International plot against ISI

Since the issuance of a notification on July 26 last month by some officials to bring our ISI under the control of the interior ministry and its reversal in no time in wake of the recent trip of Pakistan's PM Gilani to the US shows that an international plot against the superior agency has reached climax. Meanwhile on July 31 and August 1, The New York Times disclosed in a series of allegations quoting the US officials that CIA Deputy Director Stephen Kappes visited Pakistan in last July and confronted Pakistani officials with evidence of ties between ISI and the militants in the tribal areas - aiding in bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul on July 7. The Times further revealed that Bush on July 28 also "confronted with Prime Minister Gilani about the divided loyalties of ISI." Next day, Washington Times also repeated these allegations. Nevertheless, in the US, PM Gilani rejected these accusations as "unbelievable" in relation to any links between Pakistan's ISI and the militants. The fact of the matter is that US-led India, Afghanistan and Israel have intensified their covert strategic designs by manipulating Pakistan's multi-faceted crises which they have themselves created through their secret agencies CIA, RAW, Khad and Mossad. By taking new shifts in their propaganda campaign, they are acting upon anti-Pakistan agenda, tarnishing the image of ISI which is thwarting their schemes against our country. In the recent past, a report of the US so-called think-tanks had also disclosed without any evidence that Pakistan's superior spy agency is supporting Taliban militancy in Afghanistan. In this regard, on April 8, 2008, Gulf Times quoted an article in the Washington Post, allegedly claiming that Baitullah Mehsud was reorganising the Taliban with help of Pakistan's intelligence agencies.Here the question arises: why Americans, equipped with eavesdropping technology and the best information system does not kill Mehsud like Al-Qaeda Commander Neak Muhammad who was killed in a guided missile attack on June 18, 2004. It proves that the US intends to keep Mehsud alive with the pretext to blame Pakistan to destabilise the latter so as to achieve some nefarious goals of America, India, Afghanistan and Israel. The misdeeds of anti-ISI agencies are known to every one. In this context, Ramzi Yousaf who was well-aware of the activities of the American secret agencies had stated in the US court in 1997, "You are butchers, liars, and hypocrites. You keep on talking about terrorism to the media, but behind closed doors you support terrorism." In the recent past, an officially declassified document of the CIA had revealed that during the Cold War era, the agency had tried to kill the Cuban President Fidel Castro. Recently, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Indian Army Chief Gen Deepak Kapoor blamed Pakistan's ISI for the suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul. In this context, Indian National Security Advisor M K Narayanan pointed out on July 12, 2008, "The ISI needs to be destroyed." However, during Gilani-Karzai meeting on the sideline of SAARC summit in Colombo on August 3, the Afghan president failed to provide any proof of ISI involvement in the bombing of Indian embassy. In fact, having failed in crushing the resistance of the Afghan Taliban and Kashmiris against the occupying forces, US-led coalition troops and Indian forces, equipped with sophisticated weaponry have badly failed. Hence, they want to fulfil a number of collective designs by distorting the image of Pak army and ISI. False blame-game is essential for them to divert the attention of their publics from their frustrated adventure in Afghanistan and Kashmir. As regards India, it has become fashion to blame ISI for every mishap to conceal her own covert strategic game against Pakistan. In this connection, more than 12 crude bombs were exploded on July 26 across Ahmedabad one day after the blasts of Banglore. Although some Indian leaders accused ISI, yet reality behind the bombing was disclosed by Sushma Swaraj, deputy leader of BJP. While indicating the horse-trading by the Manmohan-led ruling party, she pointed out that the blasts in two BJP-ruled states could be the handiwork of a central agency like RAW in order to distract attention from "cash for vote scam", used to get vote of confidence for the PM. However, an international conspiracy is in the making against ISI which is being maligned because Pakistan is the only Islamic nuclear country, irking the eyes of 'nuclearised' America, India and Israel who are exaggerating that safety of these weapons is doubtful as these can go in the hands of Al-Qaeda operatives. The sole aim is to convince Washington to invade Pakistan's tribal areas. In this connection, inside Afghanistan Indian intelligence agencies and army personnel have been training saboteurs who are provided with arms and ammunition and are being sent to Pakistan to conduct bomb blasts as noted in case of Islamabad etc. There are also other reasons behind external intrigue against ISI like Pak-China strategic relationship and the geo-strategic location of Gwadar with billions of dollars Chinese investment there. While US desires to make India a major power to counterbalance China in Asia as both of them see China as a "future strategic competitor." In this respect, American real strategic allies like Delhi and Kabul who have already been creating instability in Pakistan by favouring some anti-state elements in the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan found Pak tribal areas to be a suitable ground where they could implement their conspiracy. Therefore, it became necessary for them to cope with ISI which is the first defence line of our country in castigating any plot against the country. We can conclude that US-led India, Afghanistan and Israel are one in conspiring against ISI to destabilise Pakistan by concealing their own covert activities against Islamabad. The writer is a foreign affairs analyst E-mail: sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

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