Pakistan will continue busting private CIA rings, Pasha to tell US
Pakistan’s top spy chief is purportedly going to give the following message to his American counterpart in Washington: yes to formalised anti-terror cooperation, no to private CIA network.
Chief of Pakistan’s premier spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha was due to meet acting CIA Director Michael Morell on Wednesday.
The decision to send Pasha to Washington was reportedly taken at the corps commanders’ meeting on Wednesday, a day after US central command head Gen James Mattis met with top military officials, including the Army chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.
Sources add that the new US head for international forces in Afghanistan Lt-Gen John Allen is arriving in Islamabad on Thursday.
The flurry of meetings between top military and intelligence officials from Pakistan and the US are seen as fresh efforts to salvage their ‘shaky’ war on terror alliance after a series of setbacks in recent months.
Hectic efforts are being undertaken both in Islamabad and Washington to rescue their relations from the brink of collapse.
No to ‘private network’
The back-to-back meetings of military and intelligence officials follow the US administration’s decision earlier this week to withhold $800 million in military aid to punish Pakistan’s security establishment for expelling several dozen alleged American spies operating in the country.
Top Pakistani military commanders on Wednesday said they would use their own resources to carry forward the war on terror in what appeared to be a ‘mild but defiant’ snub to Washington’s move.
According to senior intelligence officials here, Pasha would tell the American spy chief that the ISI has no objection to anti-terror cooperation between the two agencies but would never tolerate a private ‘network’ the CIA is secretly maintaining in Pakistan.
“We are willing to cooperate with CIA in war on terror … but there is no room for a private network. That is our position and we are going to stick to that,” said an official, giving a hint of what would be discussed during Pasha’s interaction with the Americans.
The Pakistani military has been in the process of busting what is described as an underground human network the US established over the past decade.
These local individuals associated with the CIA are believed to have played a critical role in a secret manhunt that led up to the unilateral raid in which bin Laden was killed.
The US administration has been pushing Pakistani spy agencies to release at least several hundred people who were part of the CIA network and the issue is likely to feature during Pasha’s meetings as well.
But officials here said they believed the decision to dismantle these private clusters was final and there won’t be any second thoughts.
Salvaging US support
The decision to send Pasha to the US was apparently taken at the corps commanders’ meeting on Wednesday because the military still considers American financial support vital for their war on terror campaign.
Experts believe Pakistani military’s policy of still continuing the war on terror cooperation with the US emanates from fears that Washington might keep them out of the loop on any endgame in Afghanistan.
American troops start their partial withdrawal from Afghanistan in a month’s time.
There were already signs of Pak-US cooperation getting back on track when Gen Kayani visited the embattled Mohmand tribal region on Wednesday where more than a thousand terrorists surrendered to political authorities.
Local operational commanders also informed the army chief that seven factories of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the border area were destroyed by troops after being tipped of by US intelligence.
Releasing the doctor
Washington is pressing Islamabad to release a doctor – said to have helped in tracking Bin Laden using DNA samples – in the wake of bitter diplomatic relations, the Guardian reported.
Dr Shakir Afirdi is being held by ISI after it discovered that he was recruited by the CIA for carrying out a fake vaccination programme in Abbottabad, trying to track down al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
According to the report published earlier in the Guardian, Afridi, a senior government employee, was initially taken into custody in Peshawar but may have been transferred to Islamabad.
Pakistani and US officials say that American authorities are trying to rescue the Pakistani doctor, his wife and children, and take them to the US.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2011.
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@ Moise: "Good job throwing out CIA terrorists."
As per today's new, Pasha's visit went on well and he has agreed to increase CIA footprint in pakistan. CIA is very happy with ISI terrorists.
@Mirza:
i thin u overlooked the obvious.. the talks are about ensuring national and global security.. u really think a fax or telephone call would be adequate or secure enough?
@Bilal...u r really a funny guy...ur humour cant be matched by anything
Is this same CIA who claimed that Iraq has WMD and are these the same guys who could not trace the terrorists in their own country before 9-11 and Mossad knew the terrorists in USA before 9-11?
