US think-tank hints at ISI hand in CIA attack

[brahmastra]

In this image taken from undated video made available from Taliban sources purpotedly shows Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, right, reading a statement to camera vowing revenge for the death of Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, while sitting next to the new leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud. Jordanian doctor Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi, is identified by news organizations to be the man who killed seven CIA employees in a suicide attack in Afghanistan on December 30. The authenticity of this video is unconfirmed.

The suicide strike on the key U.S. intelligence base in Afghanistan had hallmarks of an operation carried out by a national intelligence service, a leading U.S. think-tank has said, apparently hinting that it could be the handiwork of Pakistan’s ISI or its rogue elements.

“The hit was by all account a masterful piece of trade craft beyond the known abilities of a group like Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan,” U.S. think-tank Stratfors said.

“The Jordanians penetration of the CIA was less like the product of an insurgency than an operation carried out by a national intelligence service. And this is the most troubling aspect for the U.S.,” the think tank said.

The speculation about a possible ISI hand in the suicide attack is being traced back to U.S. and Afghan government sources who said in the analysis of explosives used, it was found they were of standard military grade which points to the ISI.

Stratfors deduction comes even as al-Jazeera TV said the Jordanian bomber Khali Abu Mulal al-Balawi was brought to the U.S. base in Khost in eastern Afghanistan by car from across the border in Pakistan.

The agency which was one of the TV channels which beamed a footage of al-Balawi alongside Pakistan Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud said the video showed “there was clearly a link between Pakistani Taliban headed by Hakimullah Mehsud and some of the al-Qaeda elements operating in Pakistan.

The Arab TV channel said, this video was expected and “everybody in the tribal border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan was told al-Balawi had recored a message before he went to his mission to blow the American Chapman base.” The channel said that the video would provide the Afghan government “more ammunition” with which to criticise their counterparts in Pakistan. “This is definitely something that is going to put more pressure on the Pakistanis in the future and will definitely make the Afghans and the Americans change their strategy as far as dealing with eastern Afghanistan.”

Stratfors, in an in depth analysis of the hit on the CIA base, said as the Jordanian bomber exited the vehicle on December 30, the security guards at the Chapman base noticed he was behaving strangely. As the guards moved towards al-Balawi screaming for him to take his hands out of his pocket, the Jordanian instead of complying detonated the suicide device he was wearing.

The explosion, Stratfors said killed the bomber, three security contractors, four CIA officers and the Jordanian intelligence official who was his handler. But the vehicle shielded other CIA officers at the scene from the blast. The CIA officers killed included the chief of base at Khost and an analyst, who was the agency’s foremost expert on al-Qaeda.

“The U.S. cannot hope to reach a satisfactory solution in Afghanistan unless it can win the intelligence war. But the damage done to CIA in this attack cannot be overestimated. At least one of the agency’s top analysts was killed. In an intelligence war, this is equivalent to a sinking of an aircraft carrier in a naval war,” Stratfors said.

The Hindu : News / International : US think-tank hints at ISI hand in CIA attack

 

[Patriot]

What a bunch of idiots.When CIA itself admits that security was not tight enough.They come up with their own conspiracy theory.Just admit it you are not invincible.

 

[Hulk]

Theories apart, is there any evidence?

 

[PWFI]

endians media

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

WASHINGTON: A US strategic think tank has discounted "widespread rumours in the United States" that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency had a hand in the December 30 attack in Khost, Afghanistan that killed several CIA agents. The possibility that jihadist sympathisers in the lower ranks of the Pakistani intelligence complex may have offered their services to the Taliban cannot be ruled out, the think tank said.

While luck played a definite role in the attack, the skill in preparing the double agent who detonated the suicide bomb used in the attack has led some to see a state role, says Stratfor that styles itself as the global intelligence company.

"Such a role is unlikely, however, as Pakistan has little to gain by enraging the United States. Even so, the rumours alone will harm US-Pakistani relations, perhaps giving the Taliban some breathing room," it said.

"Concerns similar to those in the aftermath of the November 2008 Mumbai attack - that the situation in Pakistan has reached a point where the state no longer has control over its own security apparatus and now represents an intolerable threat to US national security - will emerge again," Stratfor suggested.

"While the situation in Islamabad might not be dire, a US-Pakistani and Indian-Pakistani breakdown is exactly what that the jihadists want so they can survive the US and Pakistani offensives they currently face," it said.

Much of the speculation about the possible role played by ISI in the suicide attack on Forward Operating Base Chapman traces back to a report citing unnamed US and Afghan government sources as saying a chemical analysis of explosive residue suggesting the use of military-grade equipment points to ISI involvement in the incident.

"This is a faulty basis to establish an ISI link, as the Pakistani Taliban have used military-grade explosives in numerous attacks against the Pakistani security establishment since late 2006," Stratfor said.

To a large extent, chance aided the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in carrying out the attack, Stratfor said adding, "That said, the preparation of the double agent for the attack showed definite skill."

"While it has shown a great degree of skill in pulling off attacks against major army, intelligence and other security installations in Pakistan, the TTP previously has not been seen as being capable of handling a foreign double agent for a complex operation outside Pakistan," the think tank noted.

