Militants Overtake India as Top Threat, Says Pakistan's ISI

[Masterchief]

ISI don't publish anything-its just a lame article with no validity.

India always will be top of the List , no matter what.

it is because of this India phobic foreign policy of pakistan due to which the country is suffering, its high time your government change its policy, being anti Indian doesn't feed the people dude, why this hatred?, see the reality, terrorists are now eating your nation from within, and yet you place India as atop threat, we have better works to do than to attack Pakistan.

 

[MZUBAIR]

it is because of this India phobic foreign policy of pakistan due to which the country is suffering, its high time your government change its policy, being anti Indian doesn't feed the people dude, why this hatred?, see the reality, terrorists are now eating your nation from within, and yet you place India as atop threat, we have better works to do than to attack Pakistan.

India is already eating our land thats called Jammu & Kashmir.

There is no place in the country (Pakistan) that militants hav captured.

India is the worse enemy.....India is also feeding Terrorists in Pakistan.

 

[rafay321]

thats where you are wrong my friend, we are not your biggest enemy, and Pakistan has always made the mistake of perceiving us as one.

My friend we believe India as our No.1 enemy after 1971. At least these homegrown militants are not looking to cut us into two.

Plus i don't believe in this article at all. However, foreign sponsored TTP is a threat but not as big as India who build up their army on our borders, threat with surgical strikes, poke their nose in our internal matters like 71 and try to change us geographically and calls our land as integral part of hers. All these are too big in front of handful of terrorists.

 

[Prayag Raj]

-----------

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

‘India enjoys veto power over Pakistan’s progress’


By Nasir Jamal
Sunday, 15 Aug, 2010

LAHORE, Aug 14: Pakistan should move away from the zero-sum security rivalry with India to be able to emerge as a successful, modern democratic society, says a distinguished American foreign policy expert.

“It is vital for Pakistan to shift its strategic focus from a dead-end losing competition with India to a developmental competition,” Prof Walter Russel Mead emphasised in an interview with Dawn during his recent visit to Lahore.

Pakistan can become an economically strong country if it realises the uselessness of confrontation with India, he said and held that Pakistan’s policy of confrontation with India means that it has given a veto power over its domestic and foreign policy to New Delhi.

Prof Mead is a former Henry Kissinger senior fellow for United States foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of a number of books. He was in Pakistan for two weeks to participate in the US embassy’s programme of international speakers. During his visit, he spent a lot of time with students and teachers from different universities, journalists, military officials, analysts and others.

According to him, Pakistan’s struggle against India is also stopping its security establishment from completely severing its ties with extremist groups. “If you give up your relationship with these groups,” he argued, “the whole policy of confrontation with India becomes much more difficult to sustain.”

He did not agree with the theory that the relationship between Pakistan and India could not improve without a solution to Kashmir. “To some degree it is a question for Pakistan to ask itself. To say that without a resolution to the Kashmir issue Pakistan cannot prosper is to say that India has a veto power over the future of Pakistan, that India must give permission before Pakistan can launch its projects of development.

And I think Pakistan for its own sake needs to assume sovereignty over its future,” Prof Mead underlined. “Pakistan might see a creative new direction for itself if it could see the issue and assume sovereignty over its domestic and foreign policy.”

“I think militarization of Pakistan’s development over the last 60 years is the core,” he continued. “The distortion of development priorities that comes from enormous military burden and uneven struggle against a much bigger neighbour means that Pakistan’s development is slower than that could be otherwise. It has not affected India due to its size. The questionable groups are used as a balancing weapon just to discover that these balancing groups exacerbate internal problems. Violence makes peaceful development much harder. Cost of confrontation for Pakistan keeps rising.”

The award-winning author of “Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World” and “God and Gold: Britain, America and the Making of the Modern World”

The expert pointed out that the US would like to see an agreed on solution over the future of Kashmir, which is also acceptable to its people. “But we neither can nor would impose a solution. We don’t have the ability or will. Some people in Pakistan have these unrealistic ideas about what the US government can accomplish.”

Yet, he said, it is clear that India and Pakistan are closer to a common vision on the future of Kashmir today than they were 40 years ago. “And there are some interesting proposals put on the table by both sides. Some people say they have come way close to the solution. One hopes that the progress continues.”

