Bisecting TTP's (Pakistani Taliban) insurgency for its funding source

[haviZsultan]

Bisecting Tehreek E Taliban Pakistan's Insurgency for its funding source​

By Havi Zayed​

Who is responsible for financing terrorism in Pakistan?​

The United States squarely puts the blame for the failure of the War on Terror and anything related to the Taliban and the Al Qaeda on Pakistan. Unfortunately the bubble is blown by none other than a US congressman. Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher claimed "The Taliban was a construct of the CIA and was armed by the CIA” [1]. Let’s explore how far this is true.

In a 1998 interview, Zbigniew Brezinski, Carter's national security adviser admitted that U.S. aid to the Mujahideen factions began before the December 1979 invasion and played a role in inviting the Russians into the region. The entire plan had been to trap the Russians in Afghanistan and use factions such as the Taliban to fight their war for them. According to Brezinski the first ruling for secret aid to the mujahideen came on July 3, 1979 under President Carter himself [2]. Soon after that an American delegation was sent to Pakistan to use it as a puppet to fight their war against the Soviets for them. Pakistan took almost all the losses for the war and the blame for arming the Taliban which could never have been possible without American financing and naturally when the war was over so was the assistance that Pakistan had been promised by the United States. Today Pakistan faces the fallout of what happened back then in the face of a raging insurgency fuelled further by the American presence in Afghanistan that has killed over 35000 Pakistanis with over 40000 Pakistanis grievously wounded [3].

Certain media outlets are telling the World that Pakistan is receiving ‘huge amounts of aid’ and may be supporting the militants to milk that aid. However they aren’t telling the World about the losses Pakistan has suffered. According to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry the damage caused to the Nation in the loss of infrastructure and life was $35 Billion up to July 2009. This was based on a conservative estimate but for lack of other figures we will use this. Since there has been no real let up in the violence from that period the current estimates put the damage to well over $42 Billion in return for a meagre and reluctant American compensation. The exact figure of aid is still unknown and various estimates put it from 4 Billion to 17 Billion. So from being in the War on Terror Pakistan is already at a loss financially without counting the loss in investment and the loss of developing markets for Pakistani exporters. Recent figures from 2011 have even more grim data: Pakistan has suffered losses of $68 Billion since the beginning of this war. [4]

In any case to have caused such much major damage the Tehreek E Taliban would need to be exceptionally well organized, very well armed and extremely well funded. The well funded and well armed bit specially stands surprisingly true since around 86% of the Taliban have never gone to a college or university before and 40% have only studied till Matric (About 9th grade) or even less [5] (This particular piece of statistic is still preliminary and its reliability is slightly in doubt due to the impossibility of finding the educational qualifications of every Taliban militant much less calculating a percentage but looking at the Pakistani scenario they are thought to be possibly somewhere around the truth). Most of the Taliban soldiers are completely illiterate and can barely sign their names on a piece of paper. The riddle of where the money may be coming from in a country where about 70% of the population lives below $2 a day or even how the major commanders seem to have evaded capture every time Pakistan launches an operation still remains unsolved.

To give the Taliban their due however they have indeed developed a source of funding in Pakistan over time. According to analysts the primary known sources of the Taliban’s wealth are donations from its sympathizers, looting of supply convoys, kidnap for ransom and extortion of protection money. Recent reports indicate that Taliban are even involved in bank robberies in major Pakistani cities such as Karachi while it has also been speculated that a great deal of the poppy growth cultivation in Afghanistan directly benefits the Pakistani Taliban. According to the past governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this reserve seems to be increasing by approximately $45 Million annually. This in itself is a large figure. In fact it is actually just about half of what the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has been capable of spending on the war on terror. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spent about $89.5 Million on law and order according to the 2009-10 National budget. [6]

According to analysts the Taliban has also accumulated around $250-400 Million of wealth over time. Therefore the word that the Taliban is operating its own government with its own standing finances stands correct. [6]

If any further evidence of this is required, according to a report from Dawn a single Pakistani police constable makes about $80 a month while a Taliban foot soldier in Pakistan makes $170 per month. Even in death the government cannot match up to the Taliban. The heir of a dead policeman receives about $6000 while a suicide bombers family is often given sums of over $20000 [7]. The total number of Taliban troops and terrorists associated with other radical organizations operating under the umbrella of the Tehreek E Taliban Pakistan is 35,000. Using the figures and multiplying the yearly expenditure of the Taliban on salaries for its fighters and compensation for the families of suicide bombers the figures add to $72 Million. This is more than the $45 Million they are earning.

