ISI chief asks for national security policy review over India, US’ “strategic” moves

[AstanoshKhan]

ISI chief asks for national security policy review over India, US’ “strategic” moves

Backing the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS), Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lieutenant General Shuja Pasha has asked the government for a review of country’s security strategy in the wake of the US and Indian strategic moves in the region.

Briefing the 18-member PCNS, Pasha stressed on the need of revamping the national security policy in the wake of political instability being created in the country due to ‘external interference’.

Sources privy to the meeting quoted Pasha as saying that some “foreign forces” were creating disturbances in various parts of the country, and that the ISI was keeping a close eye on their activities.

“Pakistan should consider making changes in its strategy because of changes in US policy about dealing with terrorists in Afghanistan and the Afghan government’s focus on finding an indigenous solution to the problem,” Pasha opined.

The committee headed Senator Raza Rabbani was also briefed by the defence secretary on the military operation and law and order situation, The News reports.

During the briefing, Rabbani made it clear that it was for the government to decide over launching a military operation in North Waziristan, and that it would not take dictates from any other country over the issue.

 

[Dr.Evil]

Current ISI chief should not meedle in the affairs of the State, Elected govt. is there to take care of it.

ISI chief seems to be exceeding his brief, His job is to follow the direction given by the govt. not the other way round.

 

[TechLahore]

Did you even read the news item? The job of the ISI chief is to brief and give advice. That's exactly what he is doing. And he is doing so to the elected political leadership. He is not changing policy, he is advising that in light of the intelligence his organization has collected, it should be changed. That is precisely what he should be doing.

 

[AstanoshKhan]

Pakistan Roars Back at America

In a critical development, Pakistan’s military establishment has pushed the government for a review of Pakistan’s policy and strategy on national security. General Shuja Pasha of Pakistan’s ISI in his recent statement, called for a review of country’s security strategy in the wake of the US and Indian strategic moves in the region. Coming off unusually and at a critical time, this is probably the first time that anyone from Pakistan Army [and in particular the ISI] has bracketed US and India together as a threat to Pakistan. Whatever the reasons, the statement, more than anything, signals a gradual shift in Pakistan Army’s thinking and a strong willingness to review Pakistan’s existing policies. Earlier also, following the Pakistan’s massive Azm e Nau exercises, the Pakistan army took a strong logical stand on the North Waziristan offensive. Then, there was talk of Pakistan disengaging from war on terror and of course most importantly, it was Pakistan’s unilateral initiative in establishing a silent talk process with Afghanistan. The talks were unannounced but effectively aimed at bypassing USA.

There are signs in these developments. There are reasons to it. Just what went so wrong that Pakistan has started to reprioritize? There is a critical timing and pace at which Pakistan army is ‘retaliating’ to growing and destabilizing American influence in the region. For Pakistan, a decade of cosmetic American alliance has eventually led it to believe that Pakistan’s problems are US created and therefore naturally, a cure to these problems also lies in reviewing Pakistan’s engagement with USA. Then also, the USA has done well in making Pakistan realize this by its unprecedented, subjective and almost racial targeting of Pakistan’s army and ISI. Almost taking turns on Pakistan, a day doesn’t go by before seeing at least one American daily targeting Pakistan or its military establishment. In this, sadly but religiously, the American media has shrinked to become merely an anti-Pakistan mouthpiece.

To go on, the biggest US mistake has been inviting India to Afghanistan. Unless it is for hidden reasons, it is simply not plausible to involve disagreeing forces [with altogether different objectives] on a common cause. Inviting India to Afghanistan was always avoidable but is now proving destructive and it will only be a matter of time before which this bears out. What US is not realizing [or perhaps doesn’t want to] is that its growing anti-Pakistan strategic alliance with India may eventually turn things upside down to the extents of a direct confrontation between Pakistan and USA/India [or again, perhaps that is what US also wants and so all the constant ignoring of Pakistan’s concerns]. But while the US may be willing to do so, the question it really needs to ask itself is: is confronting Pakistan ‘in Afghanistan’ really what US wants to do? Or more importantly, will it be able to make sure that this will turn out as good as it expects? The history, at least doesn’t tell so.

