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

[TechLahore]

Frankly, this has all become comical now. Every few days there is some great disclosure that seeks to associate the Pakistani state with the Taliban and hence apply pressure on Pakistan to do task a, b or c. In most cases, Pakistan has resisted these pressures. In brief, I think NATO have failed and are now looking to Pakistan to do their job for them. Evacuating border posts and allowing Afghans to cross into Pakistan while the Pak Army was acting in FATA can be seen as trying to ship the problem to Pakistan where the PA would be forced to handle it. Or it can be seen as conspiracy. I see it as the former.

This underlying thread of running away and leaving Pakistan to deal with the aftermath is now visible in myriad ways... And by the way, this is what we have been saying all along. That ultimately NATO/ISAF will cut and run, but we are here to stay. Essentially since NATO have been roundly beaten and couldn't even manage to put a leash on a former convenience store operator/UNOCAL employee with no political base in Afghanistan who they themselves planted as President, it is now time to run off and make the Afghan scenario Pakistan's problem. Public support for this campaign is running low, Obama's deadline is approaching, Gates is getting nervous, McChrystal is feeling pressured, Marjah didn't quite work, the violence in Afghanistan is increasing and so are casualties and the capacity building initiatives for Afghan institutions have basically yielded naught. The warlord militia infested "Army" and "Police" will survive for about 15 minutes post NATO.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/14/marjah-operation-not-acco_n_498142.html

http://www.truth-out.org/marjah-success-military-hell-residents57229

http://afpak.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/05/25/showtime_in_kandahar

There is now infighting going on within NATO institutions themselves. They can't even manage to speak with one voice. Just a few days ago the UK Government was attempting to extend an olive branch to the ISI by saying it believed the Pakistani state was not involved in any way with the Mumbai episode. Now this two bit nonsensical report comes out which uses Taliban leaders as sources. I didn't know the West was now trusting the word of Afghan Taliban leaders. Because according to these very same sources, almost all of Afghanistan is under their control, the West will lose the war, the surge will fail and more body bags will be sent back and eventually the mighty west will fall. Let's believe the Taliban in all their rhetoric... why be selective? If it had to come to this - believing the Taliban - there was no need for the war at all. Because Mullah Omar had given his word that he would hand Osama over for a trial in a muslim country and had also sworn up and down that the Taliban didn't have anything to do with 9/11. This trust of the Taliban, I'm afraid, is coming a little too late and may be a large scale example of Stockholm syndrome.

I find one line of reasoning in this paper particularly interesting... that until the ISI stops supporting the Taliban the insurgency won't end, and by implication, victory will not be had by NATO. Well, now! Sounds to me like someone is worried about failing miserably in Afghanistan and is trying to find scapegoats to blame the impending failure on. There are already media reports out that the Marja op did not go as planned, and that the Kandahar operation will employ a different tactic. There is also a public statement by Robert Gates that unless the military - McChrystal specifically - makes progress by the end of this year, the American people will no longer support the war.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...public-support-for-Afghan-war-is-limited.html

All of this must be putting tremendous pressure on the NATO/ISAF military leadership. They are basically staring failure in the eye, if one pieces together their own statements and reports as briefly mentioned above. Now would be a good time to start coming up with a contingency plan; a set of scapegoats to blame everything on when disaster finally strikes.

This article is nothing but desperation and confusion mixed together. I fear the NATO Afghan campaign will be a larger-than-life playback of the Blackhawk down episode where Pakistani soldiers had to go in under fire and bring the NATO/Allied soldiers safely back home. Oh well. Such is our burden I suppose.

http://mtrtmk.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/pakistan-army-saves-american-marines/

 

[ajpirzada]

last time one of the universities gave the exact location of OBL. and LSE is famous for eocnomics and not strategic analysis of insurgency.

and this report is nothing weird at all. with US failing to meet its time line and mid term elections getting close, pak not agreeing to soften its stance on indian centric concerns in afghanistan and Karzari loosing faith in US and Nato strategy, such propaganda was long due.

 

[M8R]

British and their desperate tactics!In autumn 2006, a leaked report by a British Defense Ministry think tank charged, "Indirectly Pakistan (through the ISI) has been supporting terrorism and extremism-whether in London on 7/7 [the July 2005 attacks on London's transit system], or in Afghanistan, or Iraq." .Following the release of the British report regarding its July 7, 2005 bombings of London's mass transit system--which London insists is not a statement of policy--Weinbaum said it makes "too broad a statement." Though Pakistan does offer safe haven to Kashmiri groups, and perhaps some Taliban fighters, the suggestion that the ISI is responsible for the 7/7 bombings is "a real stretch," Gannon says."I do not accept the thesis that the ISI is a rogue organization," Milam says. "It's a disciplined army unit that does what it's told, though it may push the envelope sometimes.""- William Milam, former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan.

 

[Aslan]

So if Afghan Taliban are India's enemy, then AT attacking Indian targets is justified ??? They doing what anyone does to its enemy ???

And can we get rid of this strategic depth thing once and for all.

Afghanistan is not and has not any use as strategic depth for us.

All its usefulness is a country which is friendly to Pakistan and doesn't cause problems for it, and we have to confront one enemy only on the eastern borders, not on both sides, that is all Pakistan wants, it is not gonna send its forces or military equipment to fight another day with the Indians, its impossible.

Having a friendly country on Pak-Afghan border is not strategic depth.

And in many instances, the AT have been giving a helping hand to the TTP guys on this side of the border also, so its not entirely true that AT have nothing done bad against Pakistan, they have and are doing and most probably will keep on doing.

TTP guys ousted from SW getting a refugee in pro-AT groups NW is a big example of this link.