Given that the organization has spent approximately $72 Million of its wealth to pay their bombers and their foot soldiers it still leaves the question of acquisition of arms, weaponry and other expenses for its fighters. If that isn’t enough to prove that the Taliban is a power to be reckoned with even bolder is the announcement of Hakeemullah Mahsud, the Taliban commander that the Taliban can give $20 Million in aid to the government to provide for the flood victims of Pakistan if the American aid for the floods is rejected.

It is certainly clear that the Taliban is earning more than $45 Million annually and that money is not enough to maintain the group’s terrorist activities. It is also clear that to spend $72 Million yearly they would have to have another income source. This definitely means that either someone from outside is supporting the Taliban or the Taliban have even more sources of income that have not come under the scrutiny of Pakistani analysts and officials.

Pakistan becomes a punching bag: Blaming the ISI​

The ISI has been the target of the blame for the monster we face today. Many writers and journalists even within Pakistan have begun taking a page from the American media and questioning whether it is certain Pakistani generals and the ISI secretly supplying the terrorists. The question is could this be true today and if so have these same generals or the ISI actually benefitted from the current situation of Pakistan?

Even if the claim that sympathetic generals within the army are supporting the insurgents holds true the question still remains how can the insurgent’s have estimated wealth reserves of around$250-400 Million when it comprises of a group of ragtag and illiterate men, most of whom cannot read a single passage in any language. If the ISI is responsible, as the US and Indian media would have us believe, well then it’s for sure that the agencies entire staff’s salary is being handed over to the Taliban for the group’s sustenance while the agencies own agents and operatives are going home without their salaries. Not to say they are perfectly happy with the murder of their own fellow countrymen by the Taliban. The funds available to the ISI are classified but for an impoverished country like Pakistan some analysts suggest it is $250 Million (This figure is dubious and questionable).

Nonetheless ‘rogue agents’ from the ISI are the focus of the blame in today's World. However a look at how the ISI has taken losses and suffered might make those thinking along such lines reconsider. A small count of the attacks on the ISI in the country will reveal:

-The attack in Multan on the ISI building kills 8. [8]
-The attack in Peshawar on the ISI kills around 10. [9]
-ISI provincial headquarters in Lahore attacked on 28th May killing 35 and wounding over 300. [10]
-The brutal murder of 2 main ISI agents Khalid Khwaja and Colonel Imam by the Taliban, the two very same people often blamed for supporting the Taliban were killed by the very people the media alleged they were supporting. [11]
-The very recent bombing of the ISI building in Faisalabad. [12]

This proves that ISI has severely been targeted in the war and is losing both men and suffering severe financial losses in the War on Terror. These are some of the bomb attacks that are known but there are more deaths in the Tribal Areas that are going unaccounted for by the media.

According to an unnamed official many agents and operatives have been sent to the North and South Waziristan region to collect intelligence and have wound up dead. The ISI keeps mum about its losses officially which sometimes makes it hard for people to understand that it has also taken losses in this war.

If the losses are compared to other intelligence agencies the results are strikingly different. Well known CIA operations remain intact in Afghanistan and it’s a surprise that the militants would so selectively attack the locations of the countries intelligence agencies and that also with absolute impunity. What is even more surprising is that many ordinary citizens of Pakistan do not know the locations of the ISI, yet the Taliban have attacked their headquarters in almost every major city.

Another whipping boy? The Pakistani Military​

The military has suffered even more financial loss than the ISI. No doubt much of the American aid and assistance is militaristic in nature and ends up in the hands of the Pakistan army however on the other hand this same institution is the primary loser in the violence that has gripped the country.

Asad Khalil a self styled analyst who is trying to get a hold on the real figure on army losses both in terms of finances and personnel claims that the army has suffered at least $7 Billion in losses in the war on terror. If so even the army is losing more financially than it is gaining.

