Posted on 07/31/2008 6:22:43 PM PDT by CarrotAndStick
ISLAMABAD: An "annoyed" US president, George Bush, has confronted Pakistan's PM over ISI leaking intelligence, shared by Washington, to militants and quizzed him on who was controlling the spy agency.
Pakistan, which has reacted angrily to recent calls for direct US military strikes or "hot pursuit" of militants thriving in its tribal areas, has been harping on the need for the American intelligence agencies to share information so that it can carry out operations against the extremists.
However, Bush during his meeting with prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said that Washington is reluctant to share intelligence with Islamabad because people in ISI are passing on such information to militants, Pakistan's defence minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar was quoted as saying by Pakistani newspapers on Thursday.
Bush told Gilani and his delegation that the US believed ISI had established deep ties with militants operating in Pakistan's tribal areas, some officials present in the meeting said.
Bush expressed "concern and some annoyance" about ISI's role, the minister told The News. "President Bush also asked who is controlling ISI?" Mukhtar said.
This was apparently a reference to the recent controversy over a move to place the spy agency under the interior ministry. The government notification in this regard was withdrawn after the powerful army and the presidency objected to the move.
The US president complained that intelligence shared with Pakistan was leaked by "certain elements" in ISI to terrorists much before they could be attacked by American or Pakistani forces. This was a cause of concern for the US, Bush was quoted as saying by Mukhtar.
However, during his appearance on a public broadcasting service, Gilani rejected as "not believable" assertions about ISI's links with militants. "We would not allow that," he said.
There is a lot of trash talk and one-liners about this country on FR, but it is obvious the situation in this nuclear power is far from stable, with multiple parties pursuing their agenda.
Does anyone on FR have an informed perspective on what is going on?
My cousin was an international currier between U.S. Embassies in the early to mid-60’s. He said the Paki’s always gave him the most trouble, they were real jerks. He told me this 25 years ago.
The fact that this country became a nuclear-weapon power is a huge problem. Their scientist, aq khan or whatever, apparently shared data all over the world. A religiously-aggressive government could take over. It is such a bad thing to have on the table.
Yeah, Pakistan is a s##t-hole with millions of radical jihad-lovers and dozens of nuclear weapons. But we have to deal with them as best we can 'cause we're really not gonna nuke 'em into the Stone Age, no matter how much some like to talk about it....... there is that informed enough for you? :^)
“there is that informed enough for you? :^)”
Well it is a step up from the norm here, but I was hoping for some color on what the factions fighting in the government there are. I suspect it is a lot more complicated than our media could ever let themselves convey.
Off-topic, Musharraf’s interviews are some of the most entertaining of any current head of state. The guy says stuff directly that other pols won’t even touch.
Good question. He should have asked that 7 years ago.
We can assume then your cousin had several of these?
thank you!
(My stuff is dated from 1991) A bud (USAF Col) was a gun runner to the Muj - working out of Karachi - the ISI = Taliban was his take.
He had been out the loop for a couple of years, but did not trust the Pakis on anything. Maybe it was a Muslim thing......
For what it is worth......
Gee, why is Bush so mum about all the leaking of intelligence from Foggy Bottom and the CIA to the NYTimes??
Hey, if that’s one of them new-fangled sex toy thingies, this isn’t one of those sites.
(By the way, how do you use it exactly? And will the Missus like it, or will she kick me in the groin like the last time?)
Looks like you need a license to operate it.
:^)
Oh.
It doesn’t vibrate or anything then, does it?
It does say that it “stimulates” the skin...
:^)
You're very right about that. Musharraf (IMHO) should never let Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif return to Pakistan.
Musharraf was the best of the bad guys and now the very bad guys are working overtime to get rid of Mush. They will eventually kill him.
When some heads of state who enable terrorists (Iraq) wind up at the end of a rope, others (Iran, North Korea) get to build their nukes with impunity, and others (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia) wind up having dinner with the President, how can we expect the American sheeple to take the WOT seriously??
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