Re: A Man Tells Truth Behind PNS Mehran Attack
Inside the armed forces * *
Radicals united
Ali K Chishti
Starling revelations of the involvement soldiers in terrorist attacks has raised serious questions
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Pakistan’s most wanted terrorist is not a civilian but an SSG commando who was honoured by Musharraf for beheading an Indian soldier
n 2004, Pakistan’s SSG commandos raided a safehouse in South Waziristan to target Al Qaeda’s second-in-command Dr Ayman Al Zawahiri, following information from a western intelligence source. But Zawahiri had left the premises days before the raid. Someone had tipped him off.
“Due to the radicalisation of Pakistan’s security forces, it is virtually impossible for us to trust them,” former CIA operative Art Keller told TFT. “The unilateral operation against Osama bin Laden best describes how much we trust the Pakistanis.”
Startling revelations of inside involvement in the attack on PNS Mehran and the reported links between Mumbai terror suspect David Headley and ISI’s certain Maj Iqbal have raised questions about radicalisation of Pakistan’s armed forces.
Pakistan’s former foreign secretary Sheryar Khan, known to be close to the security establishment, confirms the involvement of “low-level ISI personnel” in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. “I think there is no doubt that whosoever this Major Iqbal is, was in touch with this man [David Headley],” he said. “I think I would certainly accept that.”
One of the most notorious attempted coups from within the military is the 1995 Operation Khilafat, the goal of which was to take over the military and install an Islamic caliphate. Maj Gen Zahirul Islam Abbasi, Brig Mustansir Billa and about 50 middle and low ranking officials in a nexus with Jihadi organisations nearly succeeded in their plans.
Embarrassed by the event, the military did what it does the best: “sweep it under the carpet”, a retired military official said.
Junior officials and technicians of Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Army were involved in the attempt to kill former president Gen Pervez Musharraf in a suicide bombing, and medical corps officer Dr Usman reportedly orchestrated the GHQ attacks in 2009.
Pakistan’s most wanted terrorist is not a civilian but an SSG commando who was honoured by Musharraf for beheading an Indian soldier. Ilyas Kashmiri was asked in the early 1990s to join Harkatul Jihad Al Islami, and later Jaish-e-Muhammad which he refused. Kashmiri was arrested in connection with the attacks on Musharraf but was mysteriously released. He has since been involved in planning the assassination of army chief Gen Ashfaq Kayani and orchestrating major attacks on behalf of Al Qaeda, including the failed attack on the New York City subway.
“Radicalisation cannot be anything but serious,” Brig (r) Shaukat Qadir said. “It certainly affects the war against terrorism.” The terrorists say the Pakistani forces are pro-America. The US accuses them of harbouring terrorism. “The irony is that, when these terrorists kill us, they think they are making the US suffer,” the retired military officer said. “There’s a growing feeling that that the support for Washington’s Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and the increasing class divide in the forces has caused friction within the forces, especially at the bottom,” former ISI operative Commander (r) Naseer told TFT.
“While Osama Bin Laden’s whereabouts were not known by the top military leaders, there’s an increasing consensus between us that he was given protection by radicalised Islamists within the armed forces of Pakistan,” a western diplomat said. “Pakistan needs to come clean on this. They are as much the enemies of Pakistan as they are ours.”
Traditionally, counter-intelligence in various security agencies helps profile radicalised officers. “The de-radicalisation plan was first initiated by the PAF after the attacks on Pervez Musharraf,” Air Vice-Marshal Shahid N Khan said. “Radicalisation is spreading in the armed forces no faster than it is in the rest of the country.” Soldiers are not insulated from the society, he said. “They read the same newspapers and watch the same TV channels. They are equally vulnerable to societal influences.” Religion and the class divide are also important factors, he added.
Note: The ISPR was contacted but did not comment on the issue.
Ali Chishti is a writer based in Karachi. He can be reached at [email protected]
The above article is from http://www.thefridaytimes.com
The army and society needs to change before it is too late