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Latest update: 22/09/2011
- Afghanistan - Pakistan - Taliban - USA
Pakistan accused of backing Kabul embassy attack
The most senior US military officer has accused Pakistan’s intelligence service of backing the Haqqani militant network that launched a brazen attack on the US embassy in Kabul last week.
By News Wires (text)
REUTERS - The Haqqani militant network is a "veritable arm" of Pakistan's powerful ISI intelligence service, which supported the group as it launched a startling attack last week on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, the top U.S. military officer said on Thursday.
Admiral Mike Mullen, who steps down this month as chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his accusation before a U.S. Senate panel, underscoring the fragility of the strained U.S.-Pakistan alliance.
Mullen, CIA director David Petraeus and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton all have met with their Pakistani counterparts in recent days to demand Islamabad take action against the Haqqani network.
"The Haqqani network ... acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Agency," Mullen told the Senate panel.
Mullen's charges, which are sure to heighten tensions, come amid mounting exasperation in Washington as the Obama administration struggles to curb militancy in Pakistan and end the long war in Afghanistan.
Before Mullen spoke, Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik told Reuters the ISI had no part in the embassy attack.
"If you say that it is ISI involved in that attack, I categorically deny it," he said. "We have no such policy to attack or aid attack through Pakistani forces or through any Pakistani assistance."
The Haqqani network is perhaps the most feared of three allied insurgent factions fighting U.S.-led NATO and Afghan troops under the Taliban banner in Afghanistan.
"With ISI support, Haqqani operatives planned and conducted (a Sept. 11) truck bomb attack, as well as the assault on our embassy," Mullen said.
"We also have credible intelligence that they were behind the June 28 attack against the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul and a host of other smaller but effective operations."
Some U.S. intelligence reporting alleges the ISI specifically directed or urged the Haqqani network to carry out the attack on the embassy and a NATO headquarters in Kabul, two U.S. officials and a source familiar with recent U.S.-Pakistan official contacts told Reuters on Wednesday.
Mullen said the embassy attack and the bombing Tuesday that killed former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, who personified hopes for brokering peace negotiations with the Taliban, were examples of the Taliban's shift toward high-profile violence.
Such headline-grabbing strikes have been a blow to Washington's hopes to weaken a stubborn militancy and seal a peace deal with the Taliban as it plans to gradually draw down the U.S. force 10 years after the Afghan war began.
But Mullen said they do not indicate NATO strategy in Afghanistan is failing.
"These acts of violence are as much about headlines and playing on the fears of a traumatized people, as they are about inflicting casualties -- maybe even more so," Mullen told the Senate panel.
"We must not misconstrue them. They are serious and significant in shaping perceptions but they do not represent a sea change in the odds of military success."
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Comments (2)
Pakistan has sacrificed 33,000 citizens
Haqqanis are inside Afghanistan, 90% of Afghanistan is in the hands of ANR - Afghan National Resistance. Why is Pakistan responsible for the failures of US military inside Afghanistan. Either Afghanistan is under ISAF control or it is as I said in the hands of The Afghan National Resistance. The Haqqanis are just ine faction, there are many others all against American Occupation. Sure Haqqanis and ISI have a close relationship but the CIA created Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son who were welcomed as heroes by Ronald Reagan after the Soviet War. The Only people then who called the Haqqanis terrorists are the same people blurring the Afghanistan End Game - those supporting the division of Afghanistan on ethnic lines by this I mean The Indians with their agent Mr Blackwill.
There is no proof the Haqqanis bombed the embassy this is America thrusting its failures onto Pakistan. Pakistan can easily accuse America for harbouring terrorists who launch attacks inside Pakistan on mosques, schools, police stations, shopping bazaars - anywhere. Pakistani Army have chased the Tereek-e-Taliban out of Pakistan funded by India and USA the 3000 strong Afghan death squad as mentioned by Bob Woodward in his book on Obama. The TTP coined by Indians as Pakistani Taliban to make an association with Afghan Taliban are neither Taliban no Pakistani and regularly launch attacks from within Afghanistan supported via Indian consulates under an American Umbrella.
Why does ISAF not stop these terrorists entering into Pakistan? why!!!
If America alienates Pakistan a powerful country in the region with many friendly neighbours hostile to America in their back yard including Russia ironically a key ally but also China, Iran and Turkiye amongst others. Remember 20 years ago The Soviets were economically, politically and strategically in the same boat as America and it was Pakistani professional soldiers fighting amongst their cousins inside Afghanistan that brought down The Soviets. The first piece of rock that came down in the Berlin Wall was given to Pakistan ISI Chief with a placard reading "To the one who made the first blow" in bringing down the Berlin wall. America held the Soviets back for many decades thanks to Pakistan but this does not mean Pakistan today can allow its sovereignty trampelled on, become the typical US sanctioned whipping boy for its failures. More importantly the very nation supporting the Soviets against USA i.e. India is today a strategic ally for America to fight China - Pakistans most loyal friend. Pakistan and neither will Pakthuns allow India any foothold inside Afghanistan. Peace in Afghanistan has to come through Pakistan and not through unsubstantiated verbal veiled threats.
