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| India-Pakistan |
| Spanish report ties Pakistan spy agency to Taliban |
| 2008-10-01 |
| A report marked confidential and bearing the official seal of Spain's Defense Ministry charges that Pakistan's spy service was helping arm Taliban insurgents in 2005 for assassination plots against the Afghan government. The report, which was obtained by Cadena Ser radio and posted on the station's Web site on Wednesday, also says Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency — or ISI — helped the Taliban procure roadside bombs. It alleges that Pakistan may have provided training and intelligence to the Taliban in camps set up on Pakistani soil. The report says the Pakistani agency planned to have the Taliban use the explosives "to assassinate high-ranking officials." The August 2005 document does not describe its sources. Cadena Ser did not say how it obtained the report. Western intelligence agencies have long suspected that elements of Pakistan's spy service have aided the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. But this report appears to be the first leaked to the media that spells out such a connection in writing. A Pakistani official on Wednesday vehemently denied that any such link existed. Chief Pakistani army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said the Spanish report was "baseless, unfounded and part of a malicious, well-orchestrated propaganda campaign to malign the ISI." "ISI is the first line of defense of Pakistan and certain quarters are attempting to weaken our national intelligence system," Abbas said, without elaborating. In Spain, the Defense Ministry and the prime minister's office said they had no comment on the document. Fernando Reinares, a terrorism analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute in Madrid and former chief counterterrorism adviser at Spain's Interior Ministry, said the document appeared to be an internal report intended for high-level officials. Spain has about 800 soldiers deployed in northwest Afghanistan. The report says "it appears possible" that advanced training camps exist in Pakistan "where the Taliban receive training, help and intelligence from the ISI," and where they are also developing new improvised explosive devices. The report says the Taliban had also been receiving help from al-Qaida. Reinares said the report on the alleged ISI-Taliban link is in keeping with information from other Western spy agencies. "The intelligence services have done nothing more then confirm a reality which has also been reported by other Western agencies," he told The Associated Press. Reinares said Spain has developed a strong military and police intelligence operation in Pakistan, particularly since the deadly terrorist attacks of March 11, 2004 on commuter trains in Madrid. The ISI spy agency has helped kill or capture several top al-Qaida leaders since 2001, but there are lingering doubts about its loyalty — not least because its agents helped build up the Taliban in the 1990s. U.S. intelligence agencies suspect rogue elements may still be giving Taliban militants sensitive information to aid in their growing insurgency in Afghanistan, even though officially Pakistan is a U.S. ally in fighting terrorism. Some analysts say elements in the spy agency may want to retain the Taliban as potentially helpful against longtime rival India and may believe that Pakistan's strategic interests are best served if Afghanistan remains a weak state. India and Afghanistan — and reportedly the U.S. — suspect the ISI of involvement in the July 7 bombing outside India's Embassy in Kabul, which killed more than 60 people. Pakistan denies the allegations. Pakistan's army chief this week named a general considered a hawk in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban to head the ISI. The Taliban has regularly used roadside bombs to attack U.S. troops and Afghan security forces since the beginning of the insurgency following the fall off the movement in 2001. The explosives used have become increasingly powerful in the past year and can rip through an armored military vehicle and kill everyone inside. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #10 I'm shocked, SHOCKED I tell ya... |
