Musharraf U-turn on Taliban
By Isambard Wilkinson in Islamabad
10/03/06 "Telegraph" -- --
Retired Pakistani intelligence
officers could be running the Taliban insurgency against
coalition forces in Afghanistan, Pakistan's president, Gen Pervez Musharraf, has said.
He made the admission to an American television channel at the
weekend — the first time he had broken from his usual policy of
denying any Pakistani hand in the rebellion against American,
British and other forces.
Asked on NBC television if his Inter Services Intelligence
Agency (ISI) was involved in helping Taliban fighters, he said
that retired rogue officers might be involved.
"I have some reports that some dissidents, some
people, retired people who were in the forefront in ISI during
the period of 1979 to 89, may be assisting with their links
somewhere here and there.
"We are keeping a very tight watch and we'll get a hold of them
if that happens."
The ISI was closely involved in helping the Afghan resistance
against the Soviet occupation during the 1980s, often working
alongside the Americans. It is now under renewed international
scrutiny after it was accused of supporting not only the Taliban
uprising but Islamic terrorists in India.
India has said that it will give evidence to the Pakistani
government about the alleged involvement of the military-run ISI
in July's Mumbai train bombings, which killed 186 people.
Gen Musharraf's remarks confirmed suspicions long held by
western diplomats. Gen Musharraf has hitherto fiercely rejected
the claims, saying during a visit to Britain last week that the
West would be "brought to its knees" without Pakistan's help.
"Remember my words: if the ISI is not with you and Pakistan is
not with you, you will lose in Afghanistan," he said.
The ISI helped the Taliban rise to power in the mid-1990s,
largely in an attempt to ensure that Kabul would be in the hands
of rulers who were sympathetic to Islamabad and therefore grant
Pakistan much-coveted strategic depth in the event of a conflict
with India.
From 1989 the agency also backed an Islamic insurgency in
India's portion of divided Kashmir and trained and directed
several jihadi groups.
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2006
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