Pakistan has without question done a lot to save its alliance with USA [and it is still trying to do] but is constantly suffering from hostile American policies. For USA, this is perhaps a first and last formal call to behavior. It comes because the ground realities tell a hypocritical American tale. Pakistan expects a friendly behavior from a friendly American alliance, otherwise who knows if Pakistan has already gone into versus mode against USA in Afghanistan.

 

[M Ismail]

The situation is serious but it can be handled if each side clarifies their legitimate interests.

As regards Afghanistan, it is clear that controlling the Afghans is not possible or desirable for Pakistan. Pakistan wants a friendly Afghanistan, but Pakistan will be able to secure that by helping the Afghans.

As regards Kashmir, the best option is to pick up from where Musharraf-Manmohan left off.

Eventually, with better technology (biometric IDs etc), the whole of South Asia (including Afghanistan) can become visa-free zone.

It would be nice to see the day when people will be able to drive from Dhaka or Chennai to Kabul.

 

[ice_man]

finally!! the ISI is standing up and being counted!! till now the bloody inept sudanese under whose watch BB died was running the country for the joker!! & both of them were eating away at the fabric of our national security!! finally the ISI had enough & briefed the COMMITTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY!! on what it should be doing!

 

[Mogambo]

finally!! the ISI is standing up and being counted!! till now the bloody inept sudanese under whose watch BB died was running the country for the joker!! & both of them were eating away at the fabric of our national security!! finally the ISI had enough & briefed the COMMITTE FOR NATIONAL SECURITY!! on what it should be doing!

these are very strong words whom you are referring?????

 

[deathfromabove]

Why docility towards Indo-US designs?​

Dr. Shireen Mazari

While our politicians once again lose themselves in trading barbs on almost any issue they can lay their hands on, and simultaneously try and dupe the people, India continues to further its threatening agenda towards Pakistan even as it suppresses yet another indigenous uprising in Occupied Kashmir. On the political front, suffice it to say that the issue of fake degrees is a simple one of the fraud which is punishable under the Penal Code of Pakistan. It really does not matter when the issue gathered momentum since there is no time bar on punishing fraud but those guilty of having allowed this fraud to continue should also be held guilty – and that would include the Election Commission, as well as Returning Officers. But most important, it is high time those perpetrating fraud were punished under the law and debarred from contesting any future elections. As for the absurd argument that the people continue to vote for their popular leaders even though they are guilty of fraud, this does not hold because if simply electoral popularity was the yardstick on which to punish people for their crimes or let them go scot-free, then murderers would also walk free – and perhaps they do in some cases in this country!

But there are serious issues now threatening Pakistan and one of them is the Indo-US nexus that is using salami tactics to undermine Pakistan slice by slice. Just examining recent events will reveal this pattern. On the external front, there was this campaign to undermine Pakistan’s civil nuclear deal with China with India seeking explanations from China while the US was pressuring Pakistan, including demanding that it needed to get approval of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) before the deal could be oper-ationalised, despite the fact that this was not the case since the NSG has no legal standing in international law given that it is a voluntary suppliers cartel. All that Pakistan needs is to get the safeguards agreements signed with the IAEA as in earlier cases, and the IAEA has not expressed any new issue on this count. But the pressure was exerted nonetheless by the US and India to see how far they could put Pakistan on the defensive. Luckily for Pakistan, China came out strongly supporting its agreement with Pakistan and that put paid – at least temporarily – to Indo-US designs on that front.

Of course, while the Indian pressure was simply to give Pakistan a pinprick, the US pressure on Pakistan in the contest of its nuclear agreement with China was also linked to pushing Pakistan into altering its principled position on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. So far that has not happened, but as long as the present government remains in power, the possibility of undermining our position in Geneva cannot totally be ruled out, given what happened in the IAEA over the Indian safeguards issue in the context of the Indo-US nuclear deal.

