I.S.I – PAKISTANI ARMY INTELLIGENCE

Since Pakistan became an independent State in 1947 it has a bitter conflict with India about Kashmir that a part of it is under Indian rule. That ongoing conflict led to several wars and to a constant guerilla war against the Indian in Kashmir. That Guerilla was always supported and conducted partially by the Pakistani Army Intelligence - I.S.I. (Inter-Services Intelligence )

The Soviet invasion to Afghanistan in 1979 led to a very close cooperation between the CIA, who directed the efforts against the Russian, and I.S.I. Without Pakistan and I.S.I the Americans could not function in Afghanistan. Together CIA and I.S.I established a world wide network to recruit, train, supply and shift thousands of Muslims volunteers from all over the world to Afghanistan.

After Russian left Afghanistan in 1989 USA and CIA abandoned their interest in the area and the infrastructure was left to be used by I.S.I .

I.S.I, quite naturally, wanted to exploit and carry on the Muslim enthusiasm and the network of recruiting young Muslim to Afghanistan for their war in Kashmir. The Taliban and the training camps in Afghanistan became the back yard of I.S.I to recruit and train in warfare thousands of Muslims for the conflict in Kashmir. Some hundreds of them found their way to the Western World. Pakistan was the only country in the world that recognized the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. All the leaders of the Taliban and Al Qaeda had regular relations with I.S.I. Most of the Muslim terrorists all over the world passed through Pakistan for training in Afghanistan or for briefing in Pakistan.

Most of the senior Al Qeada operatives were captured in Pakistan after The 9/11, some of them in safe houses belonging to I.S.I. Notorious terrorists that committed atrocities in India or hijacked Indian Flight 814 flight on 12/25/1999, in order to free other terrorists in Indian Jail, lived freely and openly in Pakistan.

After The 9/11 The Indian Intelligence provided hard evidence that with the help of Pakistani Military Intelligence (I.S.I) chief Lt' Gen' Mahmud Ahmad and Omar Saeed Sheikh, a most notorious Islamic terrorist, wired 100.000$ to Mohamed Atta some time before June 2000.

There is no doubt that I.S.I helped USA to capture some of the most dangerous operatives of Al-Qaeda but, at the same time, helped others, like Osama Bin Laden or Ayman Al Zawahiri to escape. Today (03/2007) I.S.I has a very complicated set of understandings with the tribes on the Afghanistan border that enable them to give refuge to senior Taliban and Al-Qaeda members as long as they don’t act against Pakistan and its regime or embarrass the country’s foreign relations.

Looking at the major arrests in Pakistan of Al Qaeda operatives in the last three years, since 2004, there is a clear impression that Pakistan and I.S.I are willing to capture and extradite to USA mainly foreigners but are still protecting local leaders of Taliban and Al Qaeda or senior leaders that enjoy large public support among the tribes in the remote area of North West Pakistan.

It is hard to diminish the negative role of the Pakistani Military Intelligence - I.S.I - in enabling the Global Jihad and setting up its infrastructure.