| Posted by: Raj 2008-10-01 18:27 |
| #9 Richard of O has the same perspective as I - while the ties are obvious and universally known, why are they being leaked? One could ask why were they secret in the first place, but that's just how intel agencies (usually) operate. So either Spain's DM is seriously lax in its security (possible, and like Britain and more and more like the US) or somebody in Defense has a reason they want it out there. Perhaps an attempt to force Spain to withdraw, but I didn't even know they had any troops in there, certainly not pulling any triggers. Gen. Athar Abbas said the charges were baseless, of course, but I notice several top dogs in the ISI and Pak Army were recently reassigned. Hmmm. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2008-10-01 16:56 |
| #8 Where's the "Master of the Obvious" graphic? |
| Posted by: Kirk 2008-10-01 16:55 |
| #7 Still, they seem to be sharper than the CIA and NSC. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-10-01 16:44 |
| #6 There's some sharp guys at Spanish Intelligence, lemme tell ya... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-01 16:38 |
| #5 pkquxxi3bdpkquxxi3bd oyztkos5wj ke82pithh9ke82pithh9 bpn48yqq8v cr7s3d81pecr7s3d81pe zcrgfg8h6w ds9ejs10s5ds9ejs10s5 0aehqvb4o9 5oc5ufsfll5oc5ufsfll h1gudl86fj 647qo6d8tu647qo6d8tu bgu0im0efi pp9jyyvtz9pp9jyyvtz9 a0cm3ejc0v s6lrnvfe5xs6lrnvfe5x kowak4qcff 2bls81g9yr2bls81g9yr kvvqkccmbn wxnllytluowxnllytluo ejgywdtocm lcd0cgcfnclcd0cgcfnc gwg182epd6 hu9ouoosmkhu9ouoosmk qu85ol2aox ohshih81f6ohshih81f6 dk1btrss5h iqpbs7my3ziqpbs7my3z ruvkhtbhjr w5sywcxfp1w5sywcxfp1 zcppfiiji7 bnyb0i31qmbnyb0i31qm 73ezlwxj8x 42qdd59imo42qdd59imo gy9idjje4e j5x68qe2a9j5x68qe2a9 s5f8taqcs4 vodwkd6m7uvodwkd6m7u xygyv0tzct o36qe2w2zuo36qe2w2zu 2q9vr48v2u 1xh9ksct6m1xh9ksct6m fsfe1aumih k6lcqic4a1k6lcqic4a1 mj33ycib80 kyolgtz6cfkyolgtz6cf 9ob0qhtrhn t1t7mhyr6lt1t7mhyr6l dol7wg42jr ng4xulnqkrng4xulnqkr yj4wb02mg0 9kqdzgdjn89kqdzgdjn8 p8exns3686 bys21myci7bys21myci7 sqo3jemro8 m2oe1llgi2m2oe1llgi2 2linawcsz9 h2nypleqj5h2nypleqj5 aqryfu23br qmkakhoas9qmkakhoas9 9lnwbptjqd caz9eloaz8caz9eloaz8 iqr0huia05 yhv07jil8pyhv07jil8p g5wy4jfd01 j0k2xgu3cuj0k2xgu3cu dpspbojcil hogn2iiwy3hogn2iiwy3 ahpaunih0y gcxb9sbfp8gcxb9sbfp8 t9qs192fe9 08gul1mczt08gul1mczt nmljyqif4b ix3wav4tswix3wav4tsw yz34rsyv9w ho4yg32qh1ho4yg32qh1 rzi8gfy151 wydim19jk6wydim19jk6 xs617xkj33 23j96x1hao23j96x1hao slzt8ue4qn olze793ngholze793ngh 1gkp6ejixc jqdguz79p3jqdguz79p3 c4racbwdlm sn551wc1bqsn551wc1bq tdxsq99dop opdhx1utfropdhx1utfr 9a1q95djt0 q5p9euhhuzq5p9euhhuz qzs0rjpe1l mhhzd2zjebmhhzd2zjeb 93rpdolb4f dmazswkgvidmazswkgvi fxjfhi27uo k8xn0nga3tk8xn0nga3t c36a08g0s4 njcw7qj14snjcw7qj14s dx4z64jirz qahojs7qsfqahojs7qsf o1w0r05e8z 1222902666 |
| Posted by: Guillibaldo Gliter8072 2008-10-01 16:18 |
| #4 i9ycvi2w659pg0z http://www.477468.com/981377.html yazjiv268xjfv5dj0 |
| Posted by: Guillibaldo Gliter8072 2008-10-01 16:18 |
| #3 It may have been common knowledge to many in the intel business, but not generally acknowledged in the press. Who leaked this and what did they hope to achieve? That is the question of interest. It seems to me that, given Spain's inclination to fold under pressure, this may be a move to get Spain's troops out of harm's way. Round up the usual leftist suspects and grill 'em the old fashioned way. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2008-10-01 15:38 |
| #2 Wow, Spain is starting to realize something that folks here at the burg have known for years. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2008-10-01 15:01 |
| #1 No! Really? |
| Posted by: mojo 2008-10-01 14:34 |