Furthermore no matter how much the army is blamed for the mistakes of the past, including Pakistan’s role in the Afghan civil war, it is clear that the Military could not have dreamed of facing the Soviets without US support, $4 Billion of US assistance was handed over to the militants [13]which have matured into the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Would it be sensible for Pakistan to face a superpower of that time such as the Soviets without support and would our leadership have taken the same decision if an American delegation had not come up and demanded help against the Soviets? So perhaps the United States is more to blame for the creation of terrorists.

Foreign Support to the Taliban?​

When it comes to certain Right Wing media groups they have continuously stood up and taken every opportunity to say that terrorism is being sponsored by various intelligence agencies of certain countries that are against the ideal of Pakistan. However proof in this case counts. Our analysis reveals that the Taliban is gaining support from someone. Finding out who is the real issue.

The United States has sometimes been blamed for both directly or indirectly supporting terrorism in Pakistan but there has been no real official claim and nothing recorded from an official source. One thing frustrating the Pakistani Military today is its inability to monitor the activities of the CIA which has been blamed for sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan. Unfortunately for USA and fortunately for the Pakistanis the country woke up from its slumber when a man operating in Pakistan as Raymond Davis murdered two Pakistanis on the streets of Lahore in broad daylight. That’s when reports of contacts on his cell phone came up, the gadgets in his car and photographs from his camera containing sensitive locations. There were 33 calls on his cell phone of which 27 were to known or suspected militants. This is confirmed knowledge from the police and is suspicious activity. [14]

According to Shakil Ahmed a journalist, Davis was only one of 1200 Blackwater agents spread out across the country [15]. Some police officials from Lahore further backed up these claims and even went further claiming he had close links to militants and was instrumental in recruiting youth for the terrorists. Furthermore the ISI which according to the agreement with USA, which allows agents on its territory, is to keep tabs on all CIA agents present in the country but does not have Davis in its records.

Many people believe it was unfortunate what happened that day but perhaps it was lucky as it allowed Pakistanis to understand that there is perhaps another angle to look at things from.

India has also been blamed and in this case rare politicians, or media channels supporting claims of Indian support to the terrorists have come up. An article in late 2009 appeared claiming India was supporting terrorism in Pakistan and had funnelled $650 Million to the Taliban insurgents in Pakistan, a fact which was revealed by three captured militants themselves. In October 2009 Rehman Malik claimed India was supporting the Taliban and Pakistan was ready to confront India with evidence. [16]

Another video appeared on the internet briefly where a militant commander admits to have been paid by India to fuel sectarianism in Pakistan on the television screen. Also after the Sri Lankan cricket team attack a report was made public that had been received by the local police in Lahore. This report can be seen here.

It is also imminent to mention here that India has four consulates in Afghanistan. This is more than the number of consulates a country would want to have in such an impoverished country. What is most alarming for Pakistan is that three of these consulates are right across the border. India has continuously been blamed for fomenting unrest in Baluchistan as well.

Nonetheless though the more patriotic men and women of Pakistan are prepared to believe these reports and are eager to find out just what exactly they are facing in the shape of an extremely powerful, never ending, well-financed insurgency Liberals are unlikely to give much attention to news of foreign aid to the Taliban unless confronted with some extraordinary proof which has so far not come.

How plausible is this theory?​

The grim reality is that the Taliban is both earning and spending much more than was initially believed. It is difficult to make judgements about who is supporting them. However someone has to find out from where that money is actually coming. Pakistanis after all these years deserve to know how the Taliban have not just survived but thrived in Pakistan and are able to murder Pakistanis in weekly bombings.

The natural suspicion is going to fall on the ISI Internationally unless and until Pakistan can find proper proof about foreign support to the Taliban, proof that can be presented to the United Nations. Furthermore it is necessary to cut the militants funding more than anything else. Capturing top Militant Commanders can also reveal the terrorists finances and their support structure which is crucial to ensure their defeat. There may be many hidden hands supporting the militants. Not to say these hidden hands have to be foreign intelligence services. They can also be powerful businessmen with militant links. Only the top management of the Taliban can explain where their finances come from. Capturing them is vital.

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The article with citation and cited sources is published here. Make sure you visit if you want to read the sources:

Bisecting Tehreek E Taliban Pakistan

 

[Leviza]

very nice article and show how CIA and RAW using these terrorist to de-stabilize Pakistan....

Anyway, we will deal with all these slow and steady, and soon RAW and CIA will pay the price in Afghanistan.....

