Even if we accept your face saving explanation for a moment it still does not explain why the GOP signed a peace pact with them and handed over a part of your territory to them to govern ?
My point is that your ISI advised your govt. wrongly that TTP was manageable and they got it wrong. TTP like most deluded gangs thought they could take on the PA and lost.
However once upon a time ISI and BM and Co. were good friends.
Regards
Actually the peace deal was with TNSM under guarantee of surrender of TTP in Malakand, it cannot be called ill advised if the ISI was banking on the hawkish behavior of TTP to pay no heed to the surrender part and drag its feet.
The peace deal did not hand over territory to the TTP.
No one here can claim to know the complete truth so i would suggest that all stop speculating so as to call it intelligence failure.
There is a very strong possibility that government was expecting TTP to misbehave and used this to convince the people of the duplicity of TTP.
The SSG recon force members were actively gathering intel on TTP positions and numbers during this period so it was expected move of TTP.
Once upon a time the Mujahideen (spiritual ancestors of Taliban) were the blue eyed boys of the west...things change, roll with it...
However also give due weightage to the fact that Pakistan had hosted Millions of Afghans and it was not possible to sever all ties with former Mujahideen turned Taliban, things do not happen overnight and there will be a time when former ties of Pakistan and even US will help in bringing many Taliban to the talking table.
Media attributes many statements to ISI but ISPR is the official channel through which Army indicates its official posture, we should not rely too much on Taliban apologists like Hamid Mir who was not even willing to condemn Sufi Muhammad for going back on his word in Swat...
I have always segregated Taliban on basis of Afghan Taliban and Pakistan TTP because they had different background and motivation whatever similarity they share in their projected ideology, things are not that simple and all parties need to understand that.
In the past I have taken pains to explain how Afghan Taliban were successful initially in Afghanistan due to the poor performance of previous regime, it was not their weapons or alleged help of ISI but the local support which would have been supportive of any party which could unify the land and end the perpetual civil war.
It is something we need to understand so as to ensure that extremism does not take root due to desperation, deprivation and lawlessness.
There is no shame in admitting that initially Taliban did not start out as what they have become after their marriage with Al Qaeda, certainly their more extremist steps did not come to light till they had become the most powerful entity in Afghanistan.
However there is equally no shame in admitting that their retarded interpretation of Shariah and draconian laws quickly evaporated all the good they achieved via unification of Afghanistan.
This is all in the past and needs to be rememberd, however it is also obvious that we cannot allow extremism and terrorism to take root no matter what cause is associated with them, therefore anyone who is not willing to let go of such actions has to be dealt with...
I would not like to derail this thread any further so my advice to the more serious fellow members is to focus on this arrest and what it means in long term for Pakistan, Afghanistan and USA.
Good to know that ISI is taking solid action in the interest of Pakistan.
