Pakistan's ISI intelligence agency 'supports' Taliban: UK University

[jagjitnatt]

So now we're considering someone's homework assignment as "report" now?

This was no homework assignment. It is a research supported by LSE.

Do you think someone would go and meet personally all the Taliban leaders to do his homework?

Institutions like LSE don't publish articles until and unless they have been thoroughly checked and found true.

 

[Awesome]

I am reading - but are you? Have you read the excerpt I posted and what the report claims Zardari did and said? The same guy whose wife was killed by the Taliban and who the West is supporting to 'bring under civilian control' the military and ISI.

Why would the ISI, if it was involved in supporting the Taliban, even trust Zardari with such information and involve him given that he is already considered a lackey of the West in Pakistan by many hardliners?

It's pretty ridiculous that Zardari would work with the ISI against the US.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Political parties in Pakistan have always been puppet governments where the real operators have been the army. Zardari is just a tool. He himself doesn't know what he is doing. He's doing what the army is making him do.

So I won't blame the political parties for what is happening right now. They are being used. The real culprits should be taken care of.

The part in bold is really lame - the President of Pakistan allegedly goes to see Taliban leaders in a prison, and promises them, according to the report, “You are our people, we are friends, and after your release we will of course support you to do your operations,” he said, according to the source.

He vowed to release the less well-known commanders in the near future and said that the “famous” Taliban leaders would be freed at a later date.

That is not 'ignorance of ones actions'. If true, Zardari would have to be completely committed to the Taliban cause, which, as much as I dislike the guy, is completely preposterous given that he is a Shia, liberal, and had his wife massacred by the Taliban, and rarely leaves his Presidential Palace for fear of being assassinated by the Taliban.

Again, given the distrust of Zardari amongst hardliners, the ISI, if involved in supporting the Taliban, would have no need to involve him, especially given how close he is considered to the West.

 

[Awesome]

Some idiot went to Afghanistan, met up with some Afghans who called themselves Taliban commanders and bought every BS they fed him

 

[jagjitnatt]

I am reading - but are you? Have you read the excerpt I posted and what the report claims Zardari did and said? The same guy whose wife was killed by the Taliban and who the West is supporting to 'bring under civilian control' the military and ISI.

Why would the ISI, if it was involved in supporting the Taliban, even trust Zardari with such information and involve him given that he is already considered a lackey of the West in Pakistan by many hardliners?

Do you think Zardari is running the country? From what I know he can't even run a bhel puri stall.


Zardari has no way but to do what he's being told to do, otherwise he too will end up like the rest of the leaders of Pakistan, jailed or killed. ISI and the army are too powerful and the political parties are too weak. All Zardari can do is make some money while he's there, and let the governance be done by the Army.

 

[Awesome]

Institutions like LSE don't publish articles until and unless they have been thoroughly checked and found true.

Researchers commonly publish theories. Theories have not been substantiated as fact, just as this guy is running one ridiculous theory after the other.

You think Zardari has the guts to meet Taliban leaders? He can't even step out of his Presidency to meet his most loyal supporters.

Lol @ checked and found true...

 

[Awesome]

Do you think Zardari is running the country? From what I know he can't even run a bhel puri stall.


Zardari has no way but to do what he's being told to do, otherwise he too will end up like the rest of the leaders of Pakistan, jailed or killed.

Are you going to say Zardari was taken at Gun point to meet the Taliban? Why would ISI even bother with involving Zardari to do a clandestine deal? Zardari is the freakin president, not James Bond that he'd go on missions.

 

[jeypore]

I am reading - but are you? Have you read the excerpt I posted and what the report claims Zardari did and said? The same guy whose wife was killed by the Taliban and who the West is supporting to 'bring under civilian control' the military and ISI.

Why would the ISI, if it was involved in supporting the Taliban, even trust Zardari with such information and involve him given that he is already considered a lackey of the West in Pakistan by many hardliners?

Because AGNO you cannot give me an Ink link of proof that Zardari is running the country as well as running any operations against Taliban.. Am I right...