It is also interesting that all this pressure against the Sino-Pakistan nuclear cooperation came in the wake of the NSG meeting and also was timed with a story in the US media about how the CIA was trying to access our nuclear establishment. Now why would the CIA go public with such a revelation – and it was clearly a case of the US Establishment planting that story in its media which also dealt with the CIA and ISI playing spy games with each other and so on? Again, to raise suspicions and unease within Pakistan that the US had penetrated its nuclear establishment which would in turn raise doubts on not only the nuclear establishment, but also the military intelligence agencies and even the army itself in the minds of the Pakistani nation. The logic of where that game would lead is not difficult to grasp.

Meanwhile, another pressure source was the greater overt news about India’s role in training Afghan security forces and how NATO and the US were determined to ensure this. As for Pakistan, a poor sop was given out that some Afghan security personnel would come to Pakistan for training. This is yet another move in the overall Indo-US game plan to undermine the Pakistani state. But it also sends a clear signal to the Pakistani establishment and political rulers that in the US-NATO grand design India is a critical player in Afghanistan. Yet, the Pakistani decision makers – both civil and military – have refused to take this into account when continuing their increasingly questionable cooperation with the US.

At the same time, the US also upped the ante against Pakistan by demanding that its military begin operations in North Waziristan and by having its Congressmen demand that Pakistan take out the Haqqani network. All these moves are calculated to not only put the Pakistani state on the defensive, but also to add to the already prevailing rifts between state and society. And to further this agenda the drone strikes have also been increased and information being leaked out from the US sources stresses that these drone strikes have the blessings and cooperation of the Pakistani rulers – which is certainly true, despite the government and military trying to fool their people into thinking otherwise.

As if all these events were not sufficient to close in on Pakistan, the arrival of the first batch of F-16s for the PAF also created their own controversy because while the Pakistani side insisted no preconditions were attached to the purchase of these planes – yes, we have paid for them not received them as aid in the ongoing war we are fighting for the Americans – the US made it clear through its media and official reassurances to India that the planes could never be used against India. As if to symbolise the restrictions these planes came with, the PAF Chief received the delivery at the Jacobabad air base which is presently under US control!

The latest US hit against Pakistan has been the US statement on Kashmir which reflects the US having adopted the Indian position on this international dispute – since the State Department declared that the killings in Indian Occupied Kashmir were India’s internal matter! So while Pakistan is overburdened with the US war on terror, India is being allowed to conduct a campaign of killings in Occupied Kashmir effectively with US blessings. So the Indian security forces are going in for a policy of killing the youth of Kashmir, who are leading the protest for their right to self-determination as promised to them by the UNSC and India itself. To keep Pakistan’s military suitably detracted, not only has the US forced it to withdraw from the Eastern front to FATA and the Western front with Afghanistan, but India has begun a campaign of periodically and totally without provocation, firing across the Working Boundary at Sialkot.

Nor is this the end. The US is also continuing to dictate to Pakistan the form of the new Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA) so that it included land access to Indian goods from Pakistan into Afghanistan and beyond. While we are focusing on the domestic political wrangling, the US is trying to sneak through this new and dangerous ATTA and is pushing the Afghans into adopting an intransigent posture on this issue. The farce of showing that no access will be allowed through Wagah while giving this access through Karachi port, is ridiculous because apart from the cost factor, it still gives India the much sought after land route – and with no quid pro quo, thanks to the US bulldozing of the Pakistan government. Yet we continue to do nothing – not even seeking to use the transit trade as an effective political weapon as India has done periodically with Nepal.

The fact of the matter is that even if we just look at these recent events, we can see that there is a larger Indo-US game being played out against Pakistan on multiple fronts but what is disturbing is our rulers’ silence and inaction. Has the Pakistani state capitulated into accepting Indian hegemony while becoming a US satellite?

