Missile kills Pakistan tribal head

Nek at Night

Interesting article "The long hunt for Osama"

http://afr.com/articles/2004/09/30/1096527854095.html

Peter Bergen is author of Holy War, Inc: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden (2001), an adjunct professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and a fellow at the New America Foundation.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_2-10-2004_pg7_28

Farooqi was tracked down on a tip-off from Qari Saif

Family still waiting to get Farooqi's body

Staff Report

LAHORE: Authorities tracked down Amjad Farooqi after Harkatul Jihad Islami leader Qari Saif Ullah Akhtar tipped them during the interrogation that followed his arrest in Dubai in August, an intelligence officer told Daily Times on Friday.

Farooqi, who was the mastermind behind the assassination attempts on President General Pervez Musharraf and the murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl, was shot in an encounter with police on September 26 in Nawabshah.

He said Qari Saif and other Al Qaeda operatives disclosed the names of several militants during their interrogation.

Qari Saif and Farooqi were in close contact till Qari Saif's arrest in August, the officer said. The officer said that they had conspired to kill President Musharraf, but had been unsuccessful in both their attempts. Sources claimed that Qari Saif had ordered Farooqi to kill many important people. Qari Saif and Farooqi first met in 1995, when Qari Saif was released from jail after his alleged involvement in conspiring against the Benazir Bhutto government, a source said.

According to the source, Farooqi was a member of Harkatul Ansar and Harkatul Jihad Islami. He said that Farooqi was in charge of a training camp in Kabul at the time when Qari Safi was an assistant to Mulla Omar.

Asked about Muhammad Yousaf, who is Farooqi's brother-in-law and a lance naik in the Pakistan Army, he said that he had not been arrested and his whereabouts remained unknown.

The intelligence officer said that Farooqi's DNA tests had been completed and his body would soon be handed to his family.

Javed Iqbal, the elder brothers of Amjad Farooqi told the Daily Times on telephone that his family and relatives had been waiting for the last 6 days to receive Amjad's body.

"We don't know where the body is. His DNA test was completed but the government has yet to hand his body to us. We tried to contact the interior minister on his mobile phone and left a message, however he has yet to get in touch with us. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Riaz Fatyana, the chairman of the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee, have not responded either", said Mr Iqbal.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_2-10-2004_pg1_3

US has plans to invade Pakistan's northwest region

WASHINGTON: The United States has plans ready to invade northwest Pakistan which it believes hosts the command centre of al Qaeda, according to a sensational soon-to-be- published book. The book is called America's Secret War: inside the hidden worldwide struggle between America and its enemies, and its author is George Friedman, founder and chairman of the generally well-regarded news and analysis service, Stratfor. According to him, "The United States will threaten Iran with war if it aids al Qaeda. The United States will have to invade northwest Pakistan. There are plans for this already. In addition, if Pakistan collapses due to an invasion, the United States and India will have to jointly occupy Pakistan. The end game is Pakistan." Dr Friendman, in answer to a question, said, "Stratfor said in December 2003 the campaign is being planned (to invade northwest Pakistan). In February 2004, a spokesman for the Pentagon said they are going into Pakistan. Since then we have been carrying out small-scale incursions for months. The war can't end until the command cell of al Qaeda is destroyed that is located in northwest Pakistan but it (the invasion) has been delayed by manpower shortages." khalid hasan

Kiyani has worked with us in Afghanistan in the hunt for valuable targets

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_4-10-2004_pg1_3
Lt Gen Kiyani made ISI DG, 7 promoted as lieutenant general

By Rana Qaisar

ISLAMABAD: As a follow-up of promotions at the top army level, President General Pervez Musharraf on Sunday promoted seven major generals to lieutenant general and appointed Rawalpindi Corps Commander Lt Gen Ashfaq Kiyani as Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG).

As a consequence of General Ehsanul Haq and General Ahsan Saleem Hayat's promotion as JCSC chief and vice chief of army staff (VCOAS), Multan Corps Commander Lt Gen Muhammad Akram and Gujranwala Corps Commander Lt Gen Javed Hasan and National Defence College (NDC) Commandant Lt Gen Tariq Waseem Ghazi are expected to seek pre-mature retirement for being superseded.

Of the seven newly-promoted major generals, the president has appointed Maj Gen Afzal Muzaffar as Multan Corps Commander and Maj Gen Muhammad Sabir as Gujranwala Corps Commander. These officers will take charge of their new appointments on wearing the rank of lieutenant general.