 

[TechMan]

That's what I have been saying. If you compare Afghani Talibans with Pakistani Talibans, you will see that they sometimes kill Americans too unlike our Pakistani Tablibans who doesn't even make the effort. Both Talibans are against government of their respective countries and they do suicide bombing, killing e.t.c. but from time to time Afghani Talibans go out of the way and actually make an effort to kill Americans. But here Pakistani Talibans only kill locals or foreigner other than Americans. They do not even try to kill Americans.
Raymond Davis and other American agents were/are freely roaming in Pakistan but not a single one is killed so far!
Some people might call this behavior suspicious, but I call this behavior crystal clear. There is nothing suspicious about it as action speaks louder than words and you can clearly see who is doing what.
Do not see what someone is saying, see what he is doing.

 

[haviZsultan]

That's what I have been saying. If you compare Afghani Talibans with Pakistani Talibans, you will see that they sometimes kill Americans too unlike our Pakistani Tablibans who doesn't even make the effort. Both Talibans are against government of their respective countries and they do suicide bombing, killing e.t.c. but from time to time Afghani Talibans go out of the way and actually make an effort to kill Americans. But here Pakistani Talibans only kill locals or foreigner other than Americans. They do not even try to kill Americans.
Raymond Davis and other American agents were/are freely roaming in Pakistan but not a single one is killed so far!
Some people might call this behavior suspicious, but I call this behavior crystal clear. There is nothing suspicious about it as action speaks louder than words and you can clearly see who is doing what.
Do not see what someone is saying, see what he is doing.

Techman you are absolutely right. Some of the things that the Taliban have done are extremely strange.

Though this article particularly aims to explore their funding and clearly explains they are receiving a huge amount of funding from some hidden hand to carry out their agenda I have other articles that explore the

Do you know Muslim Khan. Muslim Khan was the previous spokesperson for the Taliban until he was arrested. I don't know if he is still arrested or has been released in some deal or released due to 'insufficient proof' by our terrorist loving courts but do you know where this guy was living in. He lived in the United States of America for more than 10 years of his life.

Yet he did not kill a single American. He could so easily have blown up American civilians? Why did he not do that. He had a chance all his life. Instead he comes to Pakistan and takes part in the wholesale slaughter of Pakistani civilians. He was one of the most important figures in the Taliban. Then there was Abdullah Mahsud. He was released from Guantanamo and the first thing he did upon returning to Pakistan was take Chinese civilians hostage and kill them.

There are other things as well. To research the funding I have been up many nights and I know something is wrong. Their funds just don't add up. They are being given huge amount of support by some powerful entity. Not to say it is USA, it can also be a very powerful business in Pakistan. Who knows? But I am certain they are receiving support.

Read this article. It relates to some of the strange things taking place:

The US-Al Qaeda Partnership

Hostile Enemies or Strategic Allies?

Many people would accuse me of being an idiot when I claim that the terrorists we see murdering innocents with impunity from Nigeria to Pakistan today were once spawned by the same country that claims to be fighting them. The World often forgets or purposely ignores the fact that it is the United States itself that has not only created but also raised and nurtured the monster we see today. In this case it is not very hard to see how the Taliban and United States can work together for their own interests and how their interests sometimes meet in many aspects. The United States is rarely blamed of supporting the Taliban or Al Qaeda, in fact the United States seems to be the only country that can blame every country for supporting militants from Sudan to Pakistan. But at least indirectly if not directly the United States remains the primary supporter of Al Qaeda's ideology from the very beginning.

Background of the Afghan Civil War & USA’s role:

In the 1980’s the people who today we call the Taliban and Al Qaeda were funded and used by the Americans to attack the Soviets and drive them away from Afghanistan for their own gains. When the Soviets withdrew from the region and the task was over the USA stopped sending all aid to Afghanistan leaving the country war torn and destroyed after using it as a battleground. USA did absolutely nothing to stabilize the region or develop Afghanistan at par with other Nations in the World nor did it deal with the miseries of the people that started because America simply used Afghanistan for its own vested interests forming and supporting the Taliban against the Soviets and abandoning them when their task was done.

