Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Rubin: Translation of Statement by Afghan Government on ISI

I received this text from the Office of President Karzai this morning. There may be an edited version available later. Note the careful distinction between the elected government of Pakistan and the military, including the ISI. If only all of our policy makers and journalists were equally careful.

Statement Issued by the Afghanistan Cabinet Meeting

Monday, July 14, 2008

In the Name of the Almighty Allah

Over the past six and half years, Afghanistan has done its utmost to remove any misunderstanding and ease tension between the two countries and focused all its efforts for further promoting a good neighborly relation with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. However, the rightful desire of the people of Afghanistan for an end to interference by Pakistan Intelligence (ISI) and its Army remained unfulfilled. Consequently, people of Afghanistan suffered countless sacrifices and destruction as a result of direct interference by the Pakistani intelligence outfits in the domestic affairs of Afghanistan.

Everyday in Afghanistan, children, women, clerics, elderly, teachers and our international partners who are here to help rebuild Afghanistan fall victims at the hands of the elements of the ISI. Education facilities, hospitals, and development projects continue to remain target of attacks.

The people of Afghanistan and the international community have come to the reality that Pakistan intelligence institutions and its army have become the largest center for breeding and exporting terrorism and extremism to the world and particularly to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan sincerely welcomed and supported the recent elections for a civilian rule in Pakistan. However, the expectation of the people of Afghanistan that an elected civilian government in Pakistan would have the control over its intelligence agencies hoping for an end to the on-going interference in Afghanistan not only didn't materialize, but the agency (ISI) continued and intensified its murderous activities against the civilians, international partners and foreign troops in Afghanistan.

The assassination attempt against the President of Afghanistan on April 27, masterminding the attack against the prison in Kandahar, beheading innocent Afghans in Bajur, Wazirestan and other areas on the other side of the Durand Line, attack in Dehrawood, attack against the Indian Embassy in Kabul that left more than 60 innocent people dead and more than 150 wounded , beheading of two innocent women in Ghazni, organizing suicide bombings and road side blasts and hundreds of other destructive acts are all indicative of the attempts by the ISI to once again occupy Afghanistan and to perish the true right of the people of Afghanistan for national sovereignty.

Pakistani authorities have recently refrained from attending the expected bilateral and trilateral meetings, thus deliberately harming the process of mutual discussions and the Regional Peace Jirgah.

While Afghanistan continues to maintain the people to people contact and its support of the elected government in Pakistan, it feels compelled in the face of the violent policies of Pakistani Army and Intelligence agencies, and for the sake of its national sovereignty to suspend its bilateral and multilateral meetings and sessions of the following until a positive spirit of dialogue and understanding for mutual trust is restored:

  1. The Joint Border Cooperation Meeting, scheduled to be held in Dubai on July 23-24, 2008;
  2. Meeting of the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission scheduled to be held on 26-27, July in Kabul;
  3. Meeting of the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference scheduled to be held in Islamabad on 26-27 August.

6 comments:

ANJAN SENGUPTA said...

Dr Rubin,

Reads serious. Of course, the US must have at some level okayed the release. Afghan intelligence and RAW have cozyed up long back, and it is time that this pact will produce some spectacular conter insurgency operations inside Pakistan. At least I am hoping so.
Pakistan is a country that is built along fault lines or ethnicity and ISLAM is the binding force and for a long time, KASHMIR & AFGHAN Jihad added to that unifying rally. Hence it has been ISI aim to keep these alive, to keep the nation alive. However, the cost to other nations have been too much and I feel even ISI feels the heat of this excessiveness. But the tidal wave once released does not know how to come back - does it? The drummed up madrassah training does not allow for reason. The bee hive has to be attacked and this time instead of killing the worker bees, the world should go in for the kill - Kill the queen bee (ISI).

Anand said...

Anjan, I don't think Karzai is willing to be restrained in his statements by America any more. There is a fierce backlash against Pakistan among the large majority of Afghans, and Karzai needs to say this to have a shot at reelection.

There is no long term solution without Pakistan reforming itself. However, the optimal medium term response would be to significantly increase global grants to Afghanistan, as well as substantially boost training/equipping for the ANSF. Most ANA soldiers are very highly motivated (far more motivated than most Pakistani Army soldiers.)

Anonymous said...

When is the Great Afghan Leader taking his 4,000,000 reugees from Pakistan back to that wonderful metropolis that is modern Afghanistan.
Afer all I'm sure they must be becoming violently sick of having to get by without the mod cons that await them back in the The Technicolour Dreamcoated one's realm.

Anand said...

Tazmanian is an unusual name for an ISI agent or a member of KSA intelligence.

Anonymous said...
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ANJAN SENGUPTA said...

Dear Tazmanian Devil (there is such a creature in real life as well as in the toon world ... so there),

ah you show angst at the plight of Afghan refugees and mockery at the shambles that has befallen Afghanistan. on the first issue, the Afghans are merely in their homeland - after all there is no Durrand line, and what you claim as their squat area in Pakistan is actually Pashtoonistan. as for mockery, phoenix may have been a mythical creature, but mock not the resolve of the Pathans whose homes and lives the ISI have destroyed, mock not my dear Tazmanian - CIT X will be worse off this time around. mock not, the dams will burst any day now .....