Why docility towards Indo-US designs? | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

 

[Guynextdoor]

Did you even read the news item? The job of the ISI chief is to brief and give advice. That's exactly what he is doing. And he is doing so to the elected political leadership. He is not changing policy, he is advising that in light of the intelligence his organization has collected, it should be changed. That is precisely what he should be doing.

Ya right. N so are the responsibilities of the RAW chief (head of a much bigger & more powerful organization for a much bigger country). How many times have you heard his name in public? The ISI chief is clearly trying to influence policy not just brief & advice. It's time you brought this renegade organization under the ministry of the interior and put your elected representatives in charge.

 

[foxbat]

Army has a different standing in Pakistan and runs a kind of seperate power center in Pakistan. Hence they are able to make public statements like these. Its just a different kind of governmental setup.. No big deal

 

[deathfromabove]

CIA’s Envy Against ISI Has Turned Into Aversion​

The US is deeply concerned that the Haqqani network based in North Waziristan (NW) is killing American soldiers in Afghanistan. It complains that the militants have safe havens in FATA, which seriously jeopardizes US efforts to defeat militancy. The issue is not whether the militants take off from Pakistan’s tribal belt or not, the reality is that the battleground for US military is Afghanistan where the militants launch guerrilla attacks. Why are they allowed to cross over when they make a material difference upon the outcome of the Afghan war? Why are they not nabbed or killed in the process of crossing the border, or when the group is received across the border, taken forward to base camp well in depth, sheltered for a few nights, and then assembled to attack the chosen target? Why were repeated suggestions of Pakistan to fence or mine the border, or at least selected portions of it, overruled?

If NW is now the main bastion of militants, who are crossing from there into two neighboring provinces, why can’t that small portion with three crossing points be effectively sealed? If infiltration from Pakistani side is such a big threat, why only 250 border posts were established, against Pakistan ’s 1150 posts, and even those 250 posts were withdrawn in October last during Operation Rah-e-Nejat when the strategy of anvil and hammer was direly needed? The hard fact is that the Taliban after being pushed out in December 2001, had taken refuge in FATA, and for about two years stayed within Pak-Afghan border belt to regroup. Once Pak troops entered FATA and started arresting Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives, the Taliban slipped back into Afghanistan. Today, their bases of operations are in southern and eastern Afghanistan where foreign troops have no control, not this side of the border which is under effective control of Pak security forces. US-NATO should worry about those forward bases rather than fretting over bases in depth in Waziristan.

If the USA with all the resources at its disposal, cannot prevent cross border movement or at least present video proofs of it, why should it expect Pakistan, with its minimal resources to do the same? If the US doesn’t have the will and courage to seal the border at its side, why does it not provide the requisite counter terrorism equipment, intelligence and surveillance means to Pakistan to further improve its capabilities? Pakistani security forces have been in the business of counter-terrorism since 2002, and have since then launched hundreds of operations, arrested hundreds of Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives including high profile leaders and handed them over to the USA. Why so many intelligence units based in Kabul with the most sophisticated wherewithal in abundance to carry out covert and intelligence operations have not been able to trace any known militant leader at their end?

As per Hillary Clinton’s skewed assessment, the entire Al-Qaeda leadership including Osama bin Laden had shifted from Afghanistan to FATA in 2002 and was still there and very much within the knowledge of the Pakistani government. If so, what stopped CIA and FBI from hunting them down, particularly when 100,000 security personnel were operating against militants in Waziristan and dependent upon CIA/FBI inputs? FATA had been virtually in control of CIA and FBI, and ISI and MI were withdrawn in 2003. Why couldn’t the top-most spy agencies get hold of wanted militants and dismantle al-Qaeda sanctuaries, bases and network when they had full liberty and authority to do so? With a CIA base active in Miranshah till 2009, why couldn’t the Haqqani network in NW be dismantled? Why couldn’t CIA/FBI pinpoint a single training base in SW or arrest a single TTP leader? If the Army and ISI were in cahoots with Afghan Taliban and Al-Qaeda, TTP would never have cropped up to fight the allies of Taliban who are a source of inspiration for the TTP. Any linkage should have been severed after the Pak Army dismantled TTP’s main base. If dismantlement of TTP was a loss for Afghan Taliban, it was an equal loss for USA , India and Israel. Is the US senior leadership forgetful, or do they think everyone in Pakistan suffers from loss of memory and is naïve?