The president, who is also Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has also transferred Quetta Corps Commander Lt Gen Shahid Hamid and appointed him as NDC Commandant. Lt Gen Hamid will be replaced by Maj Gen Hamid Rab Nawaz. Maj Gen Athar Ali will replace Karachi Corps Commander Ahsan Saleem Hayat, promoted to VCOAS. These officers will also assume charge on wearing the rank of lieutenant general. Maj Gen Salahuddin Satti has been promoted to Lt Gen and replaces Rawalpindi Corps Commander Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, now ISI DG.

Other two-star generals who have been promoted are: Maj Gen Waseem Ahmad Ashraf, and Maj Gen Imtiaz Hussain. General Ashraf has been appointed Adjutant General to replace Lt Gen Faiz Jilani, who is retiring, and General Hussain has been appointed Director General Weapons and Equipment.

However, it is yet to be seen whether National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Lt Gen Munir Hafiz and Bahawalpur Corps Commander Lt Gen SP Shahid seek pre-mature retirement or not, or they prefer to go home on their actual retirement dates.

tourourists?

" United States will threaten Iran with war if it aids al Qaeda"

IF it aids alQaeda? Like there's a question about that?

check out the book http://www.americassecretwar.com/author_interviews.html

http://pakistantimes.net/2004/10/05/top10.htm

US Warplanes violate Pakistan Airspace
Pakistan Times NWFP Bureau Report

PESHAWAR: The American warplanes are reported to have violated the Pakistani airspace once again and kept hovering in the Luwara Mandi area of North Waziristan Agency for hours on the night between Sunday and Monday.

Reports from Miran Shah, the main town of the North Waziristan, said that two American helicopters on Sunday late night entered the Pakistani territory at Luwara Mandi bordering Argon City of Afghanistan and flew at low altitude in the region for couple of hours on a mission best known to them.

Intrusion

The intrusion by the US war-machines in the tribal belt and their low flight, as the reports say, sent a wave of anxiety among the local people.

Some reports suggest that the US violators entered Pakistani area from the Allied forces mariners camp in the nearby Argon area of the neighboring country.

Get Back to Afghanistan

The American choppers, according to reports, flew back to Afghanistan after remaining in the Pakistani airspace for around two hours.

Independent sources believe that as those at the helm of affairs were paying no heed to the violations of the country's airspace in the tribal belt by the US war and spying planes or even if the protest was lodged with the US embassy, was so week, that it has encouraged the US pilots to enter Pakistani territory as a routine matter when ever they feel like and don't take that as a airspace violation of another country

http://pakistantimes.net/2004/10/05/top9.htm

ISI briefs President, PM on Pakistan's Security
Pakistan Times Federal Bureau Report

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf was given a detailed briefing Monday by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) on national security and the performance of special group set up within the agency for elimination of terrorism.

Unprecedented security measures were taken on the occasion and army troops had encircled the area. The outgoing ISI chief, Lt General Ehsan ul Haq and new DG, Lt Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani also attended the briefing.

President was briefed on overall security situation of the country and the efficiency of special group raised within ISI for eradication of terrorism.

Pakistan fighting war against Terrorism

Speaking on the occasion, General Musharraf said that Pakistan was fighting war against terrorism in its own interest making it clear that there would be no compromise on it.

He reiterated that the elements targeting the places of worship want to destabilise the country. Campaign will continue against them with full might, he added. Terrorists are carrying out terrorist activities in small splinter groups. Their central leadership has either been killed or captured, he pointed out.

Hails performance of ISI

Hailing the performance of ISI, the President said that it had played a vital role in ridding the country of terrorism. The whole nation is proud of it, he added.

Government will provide all the resources at its disposal, technology and equipment to ISI, he stated.

Update on al-Qaeda Militants

President was also updated about the al-Qaeda militants killed or injured so far and possible terror attacks.

President appreciated the ISI operation plan to pre-empt the prospective terrorist activities and assured his fullest support to it.

PM's Visit

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz visited ISI headquarters Monday morning. He was received by General Ehsan-ul-Haq upon his arrival at the offices of the premier intelligence agency.

The Prime Minister was given a comprehensive briefing on both internal and external security matters including the law and order situation in the country.