The only reason as you have mentioned already is that we are not ready to be under the same situation as we were in 71 Logistically speaking. But this time if we relax and let them settle, it might be that we would end up surrounded which we pretty much are at this time. And also there are countless examples where the TTP and TTA have worked together, hell I can safely throw in ISAF as well. As they have known to work with the Talibs more then the ISI or any one else. And still these clown can only come out with reports against ISI.

 

[Awesome]

Btw, who is the author of this report? An Indian origin London resident?

Edit: Nevermind, still pretty much unclear who wrote the report, multiple names coming on google.

 

[ahmed_naj]

last time one of the universities gave the exact location of OBL. and LSE is famous for eocnomics and not strategic analysis of insurgency.

I remember that, some professor from some US Uni (i think UCLA) said that OBL was in Parachinar!

 

[notsuperstitious]

So if Afghan Taliban are India's enemy, then AT attacking Indian targets is justified ??? They doing what anyone does to its enemy ???

And can we get rid of this strategic depth thing once and for all.

Afghanistan is not and has not any use as strategic depth for us.

All its usefulness is a country which is friendly to Pakistan and doesn't cause problems for it, and we have to confront one enemy only on the eastern borders, not on both sides, that is all Pakistan wants, it is not gonna send its forces or military equipment to fight another day with the Indians, its impossible.

Having a friendly country on Pak-Afghan border is not strategic depth.

And in many instances, the AT have been giving a helping hand to the TTP guys on this side of the border also, so its not entirely true that AT have nothing done bad against Pakistan, they have and are doing and most probably will keep on doing.

TTP guys ousted from SW getting a refugee in pro-AT groups NW is a big example of this link.

Taimi and Khalid, Please see my reply in the context of the allegation on India that I quoted.

Any country that wants Afghan govt to succeed is AT's enemy, thats how the lines are drawn. But AT have been attacking Indian interests with particular emphasis on getting India to withdraw - thats a Pakistani demand.

I have no doubt that AT is an evil force, but they can be used to meet one's goals, and thats the allegation. I did not even comment on that, I only replied to the counter allegation on India.

 

[Awesome]

Report slams Pakistan for meddling in Afghanistan | Reuters

Gives only a passing reference in the middle of the article to Matt Waldman and mentions he's a student at the Harvard University - So which uni is it?

 

[ice_man]

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.

& OFCOURSE BHARKHA DUTT TOLD YOU THIS??? or is it some ZEE NEWS reoprter?? or times of india!!


the army wishes to remove zardari but are scared that removing zardari might make him another hero just like the bhuttos have become!!!

for once in the history of pakistan the army currently is helpless & has to just wait for NAWAZ to remove zardari or the SC to make a move!!!

as for "talking to taliban"!!!

firstly the AFGHAN government is talking to taliban and even the US is saying good taliban & bad taliban!!! so are they also INVOLVED & HELPING THE TALIBAN???

 

[Ganga]

Btw, who is the author of this report? An Indian origin London resident?

Edit: Nevermind, still pretty much unclear who wrote the report, multiple names coming on google.

No.He is a white guy.They interviewed him in BBC.He said that helping the taliban was official policy of the ISI.

 

[idune]

First: since when London school of economics (LSE) became place for defense and strategic studies??

Second: UK plunged into financial crisis bacame center for propaganda manufacturing. Its sad to see institution like LSE has been deduced to such low level and became vehicle for propaganda central. Just other day another propaganda came out of UK related to KSA allowing Israel its airspace, which was dismissed by Saudis.

Third: indians are increasingly taking adavantage of UK downfall and using UK base for their propaganda business.

 

[Aslan]

Taimi and Khalid, Please see my reply in the context of the allegation on India that I quoted.

Any country that wants Afghan govt to succeed is AT's enemy, thats how the lines are drawn. But AT have been attacking Indian interests with particular emphasis on getting India to withdraw - thats a Pakistani demand.

I have no doubt that AT is an evil force, but they can be used to meet one's goals, and thats the allegation. I did not even comment on that, I only replied to the counter allegation on India.

Well so far there have been no prove to pin every thing at ISI with respect to the attack on the consulates, except for the allegations by the GOI. The way the AT will look at things is that ISAF and indians and every one else that is helping them is an occupying force. They will do what every they want to, and if they attack the indian interests while viewing them as collaborators with the occupiers that is not Pakistan's call. We dont want the indians there becuase we dont want to fight you guys at both the ends.

 

[Awesome]

Any country that wants Afghan govt to succeed is AT's enemy, thats how the lines are drawn. But AT have been attacking Indian interests with particular emphasis on getting India to withdraw - thats a Pakistani demand.

Less than one attack per year. Thats nothing, Indians could have just been an accidental target.

Pakistan has 1000 attacks per year.

You can't really compare the two, everything that the Taliban has done is favorable to India.

---------- Post added at 12:18 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:17 PM ----------

No.He is a white guy.They interviewed him in BBC.He said that helping the taliban was official policy of the ISI.

He's a student... What policy document does he have that allows him to comment upon the official policy of the ISI?

 

[jagjitnatt]

Less than one attack per year. Thats nothing, Indians could have just been an accidental target.

Pakistan has 1000 attacks per year.

You can't really compare the two, everything that the Taliban has done is favorable to India.

India has barely 10 buildings in that country. Out of a total million buildings in Afghanistan if one of ten buildings is targeted, its a precise attack. That's 10% of our infrastructure destroyed.

Compare that to random destruction in Pakistan. Out of a million buildings, even if 100 are destroyed, its not such a big deal.

He's a student... What policy document does he have that allows him to comment upon the official policy of the ISI?

He's a student, sure, but the University backing him isn't so unprofessional. If they published it, it sure makes sense.

If its so easy to get something published, try your luck.

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

you know what.. guys in ISI actually feel happy when they come across such reports..