During meetings of intellectual group “The preceptors” It was noted that a part of media and even officials use different medium to build perceptions for their intended objectives. In doing so they twist facts and at times they even forget what they and their own govt/media said in the past. We intended exposing such statements and let our readers form an opinion.
Theme 1:
Pakistan addicted to terrorism
On March 29, 2012, Media has published reporting ofcongressional hearing of the Senate Armed Services Sub-Committee on “emerging threats and capabilities” by assistant secretary of defense for special operations, Michael A. Sheehan in which it was reported that he said ”They (Pakistan) have an addiction to playing around with militia groups to achieve certain interests, particularly vis-a-vis India. That gets them in all kinds of trouble…”
29 March, 2012
· Times Of India: Pakistan addicted to using terrorist groups against India: US (link)
· Indian Express: Pak addicted to using militant groups against India: Pentagon (link)
30 March, 2012(Same was reported )
· Daily Mail(UK): Pakistan accused of being ‘addicted to using militants against India’ (link)
· Dunya News: Pakistan addicted to using terrorists against India: US (link)
But:
The authenticity of the above report could be judged by the official transcript or the actual video of the hearing available on official website.
However, watch congressional hearing video (Watch here) or read the submitted statement (Read here), we come to know that no such argument actually occurred in hearing or statement. Rather Sheehan said “In implementing the Counterterrorism Strategy, we will continue to focus on al-Qa’ida’s activities originating from Western Pakistan and the FATA. As I noted earlier, we have made progress on this front, but al-Qa’ida is a highly adaptive organization, and we must continue to work with Pakistan to address threats emanating from this region.”
Theme 2:
Pakistan and its agencies are involved in 2008 suicide attack on Indian Embassy in Kabul. Having close links with Haqqani network
But:
1. Transcript of Siraj Haqqani’s Interview: Do you have any links with the ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence agency)? During the Soviet invasion, not only us, but all mujahideen had connections with the Pakistani ISI. But for now, there are no such links that could be beneficial to the mujahideen, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-15148488
2. Exclusive: Haqqanis to follow Taliban on Afghan peace, By Michael Georgy pub in Reuters on 17 Sep 2011 highlights that Sirajuddin in a rare interview, by telephone from an undisclosed location said that the group has become so confident after battlefield gains, that it no longer has sanctuaries in Pakistan, and instead felt secure inside Afghanistan. “Gone are the days when we were hiding in the mountains along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Now we consider ourselves more secure in Afghanistan besides the Afghan people. Senior military and police officials are with us,” said Sirajuddin, believed to be in his late 30s. “There are sincere people in the Afghan government who are loyal to the Taliban as they know our goal is the liberation of our homeland from the clutches of occupying forces.” http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/17/us-pakistan-afghanistan-haqqani-idUSTRE78G0J620110917
3. Extract from the Transcript of Mark C. Toner Deputy Spokesperson Daily Press Briefing, Washington, DC pub on 17 April says: QUESTION: Yesterday, Secretary Panetta and Chairman Dempsey blamed Pakistan-based Haqqani Network for the attacks in Kabul, and Secretary Clinton also talked to Foreign Minister Khar. So what – does the initial evidence lead to Pakistan at the moment? Was this coordinated by the Haqqani Network elements in Pakistan or in Afghanistan? What is your initial information? MR. TONER: Right. I mean, the quick answer is we don’t know yet. It appeared to bear the hallmarks of the – an Haqqani Network-style attack. We’ve seen them obviously carry out one last fall that was coordinated in this kind of fashion, but beyond that, we’re still in the information-gathering stage. It’s still an investigation carried out by Afghan authorities. So we should know more. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2012/04/188046.htm
4. The attack in Kabul was linked to Haqqani Network stated to be based in Pakistan by US officials despite however Siraj Haqqani stated that they have comfortable bases in Afghanistan. A senior state department official during back ground briefing after meeting of Pakistan’s FM and Hillary said that, the attacks in Kabul had changed the nature of the meeting. The issue of counter terrorism and particularly the issue of the Haqqani Network was, the first thing on the Secretary’s agenda. Ambassador Munter made a statement after the attack in Kabul that US has evidence of Pakistan’s links to Haqqani Network but Senior state department official denied of any proof talked about during meeting of FMs. It is hard to believe Haqqani terrorist going all the way from Torkham 223 Kms from Kabul to hit and fall back to Pakistan area in presence of Coalition forces with state of art surveillance equipment at their disposal (Illogical Logics, Pakistan Observer, http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=116327 )
Theme 3:
Pakistan’s ambiguous role in Afghanistan and west should not trust Pakistan as a partner in war on terror.
But:
Comments of US officials support and praising Pak and its role in War On Terror are :
Pak’s Contributions in WOT:
a. U.S. Vice President reiterated his and President Obama’s view that Pakistan is “absolutely vital” to U.S. interests, and he took the opportunity to correct some key misconceptions held among Pakistanis, including that the United States represents a threat to their sovereignty (“I would respectfully suggest that it’s the extremists who violate Pakistan’s sovereignty and corrupt its good name”), that America disrespects or is an enemy of Islam, that U.S. policies favor India in ways that could lead to Pakistan’s weakening, and that the U.S. will “abandon” Pakistan. ( “Vice President Jospeh R. Biden Jr. and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani Deliver Remarks at the Presidential Palace in Islamabad,” CQ Transcriptions, January 12, 2011.) http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-2237105221.html
b. Even as President-elect, Obama asserted that Afghanistan cannot be “solved” without “solving Pakistan” and working more effectively with that country, saying he believed Pakistan’s democratically-elected government understands the threat and would participate in establishing “the kind of close, effective, working relationship that makes both countries safer.” (See the December 7, 2008, “Meet the Press” transcript at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28097635)
c. In May 2009, President Obama hosted the Pakistani and Afghan presidents in Washington, DC, where he characterized their meeting as one of “three sovereign nations joined by a common goal”: to permanently defeat Al Qaeda and its extremist allies in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The U.S. President expressed being pleased that his counterparts were serious in addressing the threat posed by such extremists and he stated that such trilateral meetings would continue on a regular basis. (Seehttp://www.gpoaccess.gov/presdocs/2009/DCPD-200900331.pdf.)