@Husein Ali Khan:
It has to be policy decision to support terrorist or come clean stop support. Should not be talking mouth. Does Pakistan’s ISI want to nurture terrorist or eliminate and come to the world of civilized nation. This has to be for all the nation not selectively. Good luck.
@Mirza: Your comment carry a lot of sarcasm some people may not understand it. The massage may have been different than what is publicized just as personally apologizing is different than apologizing on the phone.
"These local individuals associated with the CIA are believed to have played a critical role in a secret manhunt that led up to the unilateral raid in which bin Laden was killed." “We are willing to cooperate with CIA in war on terror … but there is no room for a private network. That is our position and we are going to stick to that,”
May be General Pasha went personally to say we are sorry for the past but we want to keep our strategic assets that are considered by the USA as terrorists net work and that we will cooperate but please do not disturb our network.
NET WORK IS MORE IMPORTANT, EVEN GREATER THAN EXISTENCE OF PAKISTAN! Pakistan, please...please wakeup and don't make another Bangladesh, tell Military not to gamble on our existence.
The facts: Pakistan has over a 140,000 troops deployed on the Pak-Afghan border. The US has had no more than 100,000 even after the surge in 2010. Pakistan has lost over 35,000 lives (civilian and military) in this war, while the US has lost roughly 2579 lives in the Afghan conflict. Who says Pakistan hasn’t done enough? The US has given Pakistan no more than $12-13 billion in reimbursement with limited aid over the past 10 years. Pakistan has had economic losses in excess of $60 billion over the last ten years. Moreover, the US has used Pakistan’s land and air routes for supplies resulting in billions in savings to conduct the Afghan War. The US diverted resources from the Afghan war to the Iraq War (a war not sanctioned by the UN – recall “the coalition of the willing”) in 2003. The resultant effect has been an emboldened Afghan resistance. The net US expenditure on the two wars has been $1.4 trillion ($786 billion in Iraq, and $432 billion in Afghanistan). After all this expenditure and collateral damage, the US administration is now talking of a settlement with Mullah Omar & the Taliban. Wouldn’t this be called double dealing? Pakistan’s annual budget is $29 billion (roughly $5.5 of which is the defense budget). Pakistan’s Debt to GDP ratio is 61% (as of Jun 2011). Pakistan simply cannot let the United States dictate its foreign and domestic policy for pennies on the dollar. Let's not make Pakistan a scapegoat for collective failures and political expediency!
@FactCheck: Suicide Bombs also go off in Afghanistan, does that mean the US army is incompetent ? Suicide bombings are a police problems not a Military one
Well done ISI... Should have done that long ago. @people who think ISI has bad credibility should Google top ranking intelligence agencies of the world. We normally comment based on what we know. Which is usually what they want us to know. ISI tops the intelligence chart with beating mosad, KGB, MI5 and even our CIA. These guys who what they are doing. Much better than our allies sitting in the Govt. in Islamabad.
Cheers Ben
Pakistan requires simply one strategy. Get US out of that region. Wherever you see US/Nato, that region is destroyed. We do not want any cooperation with such war mongering countries.
Depending upon the final outcome of talks between CIA and ISI at Langley on the release of ''Weasel Operatives'' hatched in Pakistan by CIA. The Indian Government which so far has not pointed her finger at any person/s or body over the recent blast in Mumbai. If DG ISI changes his mind and gives in to CIA demand to release their weasels the Indians will not blame ISI and Pakistan. But if he sticks to the decision take by GHQ to proceed in the best interest of the nation, nevermind what our saintly Prime Minister thinks of the 800 million? The Indian Government will produce two or three Pakistanis who have been rotting in their jails for the last several years to confess responsibilty to the recent blast in Mumbai, naming some senior officers of ISI behind the scenes.
Following is the most likely result of Pasha's visit to the US -- (1) US is going to release aid to Pakistan (2) The doctor CIA agent, in Pakistan's custody will be released (3) US will come out with a statement reiterating its commitment to peace and stability in the region (4) Pakistan will reiterate its support to the US, in the war against terror.
Useless babbling by ISI chief, a failed agency which has been unable to stop daily terror attacks against Pakistanis.