The Prime Minister was also briefed about the activities of terrorists and militants and the strategy of ISI to counter such activities. The Prime Minister paid rich tribute to the Agency which has done tremendously well in the war against terrorism.

The Prime Minister was also briefed on situation on borders, Kashmir, and Afghanistan. Forthcoming elections in Afghanistan were a focal point of briefing. The Prime Minister hoped that the Agency will continue to extend its valuable intelligence feedback on vital national matters under the new leadership of Lt General Ishfaq Kiyani who will take charge in a couple of days.

What's up? Why do they post this?

Good question my friend.....why the briefing of all major Pakistani players.

Interesting question, make you wonder whether there had been an attempted coup or power struggle originating within ISI and Mushi had put it down and now had to show that he was still in charge. In that case, this story would amount to a message only to those involved.

--Boot Hill

No, there is no power struggle at the top of the ISI (today). Musharraf has his friends there. It is something else.

I agree with you ADM....why call in people for this briefing when they could have done it over a phone.

I do not think that they discussed the Nobel Peace prize for Musharraf and Vajpayee. On the other hand I know that some of the lurkers at this thread knows...

"The outgoing ISI chief, Lt General Ehsan ul Haq and new DG, Lt Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani also
attended the briefing. "

Looks like they used the opportunity of the change of command to polish up the ISI's image a bit, for America's benefit.

Other than by indirect extension, where do you read Vajpayee into this?

It seems to me I recall seeing an article about Pakistan maybe yesterday that might relate to this. FR's experiencing technical difficulties , so I can't Search at the moment. But I'll try to track it down.

Could this be in response to the mosque bombing the other day? Show of force, commitment and determination to the terrorists?

Here is a report from India:
http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20041005&fname=raman&sid=1

PAK ARMY
Reshuffling The Pack
If at all there is any threat to Musharraf's position, it is likely to come not from the senior officers, but from junior officers not only in the Army, but also in the Air Force, though he would have to be wary of Gen.Mohammad Aziz Khan, even after he retires on Oct 7.

B. RAMAN

As expected, President General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan announced a major reshuffle of the senior officers of the Pakistan Army of the rank of Generals and Lt.Generals on October 2 and 3,2004. The reshuffle was necessitated by the impending retirement of Gen.Mohammad Aziz Khan, as the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, and Gen.Muhammad Yusuf Khan as the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff, both on October 7,2004.

The details of the promotions and postings announced by Musharraf are given in the annexure available from the RHS bar.. With the retirement of Gen.Mohammad Aziz Khan, a Kashmiri belonging to the Sudan tribe, from the Army, the Pakistan Army does not have any identified fundamentalist officers in the rank of Lt.Gen./Gen. When Musharraf seized power on October 12, 1999, the Army had two identified "fundos" in the rank of Lt.Gen.-- Lt.Gen. Mohammad Aziz Khan, who was then the Chief of the General Staff (CGS), and Lt.Gen.Muzaffar Usmani, the then Corps Commander, Karachi.

Subsequently, Musharraf appointed Mohammad Aziz Khan as the Commander of one of the two Corps in Lahore and Lt.Gen.Usmani as the Deputy Chief of the Army Staff. It was the triumvirate of Lt.Gen. Usmani as Corps Commander, Karachi,, Lt.Gen.Mohammad Aziz Khan as the CGS and Lt.Gen.Mahmood Ahmed, as the then Corps Commander of Rawalpindi, which had staged the coup against Nawaz Sharif, the then Prime Minister, in the absence of Musharraf from the country and paved the way for his installation as the military dictator with the designation of Chief Executive. They refused to accept Nawaz's order dismissing Musharraf as the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) and appointing Lt.Gen.Ziauddin, the then Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence ISI), in his place. They had both Nawaz and Ziauddin arrested.

After taking over, Musharraf appointed Lt.Gen.Mahmood Ahmed as the DG of the ISI. After the 9/11 terrorist strikes, the US reportedly exercised pressure on Musharraf to ease out all the three from the sensitive posts held by them before the US military operations against Al Qaeda and the Taliban started on October 7,2001. The US did not trust Usmani and Mohammad Aziz Khan because of their close proximity to the Islamic fundamentalist parties and it was annoyed with Mahmood Ahmed because of his failure to pressure Mulla Mohammad Omer, the Amir of the Taliban, to hand over Osama bin Laden to the US.