Losing Pakistan means a horirble end to America inside Afghanistan as all NATO routes will be closed BUT extending the war into Pakistan will mean further repercussions for US strategic interest and economic interest across the region, Middle East and N and East Africa as well as Asia Pacific. Pakistanis as did Afghans loved America, no place was so pro America and welcoming as Pakistan to America. Thanks to Bush and Cheney and their mess they have lost all that strategic influence and risk economic meltdown by extending their war into an innocent Pakistan. 33,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives to terror emanating from within Afghanistan unchecked as terrorists enter into Pakistan. How much more can Pakistanis take or for how long do you expect them to stay quiet, instead of recognising thier sacrifice and courage you humiliate them. Let us hope that these two desperate failed American Military commanders Panetta and Mullen are not supported by those in Washington and that the White House may offer some rationality. If not, a war extended into Pakistan will have greater consequences and such a conflict is not in the interest of America or American soldiers but only serve the interests of India. India is hostile to all it's neighbours each and every one because it (India) occupies land belonging to them and sent terror into its neighbours to maintain her occupation and since the American occupation in Afghanistan through American assistance India and INdian RAW has become very assertive. This is the wrong course for America and the wrong policy to divide Afghanistan along ethnic lands (The Indian Plan) maintain a prolonged presence inside Afghanistan and attack Pakistan the strongest ally of China. Those pushing for this are pursuing an Indian agenda that will not bring closure to Afghanistan but escalation which will lead to the inevitable "quick" demise of America similarly as we saw with the Soviets. Just as in that era the first blow came from Pakistani retaliation.
It's time for new kind of world politics.
Bad Pakistani guys in control of political power in 1971 killed 3 million members of foolish (independent seeker for nothing) Bangladeshi public (Indians have been better off and now is envy of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis). The activities and personal monetary interests of similar minded Pak-guys were up until recent time protected by policies and a group of lawmakers etc. of USA and the West!
Laws and policies made by humans can easily be reversed or modified as long as more honest guys continue to join in in the administrative managements of artificial but immortal Crocodile (An important and "highly beneficial super power-if managed by honest and wise guys", in control of all other smaller powers in the world).
Like many of the new generation public, I am very optimistic about watching honest personalities like Great Mr. Obama lead the world power and get reborn for continuing the efforts of changing the old-style global politics in unprecedented ways, only to make the world more peaceful than ever historically experienced by mankind.
There should be no more 'old political but secret personal money dealings allowed to take place' and we the good heads of Western powers can change the trend to the dismay of foolish heads of the newly emerging powers which are just imitating copies of our old Western foreign policies!
The secrets are gradually opening, so, it's about time for us to start a different kind of politics.
How many of the US public representatives actually care for fixing ties with ego-blind leaders: such as, of Iran, Pakistan, Yemen, Palestine, Israel, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Burma, Taiwan etc. that are as heads of political powers, with eheir dumb intelligences still fail to realize that dishonest manipulation of facts behind the scenes ultimately does no good but cause global unrests that effect everyone including self!
And instead of finding out the secret perpetrators of brutal politicking heads or IAHs (with own individual smart capacity whether doubtlessly there are still collectible and provable evidences of a group of oil and weapon-business-men's secret involvement) tries to spread short visioned propaganda that eventually becomes self-destructive {(through unseen application of the Cosmic rules) and e.g. when good common sense tells: there were no additional bomb-blasts in WTC in addition to the explosive impacts of two air-planes and the intelligence of some religiously blind rulers that yet deliberately lies against lies to create further confusions; or when the fact finding or poor judgmental ability of some forever blaming UN delegations including the walk-outers (it is immature or wicked childish and unwise to refuse to hear oppositions' points of views at an UN meeting and walk out!) is below collective intelligence of average global public, it plays a dangerous role to indirectly become one of the main causes of humanity's or in other words: mankind's unnecessary hardship on this Earth-which is the only place for human existence with reality based imaginations that are mundanely experienced!
These guys are the unwise ones who for limited knowledge, contradict collective aim towards peaceful solutions and thus ruin own possible role of acting right in implementing peaceful ideas of sharing a happy Earth by all of the human races.
I wish majority of the world leaders were with wisdom of at least like Mr. Obama, who expresses his personal deep thoughts only when it is necessary.
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