Good for Pasha- I agree fully with the military's statement that they will help if done in an official co ordinated way but not to allow secret foreign dens to do as they wish. As for the doctor who was working for foreign agencies and not working for his own country, this is treason. What would the US do if the Russians themselves hunted down some Russian criminal in the US without US knowledge and in defiance of US laws and just did as they wished. We all wanted OBL gone but the principle is that you also need to respect a country's laws and sovereignty and work with the authorities together - even if it is time consuming and is slow.The Pakistan government and the Pak military need to be on the same page when it comes to standing up for Pakistan.
Afridi is a Traitor and must be executed for Treason.
No to all US aid and aid workers.
Close the US Embassy in Islamabad.
And we want mid-term elections now.
So rather than spend the resources rooting out the terrorist your going to spend the resources rooting out the people who have a proven track record of rooting our terrorist?. And you wonder why the World thinks your a sponsor of terrorism?
I think, Pakistanis and Pakistani leadership is particularly dumb.
They need strategic assets against India. But, why can't they deal with the strategic assets against Afghanistan, capture top Al Qaeda leaders, help USA, get money from them, use it against India.
It won't help India in any way. However, how can the ISI/Army be so dumb as to not see this solution.
But then again, looking at how every move by army has backfired and how army has faced hundreds of embarrassments, defeats, failures and yet brave the world shamelessly and continue with the same flawed policies...one need not be surprised.
aoa to all brothers first of all its a right decision to wake up, to dismantle there coward network in pakistan , just like the british back stabbers did in pre 1857 era! we can never trust them and we have to have our own plan.every pakistani must support this decision of parting ways with united terrorist state of america.every pakistani should support this nation.it need us at this time when it is bleeding.we must not forget that our jawans are dieing with our officers , our civilians are being killed and u know what these americans and others are here to take advantage of situation. i must say again. even if we have to eat grass, we should part our ways from usa, it never was our ally or friend.we should support our people , our institutions , we should stop speaking negatively against our national assests! we all love our land and we have an obligation to protect it.May Allah give us unity and strength to speak high of Pakistan and to protect this beautiful land.Ameen
Spying for a foreign nation is treason. Treason is punishable by death. How come we don't see any executions.
CIA is white collar terror organization of the world which has long history of conducting under cover operations across the world which safe guard the US interests in the region.
They also have hands in destabilizing the governments which they think are not good for them, and bring puppets who speaks their language.
I fully support ISI and Pak Army on their short & long term strategies to safe Pakistan's interests.
People are surprised that CIA set up a fake vaccination drive in Abbottabad....What about the fake political structure set up by CIA?
There will be no substantive cooperation between the USA and Pakistan after OBL - why in the World would the USA cooperate with a country that was caught hiding the very person who caused all this bloodshed. OBL was a game changer and the World has determined that Pakistan is part of the problem - not part of the solution.
@ Syed Imran - the 80% support you speak of is falling fast. As Faraz and Mirza have pointed out, our Armed Forces have pulled the wool over our eyes to make us think they are effective. In fact, they have failed time and time again. Please point out a war that our armed forces have won? Please point out their success in retaining the nation's territory (1971). Please point out their success in eliminating terrorists.
Blind support for the Armed Forces will lead to us all living at the whim of terrorists. I for one do not accept that fate. If you wish to blindly follow the corrupt and cowardly military, you are welcome to. We get the government and military we deserve and if the people of Pakistan are okay being led into a cave to be blown up, then I suppose they have the choice to do so.
kill the traitors shakir afridi
Nice, Proud of ISI for being on the top in the wold spying agencies. It is time to forget the past and look ahead. The ISI should focus on the national interest now. The WoT should now come to an end the head i.e Bin laden has been killed successfully, There is no such leader with Al-Qaida. It means the job has done. The USA has no more justification to stay in Afghan.
It is time to stop further bleeding, Divert all the resources towards development, Provide better and cheapest educational opportunities to all those surrounded by the terrorists. Only raise in modern educational will successfully defeat this menace.
Pakistan is a great country with great people and top institution like, Pak-Army, ISI let make the rest of institution like them. We have every thing but we need strong leadership, Pakistan is what but our country this awaited to us to make a model state.