Asked about the recent American statements urging Pakistan to take action against Lashkar-i-Taiba and its allies, Prof Mead said: “I would expect the US to continue to raise this issue not because it is trying to be an agent of India here but because the US genuinely believes that any, even slight, cooperation between Pakistan’s security apparatus and this group is a threat to peace in the region.”

What does the burgeoning US-India relationship mean for Pakistan? Is the US getting ready to abandon Pakistan to India’s tender mercies? “That’s really not what we are trying to do. The future of this region includes a strong, vibrant developing Pakistan. The US likes to see Pakistan – like one of emerging countries – growing at 10 per cent a year and becoming more modern and successful by decade and decade. The Kerry-Lugar Bill, which pledges to provide Islamabad $7.5 billion over a period of five years, is shaped by this vision,” Mr Mead said.

But he candidly stated it is impossible for the US to ignore the rise of India. He quoted Henry Kissinger to describe the rise of India and China as “one of very rare historical event that would change the world”. “From the US point of view,” he elaborated, “the rise of India can be seen as fundamentally a benign force in the world. “The rise of India means the US doesn’t have to think so much about a war with China or a confrontation with China. With the rise of India you see a natural balance emerging in Asia with China, Japan and India.

Any two of them are sufficient to keep the third from trying to dominate the region, and from the US standpoint it is a great benefit. You would be loser if you think that the US will be indifferent to the rise of India; we would like to promote it for this much larger issue.”

Agreeing that the gulf between Pakistani and American perceptions and priorities was deep, Mr Mead blamed Pakistan’s focus on India for much of the misunderstanding. “Pakistanis and Americans often misunderstand each other. So when Americans say to Pakistanis ‘let’s have a strategic dialogue’, they say let’s talk about things other than India. But when Pakistanis say to Americans ‘let’s have a strategic dialogue’, they say let’s talk about India.”

He said unlike most other countries, when the US thinks about foreign policy it tends to think about the globe, the world as a whole. “We don’t think Mexico and Canada are two most important foreign policy issues. Americans are so global and Pakistan is one of those countries which is most concerned about its regional environment and tends to think much less about the big global issues. So issues, global issues, the US cares about often don’t seem important to Pakistanis. The issues that are on top of Pakistan’s priority list come somewhere much low down for Americans.”

However, he insisted, in certain areas the “communication gap” between Americans and Pakistanis is closing. “I think the biggest gap between Americans and their Pakistani interlocutors had to do with this question of the world’s terrorist groups, religious extremist groups. And I think there has been a group in Pakistan that thought that these groups could be used as instruments of state policy and saw it as a regional issue. The US tended to think these extremist religious groups and the potential for global turmoil they represented like fire and once they start to burn you cannot control where they go. More recently as violence has come home tragically, there is much more sense among much wider sectors of society (in Pakistan) that these groups are a fundamental threat to order everywhere and you cannot play safely with them. I don’t say the gap is closed 100 per cent but there is a much deeper understanding of this danger of these forces and their uncontrollability.”

To another question, Prof Mead said that “there remains a strong sense that not everybody in the Pakistan government is telling everything they know about these (extremist) groups. And that is a real problem for the US – not a simple problem, a big problem.”

 

[EjazR]

India Doubts ISI is Shifting Focus to Militants - India Real Time - WSJ

Pakistan’s recent assessment that domestic militancy - and not India - is the country’s preeminent security threat could help spur the military there to take further action against Taliban militants.

But the strategic shift is likely to be met with skepticism in India, at least for now.

The Inter-Services Intelligence military spy agency, in a regular security assessment, says it sees two thirds of potential threats coming from Islamist militants. That is the first time in Pakistan’s 63 years of existence that India’s army has not been viewed as the top security concern.

India will want to see action rather than an assessment of risk. India thinks Pakistan has not done enough to crack down on the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks in 2008. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during an Independence Day speech at the Red Fort Sunday, said more action on that front is a prerequisite to better relations with Pakistan.

Some Indian observers are also wary about whether the ISI’s mainstream, which authored the security assessment, are able to control rogue elements - former ISI and military officers that many in India and the U.S. believe have maintained ties with militants.