However, even this does not mean the ISI was involved in the attack, it said noting, "The ISI falls under the control of the Pakistani army and the government, and the Pakistani state has no interest in carrying out actions against the United States, as this could seriously threaten Pakistani national interests."

Given its history of dealing with Islamist nonstate proxies, the Pakistani intelligence apparatus is penetrated by the jihadists, which partially explains the ability of the TTP to mount a ferocious insurgency against the state, Stratfor said.

Did ISI have a hand in attack on CIA base? - US - World - The Times of India

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Just more nonsense by Pakistan bashers in suggesting the ISI was involved, as in the case of the attack in the Indian Embassy and Mumbai.

That the Hindu extrapolated 'ISI involvement' from the Stratfor report (which Stratfor has now debunked) only points to the neurotic paranoia and irrational anti-Pakistan sentiment inflicting large sections of India.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Remarker - please quote Petraeus's comments from that video.

This video has been posted before and I do not see where the headline matches Petraeus's comments.

 

[SekrutYakhni]

Well what do you think about this!

Supposedly Blackwater is involved in Peshawar bombing >>> conspiracy theory.

ISI involved in CIA killing >>> not a conspiracy theory.

Conspiracy is not a wife of the west which can be used anywhere at anytime as a prostitue...

There is no hard fact which states that ISI is involved...
than how the hell U.S. Think Tank can "guess" ISI or its elements were involved!

Well if ISI "is" involved than I am really happy...

otherwise give facts or shut!

 

[waraich66]

Indeed it is a intelligence war , ISAF should accept their defeat in this front , hatred breed hatred and love breed love , they should take the responsiblity for their wrong steps to Attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan and try to resolve root cause of the conflict which is Palestine dispute.

Balawi is basically Palestinian , cause of hatred in Palestinians need to be addressed.Justice delayed is justice denied.

ISI has no involvement in this attack , Haqqani network is very strong in Khost could be responsible .I think US wanted to blame ISI to divert this war in Pakistan, but if they took any action against PA/ISI they will lose the cheap supply line for ISAF forces .

May Allah protect our country from conspiracies of zoinists and neo cons.

 

[ajpirzada]

thanks. from now on lets start acceptin it.

 

[Patriot]

^ yeah even if true its totally justified as it was a military target and shows what kind of capabilities we have.

 

[BATMAN]

Who is to be blamed for attacks on ISI ???
How does US explains the support of american sattelites to TTP in fighting active war with Pak army on front lines?

There are hudreds of vedios available in which TTP leaders pledge acts of terroism in Pakistan and Pakistan army.
How does indian media ignored that? simply because Pakistan govt. is in possession of evidence of RAW link with TTP and has claimed so on various occasions.
Pakistan have dead bodies of indian gorkha soldiers fighting along TTP.

 

[PlanetWarrior]

Who is to be blamed for attacks on ISI ???
How does US explains the support of american sattelites to TTP in fighting active war with Pak army on front lines?

There are hudreds of vedios available in which TTP leaders pledge acts of terroism in Pakistan and Pakistan army.
How does indian media ignored that? simply because Pakistan govt. is in possession of evidence of RAW link with TTP and has claimed so on various occasions.
Pakistan have dead bodies of indian gorkha soldiers fighting along TTP.

Please send them home. We do accept the bodies of our dead soldiers. We need to cremate them. As a matter of curiousity were they in full Indian army uniform or were they disguised as Taliban? Did they carry Indian army issued weapons ? Do they look like Gurkhas or did they undergo full facial surgery to be disguised with Pashtun features including beards etc ? Our media never reported on this fact and I am stunned by this latest revelation

 

[Rank]

Hello US ok WE DID THIS JOB SO WHAT kya karlay hamara ?? if US intrested to fight with us so comeon baby everything allow in LOVE AND WAR!! so we will use nuke u will use ur full forces!!!

and about nukes its our right that we will fire on Afghanistan to finish AMERICANS into Afghanistan we will fire Nuke India also ISreal its our way of thinking if u have gut comeon baby call ur 2 najayeez ulaad ISreal and India and come face2face with Pakistan!

YES OUR ISI DID THIS JOB SO WHAT ???? KYA KARLAYGA ?

BULLSHITS OF US!

 

[Solomon2]

Just because the explosive is standard military-grade the ISI did it? How do you know it wasn't the Libyans or Bulgarians? Really, if I'm gonna blame the ISI, I need more proof than that.

 

[hembo]

Hello US ok WE DID THIS JOB SO WHAT kya karlay hamara ?? if US intrested to fight with us so comeon baby everything allow in LOVE AND WAR!! so we will use nuke u will use ur full forces!!!

and about nukes its our right that we will fire on Afghanistan to finish AMERICANS into Afghanistan we will fire Nuke India also ISreal its our way of thinking if u have gut comeon baby call ur 2 najayeez ulaad ISreal and India and come face2face with Pakistan!

YES OUR ISI DID THIS JOB SO WHAT ???? KYA KARLAYGA ?

BULLSHITS OF US!

I guess this one's so ON-TOPIC, intelligent, non war mongeing, non hate mongering, no foul language post to be kept framed.