d. Secretary Clinton paid tribute “to the courage and resolve of the people of Pakistan to eliminate terrorism and militancy,” and the United States “reaffirmed its resolve to assist Pakistan to overcome socioeconomic challenges.” Pakistan, for its part, expressed its appreciation for U.S. security assistance. (See the U.S.-Pakistan March 25, 2010, joint statement at http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/pr-10032603.html.)
e. US Policy Dossier, 01 May 2012: President Obama Speaks on Ending the War in Afghanistan In Chicago, the international community will express support for this plan and for Afghanistan’s future. And I have made it clear to its neighbor — Pakistan — that it can and should be an equal partner in this process in a way that respects Pakistan’s sovereignty, interests and democratic institutions. In pursuit of a durable peace, America has no designs beyond an end to al Qaeda safe havens and respect for Afghan sovereignty. http://www.uspolicy.be/headline/remarks-president-obama-address-nation-afghanistan
f. U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Transcript DOD News Briefing with George Little: MR. LITTLE: says On the issue of terrorism, the Pakistanis have been the victims of very devastating violence inflicted by terrorists, so we share a common cause in thwarting al-Qaida and other terrorist groups that are operating in the region, and we’re going to continue to try to work closely with our Pakistani counterparts to prevent terrorist attacks against Pakistani interests, against American interests and those of our allies. http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=5007
2. Contents sp why west should cont to believe that Pak is on their side is as under:-
a. The Pakistani army is at war with the terror network and has more than 140,000 troops engaged in operations along the Afghan border. 35,000 Pakistanis including more than 5000 soldiers have died in the fighting since 2001. The ratio of officers to men lost is 1:10. The police force has lost hundreds more – 559 in 2010 alone. Pakistan has lost more soldiers and paramilitary personnel in fighting terrorists than any other country, except the US in Iraq. Millions more have been displaced by fighting. Pakistan’s economy has suffered direct and indirect losses of up to $68 billion since 2001 in the ‘war against terrorism’. Nothing else but true and realistic understanding of the picture is the most required element to be understood for bridging this trust deficit. (Plight of US Law Makers, Opinion Maker, 17 Dec, 2011, http://www.opinion-maker.org/2011/12/plight-of-us-law-makers/ )
b. The IEDs attacks alone in Pakistan has taken lives of 2707soldiers whereas 1188 NATO soldiers became prey of IEDs in Afghanistan from 2006 to 2012…..As of 2010, Pakistani check posts on the Pakistan-Afghan border numbered 821 against 112 check posts set up by NATO-US-Afghan troops on their side. The NATO and U.S forces comprise of 50 countries therefore lack priority to curbing cross-border movement. Total number of Pakistan’s troops operating on Pak-Afghan border is approx 140,000 and NATO-ISAF are approx 128,961 as at 12 April 2012. (STUDY- IED sufferings in AF-Pak, Media Point, 30 April, 2012, http://www.mediapoint.pk/study-ied-sufferings-in-af-pak/ )
Terrorist Captured by Pakistan:
The Saudi born Zayn al-Abidn Muhammed Hasayn Abu Zubaydah was arrested by Pakistani officials during a series of joint U.S. and Pakistan raids during the week of 23 March 2002. Zubaydah is said to be a high-ranking al-Qaeda official with the title of operations chief and in charge of running al-Qaeda training camps. Later that year on 11 September 2002, Ramzi bin al-Shibh was arrested in Pakistan after a three-hour gunfight with police forces. Bin al-Shibh is known to have shared a room with Mohamed Atta in Hamburg, Germany and to be a financial backer of al-Qaeda operations. On 1 March 2003, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed was arrested during CIA-led raids on the suburb of Rawalpindi, nine miles outside of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. Mohammed at the time of his capture was the third highest ranking official in al-Qaeda and had been directly in charge of the planning for the 11 September attacks. Other events Mohammed has been linked to include: ordering the killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, the USS Cole bombing, Richard Reid’s attempt to blow up a civilian airliner with a shoe bomb, and the terrorist attack at the El Ghriba synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed has described himself as the head of the al-Qaeda military committee.
OBL letters reveal No role of Pakistan:
Lt. Col. Liam Collins, director of the Combating Terrorism Center which published the documents, gave an advance quote to CNN prior to the Thursday release of the documents. The CTC published an analysis of the documents. “As for Pakistan, the discussion in the documents is scarce and therefore inconclusive,” Collins said. “There are no explicit references to any institutional Pakistani support for al-Qaeda or its operatives.” (Readers’ fiery reaction to bin Laden letters, CNN, 04 May 2012, http://articles.cnn.com/2012-05-04/world/world_reaction-bin-laden-letters_1_al-qaeda-bin-laden-osama-bin?_s=PM:WORLD )
OBL died on 15 December 2001
Different clips taken from international media claims that Osama bin Laden died many years (15 December 2001) before Abbottabad Operation and Alqaeda is invention of CIA. Watch what western media says about it:
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