Riedel on Pakistani Intelligence’s Relationship to Terrorism

If Bruce Riedel, chairman of the Obama administration’s Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy review, has a bottom line as to the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence’s relationship with extremist groups, it’s that such relationships are deliberately murky. ISI is not a “rogue intelligence agency,” he told a crowd last night at the International Spy Museum, but instead mostly follows the prerogatives of the ruling Pakistani military or civilian leadership. “Fighting some, tolerating others and patronizing a few” is how Riedel described ISI’s relationship with various Afghan and Pakistani extremist organizations, calling such difficult contortions a sign of a “remarkable agile espionage instrument.” In other words: don’t think ISI has a capabilities problem.

“The ISI has clearly been penetrated by some of these extreme jihadist groups,” Riedel continued. “When you have attacks inside fortified compounds” — like the one last week in Lahore by the Pakistani Taliban in response to the Pakistani military’s offensive in Swat — “those are being done by someone who’s working a double game. But that doesn’t mean the agency itself is a rogue organization. It means it’s been penetrated.”

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Pakistan targets leaders behind the Malakand Accord

ByBILL ROGGIOJune 4, 2009 10:46 PM

Sufi Mohammad.

The Pakistani government is targeting the leadership of the pro-Taliban group behind the failed peace agreement in Northwestern Pakistan. Unconfirmed reports indicate Sufi Mohammed and five other senior leaders of the Tehrik-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammed [TNSM or the Movement for the Enforcement of Mohammed's Law] have been detained in Dir.

The military has confirmed three senior members of the group have been detained. Maulana Alam, the deputy leader of the TNSM, Maulana Said Wahab, a member of the group's ruling shura, or council, and spokesman Ameer Izzat were arrested during a raid in the Amandara region of Dir.

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Taliban men sneak into J&K: NDTV reports

Transcript of the intercepted conversation:

LeT man 1: What were you saying?
LeT man 2: I was saying that new people who have come are all Taliban. They are only talking about killing and getting killed. We are very disturbed because of them.
LeT man 1: Throw them out from there.
LeT man 2: For that I will have to speak to 'Big Brother'.
LeT man 1: Ok.

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Here is the conversation between two LeT operatives.

Saad: You know, they are Taliban.
LeT operative: Ok, Taliban.
Saad: Yes, they are many more. A large number are behind these forests.
Saad: They will start from there and reach Srinagar.
LeT operative: They will finish it in one go.
Saad: Yes. They will kill Kashmiris and the Army.
LeT operative: Will they kill us also, Why?
Saad: You people are spying some of you.
LeT operative: Oh my God, am I also spying?
Saad: No No, some people here.