Pakistan wants regional alliance against 'foreign presence' in Afghanistan: ex-ISI chief

[Shahzaz ud din]

Pakistan wants regional alliance against 'foreign presence' in Afghanistan: ex-ISI chief
By News Desk
Published: October 29, 2017
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Asad Durrani claims Pakistan has found allies in region starting with Iran, Russia, China and now lately Turkey. PHOTO: RT

Pakistan has held successful negotiations with at least four countries and a new regional alliance against the foreign presence in Afghanistan is fast emerging, a former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has claimed.

“Now this is the regional alliance that is emerging, not in the sense of an alliance, but at least they have started handling the foreign presence in Afghanistan in a coordinated manner,” Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani, Pakistan’s ex-spymaster, told Russia Today’s Sophie Shevarnadze in an interview.

“In the meantime actually what we have done… is that [we have] found allies in the region starting with Iran, Russia, China and now lately Turkey,” he added.


Pakistan, Afghanistan discuss ways to boost bilateral trust

Durrani said Pakistan does not care about the US sanctions anymore because it hardly gets any aid from the latter. “Sanctions are alright… Already there’s hardly anything we get from the US… Dependence on America — that finished long time ago,” he said, adding that Islamabad was rather looking for countries which would offer cooperation in economic development in the region “to ensure that this foreign presence from Afghanistan is vacated.”

Responding to a question over new US strategy on Afghanistan, the former intelligence chief denied there was a change in the American policy towards the war-torn nation, saying peace in Afghanistan was in the interest of the United States.

Aizaz urges Afghanistan to cooperate with Pakistan in fight against terrorism

“The policy still continues to be run by, to use a Russian nomenklatura, the deep state in the US runs the policy. Obama used to speak softly and his representatives used to come and threaten us — Hillary Clinton and others, the generals. In this particular case, the roles are simply reversed, because Trump is not in the habit of talking softly, so they said ‘you can go ahead, see what you do, tweet whatever you like to, but we run the policy’,” he said, adding the job of the US president was to only shout at some countries.

Durrani said the US wanted to keep a military presence in Afghanistan at all costs. “Essentially, the policy remains the same, and that is — you have dig in Afghanistan, stay there, keep the bases, keep the military presence, that’s more important than either peace there or settlement there or whatever else.”

He went on to say that Pakistan pushed the Taliban leadership towards joining the Afghan peace process but the negotiation process was sabotaged either by the Kabul regime or the US itself.


Read more: Afghanistan , Asad Durrani , ISI

 

[El Sidd]

Lol

 

[cloud4000]

What a joker. He made a claim that US wanted Pakistan to send its military to Afghanistan but didn't want to pay for it. He's a maker of outlandish claims. This is another one of them.

 

[HAIDER]

What a joker. He made a claim that US wanted Pakistan to send its military to Afghanistan but didn't want to pay for it. He's a maker of outlandish claims. This is another one of them.

They may want to adjust the soldier payment from some other mean , which PA may not agreed. Everyone wants free soldier to fight. Even Syrian FSA mercenaries got paid over 500 dollar a month.

 

[django]

What a joker. He made a claim that US wanted Pakistan to send its military to Afghanistan but didn't want to pay for it. He's a maker of outlandish claims. This is another one of them.

Even that viscerally anti-Pakistan Walrus Sushant Sareen acknowledged that Durrani has "brilliant" mind and where exactly did Gen Durrani make these claims, I keep a close ear on the Gens comments which Pakistani policy makers would be wise to heed.

 

[Flash_Ninja]

Well, foreign presence is the primary issue in Afghanistan and the neighbouring countries realise this.

Tillerson says that they are willing to allow the Taliban in the Kabul govt, so what exactly is the point of the Americans and their allies maintaining a presence there? They dropped their plans to contain AQ so there is no reason.

 

[Jinn Baba]

So we are going all out against America along with this alliance? How exactly are we going to do that if the "deep state" within America wants to remain in Afghanistan?

Also, seems the establishment in Pak is underestimating US sanctions (which can also include economic sanctions) and their ability to completely isolate a country like Pakistan.

 

[BATMAN]

Lately, I have read news, reports, editorials from various international news agencies, incl. Indian, suggesting... Iran, India and Afghanistan should mutually invade Pakistan!!! one example: https://www.dailyo.in/politics/pakistan-terrorism-afghanistan-india-pak-ties-iran/story/1/17182.html

I just wonder how hawks of defence.pk mange to miss such wide spread, yet revolutionary news related to Pakistan's defence!

I also wonder, when India is conceding land to China and receiving humiliation by the foots of Chinese soldiers, why they only want to invade Pakistan!

 

[mueeztheman]

imagine the memes when pakistani tanks enter kabul

 

[Zarvan]

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ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has successfully negotiated a new regional alliance against the foreign presence in Afghanistan is fast emerging, a former chief of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has claimed.

“Now this is the regional alliance that is emerging, not in the sense of an alliance, but at least they have started handling the foreign presence in Afghanistan in a coordinated manner,” Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani, Pakistan’s ex-spymaster, told Russia Today’s Sophie Shevarnadze in an interview.

“In the meantime actually what we have done… is that [we have] found allies in the region starting with Iran, Russia, China and now lately Turkey,” he added.

READ MORE: Pakistan responds back hard to US latest reservations over CPEC
Durrani said Pakistan does not care about the US sanctions anymore because it hardly gets any aid from the latter. “Sanctions are alright… Already there’s hardly anything we get from the US… Dependence on America — that finished long time ago,” he said, adding that Islamabad was rather looking for countries which would offer cooperation in economic development in the region “to ensure that this foreign presence from Afghanistan is vacated.”

Responding to a question over new US strategy on Afghanistan, the former intelligence chief denied there was a change in the American policy towards the war-torn nation, saying peace in Afghanistan was in the interest of the United States.

READ MORE: Chinese experts to train Pakistani officials
“The policy still continues to be run by, to use a Russian nomenklatura, the deep state in the US runs the policy. Obama used to speak softly and his representatives used to come and threaten us — Hillary Clinton and others, the generals. In this particular case, the roles are simply reversed, because Trump is not in the habit of talking softly, so they said ‘you can go ahead, see what you do, tweet whatever you like to, but we run the policy’,” he said, adding the job of the US president was to only shout at some countries.

READ MORE: Durand Line re opens for two days
Durrani said the US wanted to keep a military presence in Afghanistan at all costs. “Essentially, the policy remains the same, and that is — you have dig in Afghanistan, stay there, keep the bases, keep the military presence, that’s more important than either peace there or settlement there or whatever else.”

He went on to say that Pakistan pushed the Taliban leadership towards joining the Afghan peace process but the negotiation process was sabotaged either by the Kabul regime or the US itself.


https://timesofislamabad.com/pakist...nst-foreign-forces-in-afghanistan/2017/10/30/

 

[Sinnerman108]

This is a challenge not to the US, or Europe

It is a challenge to US dollar, and market protection exercised by US and Europe.

 

[Maxpane]

alliance is good for pakistan

 

[El Sidd]

Durrani reads from the old script

 

[Baby Leone]

he is true Pakistan is the only country in the region which sincerely help US getting out of Afghanistan through peace process but it was sabotage by Afghani or US establishment. seems like US is just doing drama of peace in Afghanistan but wanted to stay there as long as possible to keep check on emerging regional and world powers like Pakistan, China, Russia, Iran & Turkey remaining all other Asian countries are already in bed with US.