Putting ISI under civilian power was very important, and you know that because Americans as well as Indians where fighting for this after the Mumbai attacks.... What did Pakistan do to show loyalty towards US as well India in terms of peaceful situation. The Answer is Nothing!!!!!!

This article is Good and AGNO you cannot defend it!!!!

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

This was no homework assignment. It is a research supported by LSE.

Do you think someone would go and meet personally all the Taliban leaders to do his homework?

Institutions like LSE don't publish articles until and unless they have been thoroughly checked and found true.

The report is primarily based on the statements/opinions of eight Taliban field commanders the author(s) met.

The authors may have indeed met 8 Taliban field commanders and the commanders may have indeed said all this, but given the charges against Zardari, which are rather preposterous given his background, I would argue the veracity of the report is under a cloud.

 

[Awesome]

It's easy to pin something on the ISI. They are spooks, nobody knows their people by name (or real names). But when you make a claim against the President to have come and met Taliban then that's pretty incredible.

 

[jagjitnatt]

Researchers commonly publish theories. Theories have not been substantiated as fact, just as this guy is running one ridiculous theory after the other.

You think Zardari has the guts to meet Taliban leaders? He can't even step out of his Presidency to meet his most loyal supporters.

Lol @ checked and found true...

According to the report, he met them in prison. So I don't think he needed guts to do that.

Who knows the recent arrests of the Taliban leaders in Pak, could be to save them from the US. Fits perfectly with the LSE story. doesn't it?

But since there's nothing confirming that, I'd refute that idea.

 

[Awesome]

Because AGNO you cannot give me an Ink link of proof that Zardari is running the country as well as running any operations against Taliban.. Am I right...

Whether or not that is a question, the thing is why would ISI even bother taking Zardari on board if his opinion didn't matter?

And if it did, why would the President go meet Taliban commanders to strike some deals with them?

Putting ISI under civilian power was very important, and you know that because Americans as well as Indians where fighting for this after the Mumbai attacks.... What did Pakistan do to show loyalty towards US as well India in terms of peaceful situation. The Answer is Nothing!!!!!!

This article is Good and AGNO you cannot defend it!!!!

Good article? Loyalty towards US? Your liberal use of exclamations aside, do you have any point relevant to this discussion?

 

[jagjitnatt]

Are you going to say Zardari was taken at Gun point to meet the Taliban? Why would ISI even bother with involving Zardari to do a clandestine deal? Zardari is the freakin president, not James Bond that he'd go on missions.

Why does ISI need to point a gun when the president is evident of its power?

If Osama call you and asks you to do something, will you wait until he puts a gun to your head? No. ISI's power is known to everyone in the govt. What happened to the previous democratic presidents who tried to govern on their own?

Either jailed or killed. Do you think Zardari would take suck a risk?

 

[SMC]

To be frank these allegations come out very often without any proof. And thus can't be taken seriously. The evidence being discussed in the article - well what is the evidence?

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Because AGNO you cannot give me an Ink link of proof that Zardari is running the country as well as running any operations against Taliban.. Am I right...

Please read the excerpt from the report I posted earlier before replying to me again - it quite clearly alleges that Zardari met with arrested Taliban leaders, assured them of cooperation in their operations and even promised release of a few leaders, which then actually occurred. That would mean he was in direct contact with the Taliban leadership and intimately aware of alleged pro-Taliban operations and even ordered the release of some Taliban leaders.

Putting ISI under civilian power was very important, and you know that because Americans as well as Indians where fighting for this after the Mumbai attacks.... What did Pakistan do to show loyalty towards US as well India in terms of peaceful situation. The Answer is Nothing!!!!!!

This article is Good and AGNO you cannot defend it!!!!

Did you read my previous post about the structure of the ISI and who appoints the DG ISI and who he reports to? Please take time to read the posts instead of making knee jerk comments.

And civilian control of the ISI has nothing to do with this 'report', since it alleges the 'civilian President, a Shia and liberal' was apparently meeting captured Taliban leaders, promising them support for their operations and ordering the release of some Taliban leaders.

The report shot itself in the foot with that cockamamie story, unless the Times Online reported it incorrectly.