Long live Pakistan, Pak-Army and ISI.
@syed Imran: "...This is what your most knowledgeable Mirza writes.." What are embassies for then? You think they are waiting in Washington DC, with baited breath, folded hands and palpitating hearts, wondering what massage this minor minion from Pakistan brings after sparing one day from his "busy infamous work schedule"? Your standing in US is such that he is fortunate that any one of consequence pencilled him in his/her schedule. It must have taken a prodigious effort by Haqqani! Just because Mirza does not cater to your jingoism does not mean that he is not saying what he does with the well-being of Pakistan in his heart and perhaps a great deal of anguish at the state of affairs in his beloved country. ET is fortunate in having Mirza visit their web site as often as he does! All Pakistanis having any feelings for their country should listen carefully to compatriots like Mirza!
There is a strong need to boost the mutual cooperation between US and Pakistan. It’s not only in the best interest for Pakistan, but for US as well. We cant afford an attack by a power, much stronger than us.
I think the ISI should put more efforts into rooting out al qaeda. This will raise credibility. Consequently joint operations will be more fruitful as both countries will have more faith. The present approach though necessary, will make sense if we clean our country of al queda.
Good job throwing out CIA terrorists.
Now, watch this post. Soon,Tribune will carry a news item saying the doctor has been released. & Ghairat Brigade will get angry. Am getting used to the trend of postings in ET. Its predictive.
"Private" is probably the key word here. And as for the CIA conspiracies... How exactly are you guys so well informed on their movements when your own government isn't even inside its own borders? The answer is, you're not. You don't know. You can't give anything to support your claims but another claim that falls under and is canceled out for the very same reasons. But it's a convenient scapegoat for you considering they don't make public announcements like ISI to deny or confirm your speculations no matter how hard you try to provoke them. You get no fuel for your conspiracy fire at all. They stick to what they're paid to do.
@Syed Imran
Operation Gibraltar was based on incorrect intelligence, ISI failed to detect Indian attack on 6th, its prediction of 1971 electoral results was false, intelligence reports on Bengal insurgency were false; it failed in Siachin and Kargil. Terrorists carried out hundreds of attacks all across the country including numerous ISI offices and GHQ. Entire FATA and Malakand division fell to Taliban and thousands of men shifted hundreds of tons of ammunition all across the country. ISI couldn’t control ethnic violence in Karachi. Baluchistan insurgency is in full swing and over 200,000 settlers have left the province. Sectarian violence has killed thousands and people. Others laugh at our foolish policies of strategic depth and proxy wars using civilians, but we continue to live in a delusion of grandeur. The narrative of an efficient and feared ISI is pure mythology.
Mirza sahib is one of the most knowledgeable commentator on this forum, and he is pointing out the real purpose of such news that are based on the views of “officials”. You should analyze the army keeping in view its entire history; you will understand what Mirza sahib is pointing out.
The Govt has no courage. Why dont they block the supplies of NATO in Afghanistan
I do not think that Shuja Pasha is in any position to put across any view point considering the US knows he briefed Parliament with the message that America is an unreliable ally. I hope he carries some information about how Osama Bin Laden found himself in Abbotabad. The Americans want results and Pasha must elaborate whether he can help. Tough talk is for the local media to lap up and acts as a balm for inflated egos. My terrorist, your terrorist kind of talk may not be fruitful. We must realize Pakistan has lost 35000 lives as a result of faulty choices made and losing causes backed. The policy makers living in luxury and travelling in fancy cars cannot keep telling citizens that they will keep getting killed because we cannot sacrifice the Taliban. Whose "national interest" is the moot question that begs an answer.
Mirza ... for which Agency you work for ?? ... an Advice for you .. Please don't comment here on ET .
They should have told the CIA to ask it's operative to turn themselves in in return for the release of Raymond Davis. But since they let him go...
@faraz do you really believe that anyone having the charge of being linked to alqaida can be killed. What a lawless world you are living in. What is the purpose courts and laws and crime investigation?. Is a verdict from US is sufficient?. Even ISPR says that upon having the information about zawahiri they will target him. They also think like you. And both of you also what to be known as a sovereign nation....
