Taimi Khan, Chief Justice ko Shikayat laga do Webby Uncle ki, kay wo moderation may interferance kar rahy hain![]()
OOOO nahi yaar, just having a light moment with respectable VCheng Sir.
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Taimi Khan, Chief Justice ko Shikayat laga do Webby Uncle ki, kay wo moderation may interferance kar rahy hain![]()
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The ISI: AN EXCEPTIONAL SECRET SERVICE
By Lt. General Asad Durrani
In the process, from a small time player that undertook to punch above its weight, rubbing shoulders with the best in the game, the Americans, catapulted the Agency into the big league. Unsurprisingly, the ISI became a matter of great concern not only for its foes.
The shared objective - defeat of the occupation forces - was one reason; respect for each other's turf, the more important other.
It did not mean that they trusted each other.
Twice these vilification campaigns led, under American pressure, to major purges of ISI's rank and file.
In the early 1990s, we in the ISI understood this shift in American attitude as a big-brother's desire to establish hegemony, but more crucially - now that the Soviet Union after its withdrawal from Afghanistan had ceased to exist - to cut this upstart service to size.
But what seemed to have caused the most anguish amongst our American friends were the prospects of an increasingly confident ISI, vain enough to throw spanners in the work of the sole surviving superpower. These apprehensions were not entirely ill-founded as the Iraq-Kuwait crisis of 1990-91 was soon to show.
Sometimes in 1992, General Brent Scowcroft, former national security advisor to US Presidents Ford and George H.W. Bush, reportedly conceded that the ISI's assessment of Saddam's forces was closer to the mark than their own, which highly exaggerated Saddam's capacity. Now, if anyone else in the business too was to broadcast its account every time the CIA "sexed-up" a threat to suit American objectives (next time on Iraq's WMD holding for example), some pre-emption was obviously in order.
Soon thereafter the ISI was cleansed of the old guard, most of them ostensibly for their infatuation with the "Jihadists" in Afghanistan and Kashmir.
These purges must have served a few careers but when it came to taking decisions and making policies, the new guard had no choice but to put its shoulder behind the Taliban bandwagon.
The ISI was thereafter subjected to another purge in the hope that the refurbished setup would put its heart and soul behind the new decree: 'chase anyone resisting the American military operations in Afghanistan all the way to hell'.
So, this time around as well, it is not any "rogue elements" in the ISI but the complexity of the crisis that necessitates selective use of force; essentially against the "rogue groups", some of them undoubtedly planted or supported by forces inimical to our past and present policies.
Indeed, the ISI suffers from many ailments, most of them a corollary of its being predominantly a military organisation and of the Army's exceptional role in Pakistani politics.
The most important takeaway from this fascinating snapshot of the ISI, the Taliban, and Pakistan's view of America and its strategic choices is that Pakistan will never be a predictable puppet of US interests.

Problem with people is, especially western ones, they tend not to or don't want to see the reality.
Things in this part of the world are not in black &white, there are lot of factors involved with extreme complications in them.
And above all, we can't trust the Americans.


Can they trust us for that matter? The issue is not trust but divergent interests -- that fuels the mistrusts.
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It seems our work is cutout for us -- let us focus inwards and sort out the issues that ails us from inside.
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Let us contend ourselves by remaining neutral in this tug of war and jostling for resources by granting port facilities to both China and the US .................
The time has come that both China and US are becoming desperate for a toe hold near the mouth of the Gulf. Time to strike a deal for Pakistan!!! Now or never time once again.
It seems our work is cutout for us -- let us focus inwards and sort out the issues that ails us from inside. The heady days of the Afghan Jihad are gone, it is a uni polar world and China is not going to take on US any time soon. Not atleat in the way we dream of -- "Jihad." Both need each other to survive and prosper for the next couple of decades.
Let us contend ourselves by remaining neutral in this tug of war and jostling for resources by granting port facilities to both China and the US provided, they contribute towards our economic uplift in a meaningful manner and not by installing old cranes at Gawadar!!!
The time has come that both China and US are becoming desperate for a toe hold near the mouth of the Gulf. Time to strike a deal for Pakistan!!! Now or never time once again.
A great post, but how? Who is going to focus inwards to sort out internal ailments when there are billions of dollars to gobble up?
Playing China and USA against each other is not going to be fruitful at all.
The US already has firm footholds in the region.
Who speaks for Pakistan other than a power elite who have shown that they are only watching out for themselves?
The key to all of the above is the Armed Forces of Pakistan and the National Security Council Setup. The Army, by hook or crook will have a foot in the National politics. What is needed is the politicians to have a foot in the policy formulation. This can be done provided the politicians want to shoulder the responsibility. Right now they are sitting comfortable and let the armed forces take the heat for one fiasco over another and perhaps rightly so. Meanwhile, as pointed out by you, they are busy gathering their booty.
IMHO the answer is the NSC, Mid term elections with hope that a more saner lot can take over. If not and we have the same old faces than we can not blame any one else but ourselves and rightly so.
Spy craft is a full time game and not a deputation or stint type operation. Despite having civilian operators in the lower cadres, ISI remains a "On Deputation" manned agency of the army.
Lately, technical's have been hired from the civilian set-up but these positions are not career oriented and there is not incentive to continue in the job for a longer term.
PA has in the past created an Intelligence Corps to push Intelligence as a career and spy craft as a MOS in the army. The Corps. as far as I know remains a "Corps" on paper and has not taken off due to lack of funds.
ISI can learn from one of its mentors, CIA (as detailed by Gen Durrani i his article) and induct civilian leadership in the agency to ensure continuity and excellence in its ranks. Today, by the time a mid level officer on deputation starts getting the hang of it, he is ready to be posted back or returned to his unit.
The policy framework should always be in the hands of the elected reps. This is easier said than done. A way to do this would be to form think tanks sponsored by GoP (Not staffed by GoP) to recommend policy initiatives that can taken up by ISI and after study can be debated in the Senate Intelligence Committee with an eye on providing a solid, debated policy structure for the GoP to decide and ISI to implement. The tactical's should be left to the agency with an oversight by the SIC.
Yups, and i worry, that if US kept up its childish attitude, they are gonna destabilize this whole region, which already has happened alot, and we have taken the brunt out of it, with thousands dead, economy in bad shape, militancy again reappeared in Baluchistan with foreign forces help, trouble in the tribal areas as well as other parts of the KPK with lot of support from across the border.
To me it seems, US wants this to happen, that is why they are so persistent and they came for this very exact reason.
US is playing a very dangerous game.

The US is playing with the fire using its overconfidence. That will burn it rightaway............Insha-Allah........![]()
I'm sorry but I strongly disagree with this suggestion, providing port facilities to US means providing foothold to a giant which we will not be able to push back any time soon. I don't know how you suggest this on one hand and then state on the other hand to stay for Pakistan to stay neutral. Contradictory statements IMHO.
One cannot stay neutral once Americans put their feet on solid grounds in a country.
At the moment our nation is resisting, please do not instigate something which has nothing to do with betterment of our country.
As far as China is concerned, I would not mind providing access to them, along with Russia if they are guaranteed by China itself.