After 9/11 and before the US military strikes started, Musharraf had sent a team of senior religious clerics of Pakistan headed by the late Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai of the Binori Madrasa, Karachi, to Kandahar to persuade Mulla Omar to hand over Osama to the US. He had asked Mahmood Ahmed, in his capacity as the DG,ISI, to accompany them.

During their meeting with the Amir, instead of asking him to hand over Osama to the US, they complimented him for not doing so and encouraged him to continue to resist US pressure. Mahmood Ahmed, who was present during the meeting, reportedly did not intervene and kept quiet. The US was furious with him on coming to know of this from one of the Mullas, who was allegedly in the pay of the US. It demanded his removal from the post of DG,ISI.

Musharraf had Usmani and Mahmood removed on October 7,2001. They went on premature retirement. He could not remove Mohammad Aziz Khan from the Army because of his Kashmiri background, his popularity amongst the fundamentalist parties and jihadi organisations and his role in orchestrating the jihad against the Indian Army in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). He removed him from Lahore, promoted him as a four-star General and appointed him to the largely powerless post of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

To reassure the fundamentalist parties and the jihadi organisations that his being kicked upstairs would not involve any dilution of the Pakistani support to the jihad in J&K, he told them that even after his appointment as the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, he would continue to handle the jihad in J&K.

Usmani, though a fundamentalist like Aziz, was not as popular as Aziz amongst the fundamentalist organisations. Musharraf did not, therefore, have to worry about any negative consequences of his removal.

Even after Aziz retires on October 7, 2004, Musharraf has to keep a wary eye on him. Because of his role in the Kashmiri jihad and in helping the Taliban, Aziz is very popular amongst the lower ranks of the Army. Some of the junior Army officers and a Kashmiri belonging to the same Sudan tribe as Aziz and coming from the same village in the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) as Aziz, who were arrested following the first unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Musharraf in December last year, were reported to have stated during the interrogation that they wanted to kill Musharraf not only because of his betrayal of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, but also of Aziz. The Kashmiri detenu has reportedly accused Musharraf of preventing a Kashmiri (Aziz) from becoming the COAS for the first time in the history of Pakistan by giving himself an extension .

Musharraf might find himself compelled to reassure the jihadis once again that Aziz's retirement would not mean any change in his Kashmir policy. There is already speculation in Pakistan that he might appoint Aziz as the President of the POK in replacement of Maj.Gen. (retd)Mohammad Anwar Khan, the present President, who is Aziz's cousin or nephew.

Ehsanul Haq, who succeeds Aziz, is believed to be a Pashtun. He is a close family friend of Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the Amir of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI), but is not a fundamentalist himself. In 2001, when Musharraf accepted an invitation from A.B.Vajpayee, the then Indian Prime Minister, to visit India for the Agra summit, the Qazi was strongly critical of it and refused to attend an all-party meeting convened by Musharraf before going to India. It was Ehsanul Haq, then a Corps Commander at Peshawar, who met the Qazi, at Musharraf's request, and persuaded him to support Musharraf's decision to visit India.

After taking over as the DG, ISI, he came under some suspicion in February,2002, when Omar Sheikh, one of the principal accused in the case relating to the kidnapping and murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl, reportedly told the Karachi Police during the interrogation that during a visit to Kandahar before9/11 to meet Osama, he had come to know of Al Qaeda's plans for the 9/11 terrorist strikes in the US and had mentioned this to Ehsanul Haq at Peshawar on his return. Omar Sheikh's allegation did not, however, affect Ehsanul Haq's position as the DG,ISI.

The US was reported to have been quite happy with his stewardship of the ISI for three years during which some pro-jihadi officers were eased out of it and many key Al Qaeda operatives, who had taken shelter in Pakistan, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, were arrested by the ISI and handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). At the same time, there was concern over his perceived inaction against the Taliban leaders operating from the Pakistani territory. This, however, did not affect the USA's over-all positive assessment of him.

Keeping this in view, one would have expected Musharraf to appoint him as the VCOAS, in which capacity he would have continued to supervise and co-ordinate the functioning of the ISI.

continuation:

The post of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee to which he has been appointed is a largely paper-rich post involving medium and long-term assessment of the needs of the military, preparing and revising operational plans etc and does not involve important executive and operational responsibilities. Unless Musharraf has reassured the US that Ehsanul Haq would continue to be actively involved in the operations against Al Qaeda, his being shunted up to this post could mean his marginalisation for the next three years before he quits the Army.

