WASHINGTON - American media Friday gave prominent coverage to the replacement of Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha as the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, saying the move could improve the troubled US-Pakistan alliance against terrorism.
But there has been no official reaction so far to the appointment of Lt-Gen Zaheerul Islam as Pakistan’s new spymaster.
The New York Times said the move signals “an important change in the military leadership at a pivotal moment in relations with the United States”.
“Personal relationships with General Pasha have worn a bit thin,” an unnamed former senior US intelligence official was quoted as saying by The Washington Post. “It might be good to start afresh.”
Stating that the appointment of a new spy chief was anticipated as the incumbent already had two extensions, the Post said, “Pasha had also faced criticism in the ranks for his perceived failures surrounding the US operation to kill Osama bin Laden last May.
“The US counterterrorism community relies to a certain degree on the ISI to identify Qaeda and other militant targets in Pakistan’s tribal regions, especially in the CIA’s long-running drone war. But the US decision not to inform Pakistan about the impending raid on bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad spoke volumes about the degree to which Washington mistrusted its supposed ally’s spy agency and military.”
A US official, according to the Post, noted that Gen Zaheer’s army assignments had been focused on India but that he also had ties to the United States. “During his career, Zaheer travelled to the US to participate in US military-sponsored training and international fellowship programmes,” the official said.
The Post said, “Although the ISI has often faced harsh US criticism for tolerating and even sheltering militants in Pakistan, the change of leadership brings an opportunity to help reset the frayed relationship.”
The unnamed US official was quoted as saying, “We would expect General Zaheer to continue cooperation with the United States in our mutual fight against terrorism. It would not be a surprise to see a brief transition period as the new head of ISI gets up to speed, but that shouldn’t have much impact on counterterrorism cooperation.”
The New York Times wrote, “The ISI chief is the second most powerful figure in the military – and, some would argue, in the country. American officials have accused the ISI of supporting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, and the agency is expected to play a significant role in peace talks that the Obama administration is trying to kick-start. The job shuffle had been expected, although there had been some media speculation that the government would extend General Pasha’s tenure instead of retiring him.”
“A succession of spy scandals have brought the ISI’s relationship with the Central Intelligence Agency - and, more broadly, with the United States - to a historic low over the past year. Tensions rose in January 2011 after a CIA contractor killed two Pakistanis in Lahore, then worsened in May following the surprise American raid that killed Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad.”
“Last September Adm Mike Mullen, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a congressional hearing that the pro-Taliban militant group known as the Haqqani network was a ‘virtual arm’ of the ISI, triggering fresh tumult.”