The Afghan people in turn were left at the mercy of the Taliban who slowly took control of the Nation unleashing a reign of terror on the local people. The poorer sections of Afghan society became more and more fanatical as they had no one to turn to in order to address their needs except the Taliban. The USA did nothing except giving the militants a free hand as they seized power, slowly strengthened themselves and imposed their rule on the Afghans. Under the Taliban there was only one Women's Hospital in Kabul for the entire countries female population. The militants ordered women to be locked up in their homes and treated Pakistanis and Iranians brutally. In one case they locked up Pakistani and Iranian businessmen in containers and suffocated them. Furthermore they ordered an end to all entertainment in Afghanistan, banning music and any form of leisure, confining the Afghan public to their homes. The local culture was absolutely destroyed and the entertainment industry ruined. The effects of the Taliban’s actions were directly felt on the already crippled economy of Afghanistan.

The Americans only woke up when their people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. Before that they were oblivious to the suffering of the Afghans. It is ironic that the 9/11 attacks could have been avoided if America had refused to interfere in Afghanistan and had not funded the terrorists of yesterday.

Unfortunately all this is very conveniently polished over by the US media when they talk about the dire strait of affairs. Instead Iranian or Pakistani support is the talk of the day. But perhaps the USA tries to hide its own failures with the ruse of claiming "Iranian or Pakistani support to the Taliban." The US denies all responsibility for the pitiful condition Afghans find themselves in.

Often the struggle for Afghanistan has been depicted in a positive light, especially in the 1980's. The movie “Charlie Wilson’s War” even goes as far as to glorify the way Afghanistan was used as a killing field and its people massacred in Millions with Millions others fleeing the Nation as refugees. Unlike what is shown in “Charlie Wilsons War” only some of the money sent by USA reached National Hero Ahmed Shah Masoud or the more moderate Afghan groups involved in fighting the Soviets. Instead it was some of the worst fanatics that got the money.

The US-Taliban Relationship Today

It is unlikely that a Superpower like the USA could not predict that in the future these same people they had used as Proxies against the Soviets would be radicalized to such an extent that they would be the United States sworn enemies in the future. Keeping that in mind it is unthinkable to accept that the US government did not know it was raising a monster and creating immense hatred for USA itself amongst many Afghans who would later be great targets for terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda, all offshoots of the Afghan war. In this case it is also safe to assume that the United States knows today that they can utilize this growing hatred for themselves to fulfill their own goals in the region and increase their influence.

The Americans since the war on Terror, in fact using the War on Terror as an excuse, have begun developing military bases in countries that previously did not have them. These include Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Furthermore there are a number of questionable actions by the USA that completely support this school of thought.

Taliban Commanders linked to USA

The release of certain Taliban commanders is one of the biggest question marks in the War on Terror. No sooner would these Commanders be released from prison, they would go back to Pakistan or Afghanistan and start killing innocents. It is not understandable why the United States released these Commanders, perhaps because it knew the casualities in the War on Terror would only be taken by Afghanistan and Pakistan which had been suffering from the War in the 1980's ever since it began and ended.

Abdullah Mehsud was one such commander who in the past received American support in their designs against the Soviet’s. When USA attacked Afghanistan in 2001 using the Taliban and Al Qaeda as an excuse Abdullah Mehsud was captured and sent to Guantanamo Bay Prison. Surprisingly Mr Mehsud was released from Guantanamo Bay and the first thing he did upon his return was attack Chinese civilians in Pakistan and massacred several Pakistanis in a blast in Islamabad. Maulvi Abdul Ghaffar too was captured by the US and sent to Guantanamo but he was later released and the first thing he did was attack Afghan civilians and police officials. The list of course is longer. The one question that lies waiting to be asked in both these cases is that if both these men were such dangerous terrorists then why were they released from Gauntanamo Bay in the first place and why in both the cases they attacked Pakistani, Chinese and Afghans civilians rather than the US forces who they were bound to be angry with since their arrest. The biggest question is why were they released when it was known they would retake militant activities? Are Afghan and Pakistani lives worthless compared to American lives?

Of course there are others on the list too. One of the most shocking revelations comes from the spokesman for Tehreek E Taliban Pakistan, Muslim Khan. This major terrorist works for the Tehreek E Taliban and is responsible for the massacre of hundreds in Pakistan and for the displacement of over 3 Million people from their own land. Surprisingly this man has lived an amazing life in the USA and was working as a painter in the USA but instead fighting against USA which he claims to be doing he very conveniently moved to Pakistan and massacred hundreds upon hundreds of Pakistanis. If he was a terrorist why did the Americans let him return to Pakistan and not arrest him?