“It’s a good development, provided the bulk of the ISI, including retired officers, take a hint,” said Naresh Chandra, chairman of the National Security Advisory Board.

Rebuilding trust between the two sides is going to take some time. The last round of peace talks in mid-July broke down after India said it had evidence the ISI was directly involved in the Mumbai attacks, a claim the ISI denies.

Pakistan maintains that it has severed ties with militants that it once fostered to fight in Afghanistan as well as Indian troops in the disputed region of Kashmir. Many of those militants have in the past couple of years turned against Pakistan, which they see as too close to the U.S.

Still, Islamabad’s relations with militants that focus on India, and don’t attack Pakistan, like Lashkar-e-Taiba, are less clear. New Delhi in recent weeks has blamed Pakistan for continuing to send militants in to India’s Jammu and Kashmir state, which has erupted in separatist violence since mid-June. Pakistan denies this.

For now, peace seems far off. But Pakistan’s admission that India is not its biggest threat could in the long run help to reinvigorate peace talks with Pakistan that Mr. Singh has made a key goal of his administration.

 

[gubbi]

My friend we believe India as our No.1 enemy after 1971. At least these homegrown militants are not looking to cut us into two.

Plus i don't believe in this article at all. However, foreign sponsored TTP is a threat but not as big as India who build up their army on our borders, threat with surgical strikes, poke their nose in our internal matters like 71 and try to change us geographically and calls our land as integral part of hers. All these are too big in front of handful of terrorists.

Excellent reasoning, my friend. I totally agree with you. What is a few innocent people dying at the hands of suicide bombers and militants every other day in Pakistan as opposed to thousands who may be killed if and only if India decides to attack. Right?

What does it matter that the youth of today's Pakistan are being brainwashed with a perverted view of Islam and turned away from reality when India is building up its military and economic muscle right on your borders giving its youth something to look forward to.

Yeah, the rot set within Pakistan's society by numerous years of mismanagement by the Army dictators and many of your leaders' policies is nothing compared to India's right to defend Kashmir in the first place from invaders.

You do raise excellent points rafay321. Who cares about the cancer within, but its very important to maintain vigilance from a real satanic jin.

 

[Materialistic]

What aggression is Pakistan showing towards India that it has become a matter of such a severe discussion.


Why is it all given a perception that Pakistan and its army is doing nothing against Terrorists but preparing an attack on India!!

The whole world recognizes our efforts to eliminate extremism, and our neighbors are the only exception. Pakistan has carried out more successful operations and has given a massive blow to Taliban, their power and as well as their image. Pakistan army has been more successful than Nato. What they couldn't achieve in a decade we have done in last 2-3 years.

Originally Posted by desiman
thats where you are wrong my friend, we are not your biggest enemy, and Pakistan has always made the mistake of perceiving us as one.

India is just on our top priority in defense. Pakistan is equipping even its military on defensive doctrine, we are just aiming for deterrence, then what is the big deal !!

India has times bigger military and now India is modernizing and equipping it to the teeth, India is preparing itself to fight on multiple fronts. Its not us who are preparing for battle. Pakistan army is equipped just to resist any invading forces. What's wrong in self defense !!

Also, have any one here seen mainstream Pakistani channels bashing India!!

We don't have any good examples of democratically elected governments but still we are a true democracy because instead of making plans against our neighbors, carrying any media assault on them or using undue influence to effect the international relations of our neighbor, we are all the time sitting and discussing our issues, poverty, education, corruption, terrorism and all..

Then why to make such a big fuss of nothing, or something thats our basic right.

ISI is our national intelligence agency and it is supposed to be a step ahead and it has to think a step ahead to measure current and any possible future threats just like CIA and RAW.

What is so strange even if ISI keeps India as the no 1 enemy on its list. We don't have any no 2.

Taliban are just a threat for the time being, they can be more dangerous for us than India now.

India is a country that is here to stay and our arch rival. So its a permanent threat or source of concern and Talibans are a threat and just a threat of today. Because they have no place in future.

But yeah again, for the time being Taliban are and should be the top most priority.

 

[SpArK]

Good/great news for India...

 

[rafay321]

Excellent reasoning, my friend. I totally agree with you. What is a few innocent people dying at the hands of suicide bombers and militants every other day in Pakistan as opposed to thousands who may be killed if and only if India decides to attack. Right?