It is not clear whether Gen. Hayat, the new VCOAS, who will assist Musharraf in the day to day running of the Army and the ISI and in supervising the anti-Al Qaeda operations, is a Punjabi or a Mohajir. He is senior to Ehsanul Haq, having been commissioned in 1967 in the Armoured Corps, whereas Ehsanul Haq was commissioned in 1969 in an Army Air Defence Regiment. Gen. Hayat is known for his personal loyalty to Musharraf and his proximity to the US. These two factors would seem to have played a role in the June 10 attempt to assassinate him at Karachi by the Jundullah ( the Army of Allah), a new organisation, which is a member of the IIF.

Not much is known about Lt.Gen.Kiani, the new DG of the ISI. He had also served in the past as the DG of Military Operations, an important post from the point of view of the anti-Al Qaeda operations.

Mohammad Aziz Khan and Muhammad Yusuf Khan owed their promotions as Lt.Gen. to Nawaz Sharif and not to Musharraf. With them out of the way and the supersession and consequent premature retirement of six others, all the serving Lts.Gen, owed their rise above the rank of Brigadier personally to Musharraf. He would, therefore, be confident of their personal loyalty to him.

There is unlikely to be any opposition from them to his giving himself another extension as the COAS or any heart-burning over it. The opposition to it is mainly from the opposition political parties and sections of the public. While it is certain that , with US backing for his decision, Musharraf will continue to wear the second hat of COAS after December in violation of the formal commitment made by him to the political parties to resign from that post, the events leading to his decision are not proceeding as he had expected them to .

He was planning to have resolutions passed by the two Houses of the Federal Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies of the four provinces requesting him to continue as the COAS too in Pakistan's supreme national interest. The provincial Assemblies of Sindh and Punjab have already done so and there should be no problem in getting similar resolutions passed by the two Houses of the Federal Parliament, which he controls through the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaide Azam) and the defectors from Benazir Bhutto's People's Party Parliamentarians.

However, he has been facing difficulty in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan. The NWFP Assembly, which is dominated by the fundamentalists, has opposed his continuing as the COAS and in the Balochistan Assembly,where the fundamentalists have a large but not dominating presence, his supporters have not so far been able to have their way.

The religious fundamentalist parties, who feel cheated by him on this issue, have organised a series of public rallies to oppose his continuing as the COAS. Reliable reports from Pakistan say that the response to their rallies on this issue has been disquietingly (to Musharraf) large in the NWFP, reflecting the continuing Pashtun anger over his co-operation with the US against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.

Musharraf does not, however, have to worry over the protests of the political parties opposed to him and the religious fundamentalists, so long as he has the support of his officers and the US.

Unless the public protests against him gather unexpected momentum, as had happened under Ayub Khan, which seems unlikely at present, he should have no concerns over any negative public reaction to his violating his past commitment on the COAS issue.

If at all there is any threat to Musharraf's position, it is likely to come not from the senior officers, but from junior officers not only in the Army, but also in the Air Force. As admitted by Musharraf himself in a private TV interview in June, 2004, the investigations into the two attempts to kill him last December have revealed the involvement of junior non-commissioned officers of the Army and Air Force. Any future threat to his position would come mainly from that level and not from a senior level in the form of another conspiracy to kill him.

There is some penetration of jihadi organisations into the Army and the Air Force at the lower and middle levels and there is anger against Musharraf at those levels because of his co-operation with the US against Al Qaeda and the Taliban and in the anti-proliferation investigation against Dr.A.Q.Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb. There is also considerable anger amongst the Shias in the Armed Forces over his inability to stop the massacre of Shias by Sunni terrorists. Since he took over power, there have been 40 instances of massacre of Shias in different cities of Pakistan. Such a large number of anti-Shia massacres had not taken place under any other previous leader. Any threat to him would come from these sections.

The new promotions and postings mark the climbing up the professional ladder of a new generation of officers, who distinguished themselves not in battles against India over Kashmir or in the covert jihad against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan ostensibly to protect Islam, but in the so-called war against Al Qaeda to protect American lives and promote US interests. The fact that they did well in this war might be a good performance in the eyes of the US political leadership and policy-makers, but not in the eyes of large sections of Pakistani public opinion.

B. Raman is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and Distinguished Fellow and Convenor, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Chennai Chapter.