Terrorism and how it benefits USA’s regional objectives in Afghanistan and Pakistan

It is well known that the United States has the largest presence of Armed Forces across the World. As of 2008 USA has 761 military bases around the World and this number is increasing. Not surprisingly the USA has used the terrorist threat to expand their regional objectives and confirmed they will establish permanent bases in Afghanistan as well. After the completion of several bases in Central Asia the total number of Nations with US Military bases will be 70. In addition to this there are 156 other countries in which US forces are present but there are no bases. This means the United States Military can strike at any location in the World at any time they please. However to build these bases an excuse is needed and today the excuse is terrorism. In other places it has been “democracy” or replacing “dictatorial rule.”

The USA released a statement recently saying that it would create permanent US bases in Afghanistan to ‘stabilise the country.’ According to USA the justification for building these permanent bases of course is the terrorist presence. That is all without any regard for what the people of so called “Democratic Afghanistan” want. According to Afghan media sources 76% of Afghans want US forces out of their country. This is a much lower figure than the actual one because of fear of the occupying forces amongst the Afghans. However how the Afghans see the occupation is not a matter of concern for “Democratic USA” at all.

Other than creating permanent bases in Afghanistan and ignoring the wishes of the Afghan people it is also being considered whether the USA’s invasion of Afghanistan was about the oil pipeline that will carry oil from Central Asian states and Azerbaijan to Afghanistan from where it will go to Pakistan and then India. This is another benefit the USA has in occupying Afghanistan.

Where do the terrorists stand in all this? Their subversive activities kill mostly Afghan civilians while they continue to try and use the policies of USA to recruit youth by claiming to be "defend Islam" or fight the USA. Anti-Americanism gives the Taliban ready recruits and as long as the United States will remain in Afghanistan they will continue benefitting for more youth being drawn to their ideology. Terrorist commanders know they need the US occupation to continue the so called “Jihad” where inevitably only the Pakistanis or Afghans actually suffer.

The fact is if either the USA or the Taliban relent and leave the country alone or refuse to drain the blood of innocent people in the country then there will be no reason for the occupation of Afghanistan. Neither side will ever do this since it does not serve their interests. Therefore it is understood that both of them need each other to occupy the Country. It is also indisputable however that the USA has benefited most from the murderous activities of the Taliban and that if they could once form, fund and bring them to power then they can happily have them as enemies in order to reach their goals. This common interest aligns the Taliban, Al Qaeda and the USA's interests with or without them knowing it.

The US-Al Qaeda Partnership

 

[nalandapride]

That's what I have been saying. If you compare Afghani Talibans with Pakistani Talibans, you will see that they sometimes kill Americans too unlike our Pakistani Tablibans who doesn't even make the effort. Both Talibans are against government of their respective countries and they do suicide bombing, killing e.t.c. but from time to time Afghani Talibans go out of the way and actually make an effort to kill Americans. But here Pakistani Talibans only kill locals or foreigner other than Americans. They do not even try to kill Americans.
Raymond Davis and other American agents were/are freely roaming in Pakistan but not a single one is killed so far!
Some people might call this behavior suspicious, but I call this behavior crystal clear. There is nothing suspicious about it as action speaks louder than words and you can clearly see who is doing what.
Do not see what someone is saying, see what he is doing.

Because for Pakistani Taliban Pak Army is the hurdle to their goals and for Afghan Taliban its the NATO, otherwise both are following same ideology.

 

[CENTCOM]

We have always maintained that a terrorist is a terrorist no matter what name they take. TTP has been creating chaos on both sides of the border. It is wrong to say that they have not attacked NATO and American forces in Afghanistan. Numerous times they have attacked and killed our troops and claimed responsibility for these heinous deeds. It is incorrect to suggest that Blackwater operatives have been active in Pakistan. Our senior government officials as well as U.S. Embassy officials in Pakistan have denied that there are any Blackwater operatives present in Pakistan. Until last year, and at the request of the Pakistani government, we had a few hundred anti-terrorism trainers, but they too left Pakistan last year at Pakistan’s request.