After airing several fabricated allegations and mixing it with threats of physical attack, the latest bizarre allegation has been floated by CIA itself, stating that the ISI is playing a double game and is supporting Taliban. It proves the point that the US has lost its nerves and sense of balance and doesn’t know what it is saying. It implies that CIA’s jealousy against ISI has now turned into aversion. Has the CIA forgotten that ISI in good faith had introduced its agents to CIA in 2001/02 but the latter cultivated most of them and turned them into its own agents and some as double agents by doling out sacks of dollars? Can CIA deny that TTP is not its creation? Is it not true that when the ISI to its horror found out in 2007 that its partner CIA was playing a double game and was fomenting terrorism in FATA and Balochistan, it became cautious and started recovering lost space in troubled areas? What went so wrong that the ISI started using its tentacles on home ground to find out shady activities of CIA and other foreign agencies and take preventive measures? Did the CIA expect the ISI to sit on its haunches and refuse to perform its duties as the first line defence for which it is paid?

As long as the ISI remained inactive and paid no attention to the activities of the CIA, everything was alright. Isn’t it a fact that the day the ISI started blocking CIA’s covert moves; CIA got irritated and started a venomous campaign against ISI? Lt Gen Shuja Pasha would be doing a disservice to the nation if he fails to run a counter intelligence program in the face of subversive activities of hostile intelligence agencies that have bathed Pakistan in blood. Hats off to ISI that its has battled six agencies single handedly for nine years and managed to safeguard Pakistan’s prime interests and kept hostile hands away from Pakistan’s strategic assets. It is another feather in the cap of ISI of which it should be rightly proud.

The fact of the matter is that the US has lost the war in Afghanistan for all practical purposes, but it doesn’t want to admit that and is still optimistic that some divine help might convert its defeat into victory. Divine help comes to those who are right and have a virtuous cause, not to barbarians devoid of morals. Not knowing how to cover up its blunders, USA finds Pakistan as the convenient scapegoat to lay the blame on, and to give vent to its frustration. Instead of fighting its own battle in Afghanistan, it keeps accusing as well as prodding Pakistan to launch another operation in NW, which in its myopic view would help US-NATO in undertaking Kandahar operation. The ones advocating NW operation must appreciate that NW is under the control of over one division force and clashes with militants take place routinely in which both sides are suffering casualties. This force is almost equivalent to force level in SW.

The only difference is that an all out offensive necessitating displacement of local population in NW hasn’t been launched. The displaced population of SW has yet to return to their homes. Neither has the civil administration taken over, nor any reconstruction commenced, promised ROZs established or funds made available to undertake development works. Moreover, as a consequence of displacement from SW, Mohmand, Bajaur and Swat, many militants have shifted to major cities of Punjab and have intensified terrorist attacks. As such, opening up of a new front in haste will be least desirable. In Afghanistan, the US military and ISAF have sufficient troops and resources and are not over stretched or over committed and have not achieved any victory equivalent to Swat and SW.

Even after having ascertained that Kandahar is the nerve centre of terrorism in Afghanistan, the US is not gathering the courage to wage an offensive in Kandahar but has the cheek to press Pakistan to leap into the cauldron of NW. USA obsessed with NW maintains that all routes of terrorism lead to NW. In its bid to incite Pakistan, it alleges that since Pak Army and ISI are in cahoots with Afghan Taliban, Pakistan is unwilling to launch an operation in NW.

