Pakistani Intelligence Service Aiding al-Qaeda?

Posted on July 30, 2008
Filed Under Pakistan, War on Terror |

Just how much of an ally is Pakistan on this War on Terror? I would submit to you that its helpfulness is far outweighed by its hindrance, and perhaps its complicity.

This is cause for concern:

A top Central Intelligence Agency official traveled secretly to Islamabad this month to confront Pakistan’s most senior officials with new information about ties between the country’s powerful spy service and militants operating in Pakistan’s tribal areas, according to American military and intelligence officials.

The C.I.A. emissary presented evidence showing that members of the spy service had deepened their ties with some militant groups that were responsible for a surge of violence in Afghanistan, possibly including the suicide bombing this month of the Indian Embassy in Kabul, the officials said.

The C.I.A. assessment specifically points to links between members of the spy service, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, and the militant network led by Maulavi Jalaluddin Haqqani, which American officials believe maintains close ties to senior figures of Al Qaeda in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

Of course Pakistani Prime Minister Yousef Raza Gilani doesn’t believe there’s such involvement:

In an interview broadcast Tuesday on the PBS program “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,” Mr. Gilani said he rejected as “not believable” any assertions of ISI’s links to the militants. “We would not allow that,” he said.

“We would not allow that.” Wink. Wink.

I really believe that Pakistan’s leaders are an ally on this War on Terror only to the extent that it consists of rhetoric and inaction. When it comes time to crack down on the Islamofascists via military or their police they don’t want to do it. It’s too risky.

This is why we can respect Pakistan’s sovereignty but still go in to the lawless areas and take care of business ourselves. It’s on our military. Pakistan’s “help” is what it is, and it isn’t much.

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