The TTP are the enemy of peace on both sides of the borders. Their only agenda is to create death and destruction. They have been given numerous chances to show the world their “good” governance, but every time they have failed. Recently we saw them in Swat where they created hell for peaceful and innocent Pakistanis. The Pakistani Army had to fight a hard battle to free Swat from the TTP atrocities. Conspiracy theorists have a hay day with the kind of analysis the scribe has put forth in his blog. It is important not to lose focus from the real issue of terrorism and its devastating effects: every day innocents are being killed without any remorse. The time has come to put aside conspiracy theories and join forces once again to put the final nail in the coffin of terrorism so the people of the region can once again live in peace and the prosperity it brings.


Maj David Nevers
DET-United States Central Command
U.S. Central Command

 

[RazPaK]

TTP must be eliminated from Pakistan.

 

[haviZsultan]

We have always maintained that a terrorist is a terrorist no matter what name they take. TTP has been creating chaos on both sides of the border. It is wrong to say that they have not attacked NATO and American forces in Afghanistan. Numerous times they have attacked and killed our troops and claimed responsibility for these heinous deeds. It is incorrect to suggest that Blackwater operatives have been active in Pakistan. Our senior government officials as well as U.S. Embassy officials in Pakistan have denied that there are any Blackwater operatives present in Pakistan. Until last year, and at the request of the Pakistani government, we had a few hundred anti-terrorism trainers, but they too left Pakistan last year at Pakistan’s request.

The TTP are the enemy of peace on both sides of the borders. Their only agenda is to create death and destruction. They have been given numerous chances to show the world their “good” governance, but every time they have failed. Recently we saw them in Swat where they created hell for peaceful and innocent Pakistanis. The Pakistani Army had to fight a hard battle to free Swat from the TTP atrocities. Conspiracy theorists have a hay day with the kind of analysis the scribe has put forth in his blog. It is important not to lose focus from the real issue of terrorism and its devastating effects: every day innocents are being killed without any remorse. The time has come to put aside conspiracy theories and join forces once again to put the final nail in the coffin of terrorism so the people of the region can once again live in peace and the prosperity it brings.

Maj David Nevers
DET-United States Central Command
U.S. Central Command

Its an honor to hear from you.

The problem in this war is Pakistani and US interests could not be further apart from each other. We want to take down TTP, you want to take down Haqqani and Nazir at whatever cost. Even if those drone strikes cause a whole lot of civilian deaths. USA is dogmatic in its quest to fulfill it's interests no matter what the cost to its allies.

Then there is Raymond Davis who escaped after the murder of two Pakistanis. Afia Siddiqui instead is in American custody. The law that applies to a Pakistani in US does not apply to an American in Pakistan. An American is above the law in Pakistan

Raymond Davis was a CIA agent, and him taking part in such a dastardly act shakes the confidence (if any) that exists between our Nations. Americans can come to our country do as they please, kill anyone and go back like nothing happened.

In your dogmatic desire to fulfill your interests no matter what the costs we Pakistanis see both the Taliban/Al Qaeda and America as two sides of the same coin. You are both crushing us under your weight and I fear we Pakistanis cannot take on either of you.

I will post an article here where I will present the Pakistani perspective. You are free to express your opinions on my website about it.

US & Al Qaeda: For the Afghan and Pakistani two sides of the same coin

Although many Americans have a great hatred for their government’s lifelong allies, the Al Qaeda and Taliban which are offshoots of the Mujahideen of the 1980's, from the Pakistani & Afghan perspectives the policies of both are very similar. The violence and bloodshed they are both capable of in order to complete their objectives and strategic interests are starkly similar.

When considering the Taliban was formed by the CIA and trained in causing maximum bloodshed including car bombings and assassinations it isn’t hard to understand why Muslims particularly from the Afghan and Pakistani region see the United States and Al Qaeda as one.

While one side may see itself as highly civilized the barbarism they represent is starkly similar to the Taliban. The terrorists are well known to use immense brutality against innocent civilians and non-combatants without regard for humanity. In fact the brutality of the Taliban and the ideal of massacring all who come in their way or even those who don’t is very similar to the intense use of force USA applies against its enemies. US forces have continually been using aerial bombardment on Afghan civilians despite constant requests by the Karzai government to stop them. For the Americans all that has ever mattered is protecting its people and its soldiers. Not for a second did they care when the Taliban were massacring innocent civilians in the country after they left it in their hands after defeating the Soviets. Of course let's not forget to see a Soviet defeat over 4 Million Afghans paid with their lives because USA thought it fit to arm militant Commanders.