What does it matter that the youth of today's Pakistan are being brainwashed with a perverted view of Islam and turned away from reality when India is building up its military and economic muscle right on your borders giving its youth something to look forward to.

Yeah, the rot set within Pakistan's society by numerous years of mismanagement by the Army dictators and many of your leaders' policies is nothing compared to India's right to defend Kashmir in the first place from invaders.

You do raise excellent points rafay321. Who cares about the cancer within, but its very important to maintain vigilance from a real satanic jin.

We have taken care of it. Indian hired goons are enjoying in hell right now. The handful of the remaining will be cleaned soon. Suicide bombings have been reduced by 80%. These goons are not homegrown but foreign funded.

Ever been to the universities and colleges o Pakistan? The youth you are talking about belongs to the 8% FATA which is under developed with no education system. There are schools but they are destroyed. But in coming decades these youths will be educated. If you want to depend on FATA which is 8% of Pakistan then be my guest. It is just your assumption to fulfill your 60 year old desires. Yes our economy is down but it grew by the rate of 6-7% till 2008. Rest i can tell you that a common Pakistani is not hopeless. They are maayus with the political government but not with this great country. It is only Indian perception because it suits you.

Army rule always set Pak on course of development first of all. There has been mismanagement which we shall rectify. You have competent political leadership its your luck. We don't we are unfortunate. We hope leaders will rise. India's right to defend Kashmir is not entertained in Pakistan.


The cancer within has been cured in SWAT and FATA. Pak's installed government in Afghanistan shall cure the TTP cancer forever. Then we will see what we have to do with Kashmir.

 

[Areesh]

Nice answer Rafay. Couldn't have explained it better. You just summed it all.

 

[navtrek]

the ISI about time realize that these Islamic millitants were infact nourished against India and now they are back biting their feeding hand. This has been the traditional role of so called islamists across the history. Now i hope no twisted theories are being stirred to blame it on RAW.

These millitants are byproduct of millitant ummah type politics we have been proudly taking up for few years. Thanks to Bhutto, Zia, Mudoodi and oil sheikhdoms. Pakistan future has been duly insured.

Man this is the first time somebody has acknowledged this fact. Great

 

[SpArK]

Hi a few questions :

Whats the composition of the nationalities/ethinicities of the TTP men??

Are they on hire? i mean whether they can bought by anybody with money?

 

[rafay321]

Nice answer Rafay. Couldn't have explained it better. You just summed it all.

Hi a few questions :

Whats the composition of the nationalities/ethinicities of the TTP men??

Are they on hire? i mean whether they can bought by anybody with money?

Very naive my friend.

 

[gubbi]

Army rule always set Pak on course of development first of all. There has been mismanagement which we shall rectify. You have competent political leadership its your luck. We don't we are unfortunate. We hope leaders will rise. India's right to defend Kashmir is not entertained in Pakistan.

What development, may I ask? You talk so casually about mismanagement. 63 years of mismanagement, may I again ask how are you going to 'rectify'? On one hand you complain that we are lucky that we got good leaders while you didnt and on the other you so casually say that you will rectify 'mismanagement'.

We dont have a dearth of good leaders because our youth knows where priorities lie. Where are you going to get good leaders from? From the lost generation who believes that there are good and bad taliban and that "good" taliban are actually good guys while India and Indians along with the rest of the Zionist controlled world are the bad guys!? Most of the very good and capable guys leave Pakistan for good.

The rest of your post, I brush aside as a rant, unless you have something substantial to contribute. Thanks.

@topic:
As long as Pakistani policies remain India centric, trying to counter each and every Indian move, Pakistan will never grow. Pakistan does not have the resources and no one is going to help Pakistan unless this changes. If the present help with the floods from China is any indication, then the writing is clearly on the wall - so much for "all weather friend"! With this present ISI report being touted as an eyeopener for the Pakistani establishment, I hope that the tide has turned for the better.

But then, I have my reservations for this is a spook agency and deceit, subversion, distraction, falsification etc are considered as virtues in every spy agency in the world. If that is the case, it is indeed a master stroke by ISI to garner as much monetary and sentimental support from the world community as possible, before reverting or even clandestinely carrying out its original agenda.