Pakistan - Former ISI chief makes a comeback

HT ^ | 3.19.2003

[swarthyguy]

A former pro-Taliban ISI chief, who made an unceremonious exit in 2001 after Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf promoted junior Army Generals, has been appointment as Chief of the Army-run Fauji Fertiliser Corporation.

Mahmood, who spent over an year in hibernation, staged a comeback into the Pakistan power structure after he was appointed Chief Executive of the FFC by Musharraf in his capacity of Army Chief, media reports said here even though there was no official announcement.

He succeeds Amjad Shoib who reportedly completed his tenure. The FFC is a sub organisation of the Army-run Fauji Foundation, local daily The Nation said.

Mahmood, who was believed to be close to the Taliban leadership, resigned as the head of the ISI along with then Deputy Chief of the Army Gen. Usmani after Musharraf promoted the present Vice Chief of the Army Gen. Yousuf Khan and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Aziz Khan on the day US launched aerial strikes against Taliban in Afghanistan.

Mahmood was sent as a special emissary by Musharraf to Kandahar in Afghanistan to persuade Taliban Chief Mullah Omar to hand over Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden or send him out of Afghanistan.

[swarthyguy]

Oh, for the days of simple Kremlinology.

[Angelus Errare]

Wasn't this the guy who told Mullah Omar to stand and fight back in September 2001? Not that it would've affected Omar's ultimate decision, but still ...

[jd777]

He went into hibernation because there were rumors he was connected to the taliban and to maybe al-queda as well.

But now he's back! Welcome back General Mahmoud!

[swarthyguy]

There's a whole mystery about that period, isn't there?

What were the Paki envoys to the TalibAQ really saying?

This was the guy breakfasting with Porter Goss when the first plane hit the WTC.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[mikeIII]

Don't forget: fertilizer = chemical!

[Cicero]

Well, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think he can do much harm as chief executive of the Fauji Fertiliser Corporation. It's not exactly a sensitive position with access to top secret information. More likely it involves heavy use of shovels.

[swarthyguy]

The Fauji corporation is far more than that.

Business Week did a expose on it last year. It is far more pwerful than the name sounds; it has it's hands in trucking, concrete and many other industries. It is staffed by exmilitary types often acts as a contractor for all military and a huge chunk of civilian enterprises.

He gets his hands on a huge chunk of money, ability to pick who gets the money and could generally act a offtheshelf contractor for ISI and the military.

I think you're wrong on the importance of the Fauji corp.

[USMMA_83]

Don't be so easily fooled. He's really in charge of, or overseeing, the production of chemical weapons. These factories are all disguised as "fertilizer" factories or hospitals.

[Cicero]

I'm sorry to hear it.