Being more technologically advanced the USA has managed to quite further ahead in the field of genocide of civilians and is the only Nation in the World that has used nuclear weapons. The Atom bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed over 220,000 people and left thousands of civilians wounded. People still suffer that horrible bombings effects but it is justified by American media as the only solution to the war, another example of how human life has no meaning and how civilians can be killed by the USA to complete its goals and objectives. When Michael Walzer suggested that the attack was War terrorism and genocide a “proud” American, Robert Newman came in to defend the bombings that destroyed thousands of lives. Compare this to the Taliban who claim the 9/11 attacks were a necessity and for the greater good. Similar tactics, similar strategies and same talk about necessity and greater good.

But one has to wonder who in the World made an irresponsible Nation that took part in the murder of over 3.5 Million civilians in Vietnam because it could not accept the will of the Vietnamese people the country that decided the future of other Nations? Who made the Nation that used nuclear weapons to bring a painful death to 220,000 civilians simply for the survival of 10,000-30,000 of its own soldiers the upholder of World Peace? Can that same Nation even speak about Iran, Pakistan or North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons?

It is hard to understand who is a worse enemy of humanity. A country that bombs innocent’s, massacres Millions in their own homeland and then uses its monetary power and influence to bully the rest of the Nations of the World into submission or use the terrorist organizations that have no value for human life. From the average Afghan, Iraqi or Pakistani they are both the very same.

Who Suffers?

In the end who suffers? Not the USA but people within those countries where they interfere. It is painful to see that day after day Afghans, Iraqis and Pakistanis are falling prey to American foreign policy that once created the terrorists, used them for their own gains and abandoned them to be cleared out by the local people at the cost of thousands of lives.

The process is never ending and the local population will continue suffering until one side relents. The terrorists will continue using the excuse of foreign occupation and their atrocities to recruit new members to wage their pathetic war while the US will continue waging a war that is hurting the Nations they are occupying in the name of a war that has no end, rather than helping them.

To bring World peace, and to bring some of what is left of America's reputation, the countries interference in the World needs a permanent end. American occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan and unending support for Israel is only alienating Muslims and pushing them in the arms of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. If USA can understand someday that not interfering is perhaps the best option it may stop being seen as a World bully.

Perhaps the only way to bring back the American name is to adopt an isolationist policy and stop scaring their own people into believing that terrorists are about to blow them up or if they don’t interfere in Afghanistan or Iraq everyday will be a 9/11. Those from the lands where this insurgency is being waged can very clearly say this is completely false. The real victims of the 'war on terror' are local people who have taken more losses than America. Afghan, Iraqi and recently even Pakistani causalities have crossed American causalities including those in the 9/11 Attacks. Therefore the United States must stop victimizing itself. Even if it is the victim of the September 11 attacks it has made hundreds of thousands of others a victim of its own policies.

Until the United States understands the World and stops interfering in World Affairs where it has no business it will continue being seen as an evil and ignorant Nation.

That reputation US has built up over the years is where the terrorists draw their support from. And their victims are the Pakistanis and Afghans because they are the ones seen as American pawns, who are now in a precarious position entrapped by both the Taliban and the Americans.

http://www.havisultan.com/index.php...tid=81:us-policy-a-global-terrorism&Itemid=71

In lieu of the discriminatory treatment we have suffered under the US I fear we have no choice than to withdraw from this war and declare ourselves neutral to what is happening in Afghanistan. We cannot continue to pay the price for what you created after all.

 

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There is no doubt that there are intelligence games being played in Pakistan. A few mercenaries in the garb of diplomats (& 'other garbs') have infiltrated into Pakistan as well. The CIA has built its own network consisting of local informers in FATA, who gave them on-the-ground information, and targets for the drones to hit. This is how they reduced their dependency on the ISI, who they had initially relied on for intelligence for the drone program.

Despite Pakistan breaking the backbone of the TTP on its soil, cross border infiltration from the TTP from its Afghan safe havens into Pakistan has been at an all-time high. Whether that shows the CIA is complicit in this or not is basically the same accusation the US makes against the ISI of aiding the Haqqani network.