ISI helping the Taliban again / still?
Posted on http://www.pakistanpolicy.com and citing http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...304029_pf.html
“Collaboration is growing between Taliban commanders in Afghanistan such as Haqqani, who has tribal roots in Paktika province, and Pakistanis such as Baitullah Mehsud, a commander in South Waziristan who is reorganizing the Taliban with help from agents in Pakistan’s intelligence service, according to U.S. military officials. Mehsud, the CIA has said, is responsible for the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December.”
This suggests we are back again to the policy of Musharraf - stop and go (as I've termed the policy before). I accept there could be other explanations, for example a new government's inability to control ISI actions.
davidbfpo
Sharif, the Saudis and Pakistan
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Taken from Ray
Nawaz Sharif is known to be with the Islamists and more so, having lived in exile in Saudi Arabia, the home of Wahaabism!! And Nawaz Sharif is no friend of the WoT. Therefore, one has to wait and watch.
Ray,
I know one London based analyst, who stated before the changes in Pakistan since late 2007, that Sharif would pursue a 'more nuanced policy on the GWOT and better serve Pakistani interests'.
Secondly, there are few, if any comments on the Saudi gopvernments policy on Pakistan (a major gap in all the analysis I've seen).
Third, Sharif is often described as a secular politician in the West. Is that a mistake?
davidbfpo
Thank you for bring this up
[QUOTE=Ray;44199]
Quote:
Do forgive me, but that is where is the disconnect of the western way of thinking and the Oriental one.
True there is election and a coalition of convergent party is in power. But, will they accept that the problem is of their won creation? They will consider it as US bequeathed! Therefore, while they are ready to assist, the problem, as far as they are concerned is that of the US and they are the sufferers!
This was exactly what I was trying to get at. The reality that it is a disconnect between ways of thinking will not unfortunately mean that that won't be the thinking anyway. At least from many of the areas where that thinking comes out in the public sector.
This would or will bring out the second issue you described. It is at that point I think the shift may take place. Unlike the devisiveness of the Iraq war in the political realm almost noone within the political or public realm in the west disagrees with operations needing to be conducted in Afghanistan. I mean after all that's where OB and Zawahiri are, right. Thus the pressure change in that I don't see the lack of popular support for dealing with AQ and the Taliban and thus the expectation for the new Pakistani government to do something besides say (Not our Problem).
Seeing as it won't be their fault would it follow that they wouldn't have to fear the same popular backlash and as such should we go ahead and take care of the problem we "caused":confused:
As a follow on to my last post
RAY,
One might perhaps listen to what our esteemed Senator Bayh had to ask today at the briefings:(