It callously forgets that Pakistan has lost more troops than the losses suffered by foreign troops in Iraq and Afghanistan combined, and its civilian losses are five times more than those of 9/11. Economically, Pakistan has lost five times more than what it has received from USA. On the social, religious and moral platforms, the losses are incalculable since the society has become impoverished, divided and insecure.

So, on what moral grounds does Sen. Clinton threaten Pakistan of serious consequences, particularly when Pakistan is up in flames and CIA-operated drones are violating Pakistan ’s sovereignty almost daily? She knows that the US is in no position to open another front when its two fronts are collapsing. What she implies is that US air force or drones can strike Pakistan ’s nuclear sites, or its Special Forces can grab nukes, or it can suffocate Pakistan economically through sanctions, or it can incite India to attack Pakistan. As a last resort, the US can repeat the failed Cambodian model on Pakistan. If so, is the USA a friend or a foe?

After using the media to portray NW as the most dangerous place, South Punjab has been ripened to be turned into the next battleground where so-called Punjabi Taliban have been hoisted. Attacks on Ahmadi worship places and on Data Durbar in Lahore are links of the same chain. The hand of Blackwater in the two attacks is discernible. Punjabi Taliban have not only disowned their involvement but also offered their services to eliminate Blackwater. Punjab police is currently arresting members of banned religious groups, particularly Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, but there is no move to launch an operation against Blackwater and RAW sponsored agents.

Terrorists including high profile leaders arrested by the military in hundreds from FATA are being freed by courts because of serious flaws in the judicial system, non-availability of evidence and witnesses and threats received by judges. Dr. Usman involved in the Marriot bombing and GHQ attack has been let off. Over 2000 captured terrorists including the dreaded Muslim Khan and Ibne Amin from Operation Rah-e-Rast in Malakand Division are still to be put on trial due to lack of courage of judges and witnesses. Freed terrorists laughing under their sleeves and making victory signs are resorting to terrorism with greater vengeance while the government has adopted a lackadaisical approach. Areas freed from the hold of extremists are yet to be reconstructed because of which the troops in holding phase are getting no respite. All the hard work done and sacrifices rendered by the Army seem to be going to waste due to non-availability of backup socio-politico-economic and judicial plan of rehabilitation. The Army is being pushed to jump into new battlegrounds without fully consolidating the gains made.

Having dilated upon various aspects, the big questions are whether the US would bring any change in its attitude towards Pakistan, or keep distrusting Pakistan to keep it in the dock under one pretext or the other; whether the US leaders suffering from paranoia will continue complaining like a jilted woman; whether the US has become wiser and is now sincere to find a political settlement of the Afghan imbroglio, or would it continue with its deceitful policy of divide-and-rule; whether it would keep relying wholly on India and Israel and letting India play the role of villain to disrupt peace; whether the US would forgive Al-Qaeda or continue its futile chase; for how long the US can sustain war on terror; will Gen Petraeus succeed where Gen McChrystal failed; will foreign troops pullout in next two years or would take their time; whether USA would accept its defeat gracefully or, like a bad loser repeat Cambodian experience in Pakistan and get trapped; whether Afghanistan will achieve stability with US presence or without it; will stakeholders achieve harmony and collectively make an effort for regional peace or their interests would remain in conflict; will CIA reconcile with ISI or remain hostile; will USA abandon its objective of denuclearizing Pakistan and develop mutually sustaining long term friendly relations; lastly whether our leaders will put an end to self-destructive policies and start taking corrective measures to safeguard the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan?

The writer is a retired Brig, a defence analyst and author of several books; he writes for Asian Tribune, New Nation, Veterans Today, Opinion Maker, Thinkers Forum Pakistan and numerous national and international newspapers/ websites. Email: asifharoon7751@yahoo.com

 

[Asian.Century]

Its time Pakistan needs to get down and implement the National Security Policy!!!