I am shifting to a remote minimally governed island. One thing that I've learnt is what they tell press or what the press tells us is light years away from what actually happens. Wait till another 4 years and then they will say "oh by the way remember when we went to meet US and we told you it was this and this reason? Well it wasn't it was actually that and that"
It is a wise decision to go to US. Pakistan and US cannot remain incommunicado as it would be a disaster for both. Call it whatever, but both need to be talking. Swagger may look good for media but in reality they both need to get their acts straight. CIA should stop is network in Pakistan and ISI needs to show something to backup its claims of working against terrorism. Joint capture of Aiman Al Zawahiri, with US support and direct Pakistani action, would be the greatest good coming out if this.
@syed Imran:
They are doing such a good job must be the reason people getting blown up everyday. Can't argue with that kind of dedicated service.
The doctor needs to rot in jail for the rest of his life, this is espionage, but he should be submitted to the courts and properly sentenced.
So, the CIA folks would now have to declare themselves as 'spies' when they enter Pakistan and then need to wear a badge when they go around spying to distinguish them from the "private networks" ? We should credit the head of an intelligence agency with a bit more intelligence than this.
"The decision to send Pasha to Washington was reportedly taken at the corps commanders’ meeting on Wednesday". He was probably air-borne before the meeting even got underway according to other press reports.
The perils of reporting.....
@Mirza
It seems you have a special assignment by some agencies to target Pakistan Army as I have always found you commenting extremely negative. What you always write is a simple trash as Pakistan will not be run on your whims. Mind you in the latest opinion polls,80% pakistanis support Pakistan Army and munafiqeen like you can not wean away that support. Pakistan Army officers and jawans lay down their lives for the security of their country on daily basis and people who carry bad blood in their viens can not appreciate that. ISI is apart and parcel of Pakistan Army and is first line of defence of this country. Only those who wish to harm Pakistan's interests speak like yourself.
Oh really, sir? Did you JUST wake up to the fact that these 'private networks' existed? By the way, who the heck allowed them in, in the first place? Was our'premier' intelligence agency sleeping since 2001?
Damn liars, just trying to salvage some honour and improve their image in the eyes of the people and the army.
He must not be having a cell phone:P
Arindom, who made those networks.......you will find dirty hands of CIA in all those network creation, operation and funding... its pity that CIA first made them with funds of American people and then destroy them using funds of American people.. I wonder when American people wake up and make their agency accountable.
He could not give this simple message through the press, to the US embassy, via phone, fax, email, video conferencing or any easy way? ISI chief has so much money and time that it is better he tells that in person. For just a day trip and only for such a short notice this kind of expense is an obscene amount of money and cannot be justified. Looks like extra money is burning holes in his pockets. Does the ISI/army still think that Pakistanis are so naïve that they don’t even know what is going on? How can Pakistanis believe that ISI chief has gone to the US only to tell them that it is the end of their love affair and instead of walking away he has come to tell by himself?
It was never said that Pakistan or Pakistani helped leading to Osama. CNN even said that there were some pashtu speaking police men in Abbotabad where Osama lived were from Afghanistan, and now US is demanding to release those hundreds if not thousands of Pakistani's who helped CIA leading to Osama. Why do they not acknowledge Pakistani's when they saved marriens from Somalis in Mogadeshu, or Iraqi's who helped the Ameriacn private girl and brought her to marines.
ISI must capture some high value Al-Qaida leaders to establish its credibility. Mere rhetoric of cooperation won’t work; Laden’s killing in Abbottabad has completely ruined the credibility of the institution.
funny .. he went that far to tell this ..
Does he need permission?
I feel the government of Pakistan needs to have a short term, medium term and a long term strategy about how to counter terrorism, the resources required,potential fall outs and counter measure strategy.
Band Aid solutions may just not work with this complex problem
And look at the political mess that these politicians have created internally.Look at the way Supreme Court decisions are being not implemented.
And look at the economic mess we have been pushed into.
All these issues need to be addressed as a package internally between all political parties, security establishment