphere between the two countries at an official and individual level.

Completely irresponsible behavior by the GoI.

 

[Flintlock]

Well, there's a clearly a misunderstanding on what is meant by "official involvement". As I read in another article, the system in Pakistan is hardly transparent, and often nobody knows who did what to whom.
It is unlikely therfore that the top officials in Pakistan were involved in the attack, but highly likely that some lower-level officials were.

 

[Patriot]

Oh right, more whining and tantrums over weapons sales to Pakistan.

Heavens forbid we have the ability to defend ourselves from Indian warmongers and aggression.

Someone pass the whiskey please!

Man US Army and USAF are dumb people.They are using F-16's in Afghanistan.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Well, there's a clearly a misunderstanding on what is meant by "official involvement". As I read in another article, the system in Pakistan is hardly transparent, and often nobody knows who did what to whom.
It is unlikely therfore that the top officials in Pakistan were involved in the attack, but highly likely that some lower-level officials were.

That would be the case in any intelligence agency when you have operators in the field - though authorization/disbursement of funds, at a level that such an operation might require, woudl still be monitored by someone high up in the institution.

The fact is that there is nothign in this operation that could not have been obtained off the street - the Taliban and AQ in FATA/Afghanistan have shown that they have access to weapons and resources to accomplish this. That is basically what the Indian argument is, that this could not have been done without 'official involvement'.

But by that standard the insurgency in FATA/Swat, which is even more sophisticated and well funded, cannot be possible without 'Official Indian involvement'. Just today I heard on CNN that one third of gang members arrested in the LA area have military training (ex-military). It is highly likely the some ex-military in Pakistan may have joined the ranks of these groups. If it can happen in the US, it can happen in Pakistan.

 

[blain2]

You still want to deny that the ISI trains and equips militants?

Yes we do. ISI is not about helping and training any or everyone who has a bone to pick with India. There are legitimate interests in the Kashmir Valley struggle, but as far as supporting loonies who go around killing innocents all over India, please! Give us some credit. In this case there is no connection! You guys have been proven wrong by the British and Americans alike. Lets not start getting over our heads here. I know you folks have many bones to pick with ISI and the Pakistan Army, however this time, you are clearly overreaching and trying to make connections which have no basis or are ill-founded. Reminds me of the "terrorist Army" campaign in the NYT post Kargil to settle scores.

 

[blain2]

Well, there's a clearly a misunderstanding on what is meant by "official involvement". As I read in another article, the system in Pakistan is hardly transparent, and often nobody knows who did what to whom.
It is unlikely therfore that the top officials in Pakistan were involved in the attack, but highly likely that some lower-level officials were.

Well then lets be very clear in how that is stated (if you have proof of lower elements being involved then provide it). The way the claim has been made sounds like DG-ISI and all of the ISI is involved in it with the directions coming from GoP. Classic hyperbole...

 

[Flintlock]

^What is your view on Richard Boucher's comments?

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

^What is your view on Richard Boucher's comments?

Playing to the gallery ...

 

[Flintlock]

Playing to the gallery ...

That's it? A senior US official is 'playing to the gallery'?

 

[blain2]

That would be the case in any intelligence agency when you have operators in the field - though authorization/disbursement of funds, at a level that such an operation might require, woudl still be monitored by someone high up in the institution.

The fact is that there is nothign in this operation that could not have been obtained off the street - the Taliban and AQ in FATA/Afghanistan have shown that they have access to weapons and resources to accomplish this. That is basically what the Indian argument is, that this could not have been done without 'official involvement'.

But by that standard the insurgency in FATA/Swat, which is even more sophisticated and well funded, cannot be possible without 'Official Indian involvement'. Just today I heard on CNN that one third of gang members arrested in the LA area have military training (ex-military). It is highly likely the some ex-military in Pakistan may have joined the ranks of these groups. If it can happen in the US, it can happen in Pakistan.

AM,

Until its proven, I would say even the chances of ex-servicemen from Pakistan is remote.

Indians are amazed at the level of the training because of the way these guys handled AK-47 and the grenades,, well welcome to the post 9/11 terror. We are fighting extremely motivated people and small arms proficiency is no big deal. They are well trained and can give a fight. That should come as no surprise to anyone. The arms and logistics can be arranged without any sort of official support. Pakistani military formations are amazed at the level of equipment, communications gear and logistics that the AQ linked militants have as they have found out while fighting them since 2002.

Indians need to move away from this Pakistan bogey. This problem has international connections. It does not make sense for either the GoP or the ISI to sanction something that would result in the killings of civilians of Indian, American, British, Israeli and many other nationalities. It is essentially like painting a bulls eye on yourself...I have absolutely no reason to believe that ISI is in anyway linked.

 

[blain2]

^What is your view on Richard Boucher's comments?

Well for that matter what are your views on Miliband and Noble's comments?