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India is waging a lone battle against (pakistani) terror

Seeded on Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:55 AM EDT
Read ArticleArticle Source: thesouthasiantimes
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Seeded by Water Hole
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The David Headley case gets curiouser and curiouser. As each new twist is revealed, I sometimes feel as though we are watching one of those American TV shows where every episode brings with it some increasingly far-fetched plot complication. This is not quite 24, but it certainly is 26/11.

When the story first broke (I almost feel like intoning, “Previously on 26/11” as they do in the TV shows) we were told that the Americans had arrested a US citizen of Pakistani origin with links to terrorist groups. Subsequently, it was revealed that this man, identified as David Headley, had visited India and may have been part of the advance team for the 26/11 attackers. Naturally, our investigative agencies wanted to interrogate him. But for several months, the Americans refused us any access to Headley.

Then, the US media got in on the act. Their digging revealed that Headley had been arrested in America on drug charges but had been released from jail following the 9/11 attacks and had been allowed to travel freely between the US and Pakistan on a fresh US passport. American journalists concluded — on the basis of court documents — that Headley had been sent back to Pakistan as an undercover agent or at the very least, an informant, by US authorities. In return for agreeing to serve as an agent, his jail sentence had been remitted.

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Water Hole

Off the record, American officials were willing to concede that Headley might have been an agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) but insisted that he had no links with the CIA or any other agency that was battling terrorism.

These denials did not convince Indian intelligence or sections of the US media. It was widely believed that in the scramble to find informants in the post 9/11 phase all agencies shared their assets. It was likely that the DEA had handed Headley over to anti-terrorist agencies or the CIA.

Once you accepted this, then much of the Headley story made sense. Why was he allowed to travel freely between America, Pakistan and India? Surely, immigration officials at US airports — always ready to closely question anyone of Pakistani origin — would have wondered why a convicted drug smuggler was travelling so frequently to the drug haven of Pakistan.

  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:56 AM EDT
Water Hole

Given all this evidence, I don’t think anyone can seriously dispute any longer that Headley was an American agent though we can argue about whether he went rogue or whether he continued to work for the US.

This, by itself, is no big deal. Of course the Americans have placed agents within terrorist organisations. But here’s what’s important: the US probably knew much more about 26/11 than it was willing to let on. Even today, it knows how deeply the ISI is involved in sponsoring terrorism. But as long as the terrorism is directed towards India and not the West, it does not mind so much. The CIA continues to work closely with ISI and two days ago Washington gave Pakistan another $2 billion to buy weapons.

So, finally, let’s never forget the biggest lesson from this saga. When it comes to the battle against terrorism, India has no allies. We are on our own.

  • 1 vote
Reply#2 - Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:57 AM EDT
Z1P2

That's funny because I seem to remember it being a US team that killed Al Queda's #1 in Pakistan just a month or two ago... and nearly every single rocket attack on terrorists seems to come from US drones... so it sounds like maybe the only lesson to be learned here is that India is full of ingrates.

    #2.1 - Sun Jul 24, 2011 3:23 AM EDT
    Water Hole

    Z1P2, Read the topic header, its about pakistani terrorism in India. And, US has surely not helped on this account. Instead, US has been pumping military aid into pakistan, despite pakistan accepting that it has diverted this aid to build up against India.

    Your ignorance about terrorism in India, is your problem not mine. Please search the internet before commenting.

    Read here :

    Musharraf admits US aid diverted

    Former president Pervez Musharraf says the US military aid given to Pakistan during his tenure was used to strengthen defences against India.

    The money was used to arm the troops who moved with their equipment from the western border to the east based on the perceived threats, he said.

    The US gave $10bn dollars to Pakistan to fight the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

    In 2007, Pakistan rejected a report which said it had used $5bn on weapons systems designed to fight India.

    Pakistan's military had described the New York Times report as "nonsense".

    'Did right'

    "Wherever there is a threat to Pakistan, we will use it [equipment provided by the US] there. If the threat comes from al-Qaeda or Taliban, it will be used there. If the threat comes from India, we will most surely use it there," Mr Musharraf told Pakistan's Express News television channel.

    "There is nothing like this equipment has come from the US and must only be used against Taliban, or that equipment has come from China and must be used against this or that," he added.

    Mr Musharraf confirmed that the weapons were indeed used against India.

    • 1 vote
    #2.2 - Sun Jul 24, 2011 3:48 AM EDT
    Z1P2

    its about pakistani terrorism in India. And, US has surely not helped on this account.

    Oh so Al Queda doesn't terrorize India?? Bull@!$%#... bunch of ingrates is what I took away from this, makes me not feel sorry for them anymore.

      #2.3 - Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:36 AM EDT
      Water Hole

      Z1P2, Your ignorance and stupidity shows in your posts.

      • 1 vote
      #2.4 - Sun Jul 24, 2011 7:16 AM EDT
      Reply
      Water Hole

      The Double Game

      Posted - May 9, 2011

      A number of investigative reports have suggested that the I.S.I. diverted American money designated for fighting terrorism to the Taliban. According to a 2007 document released by WikiLeaks, U.S. military interrogators at Guantánamo implicitly acknowledged this problem when they placed the I.S.I. on an internal list of “terrorist and terrorist-support entities.”

      • 1 vote
      Reply#3 - Sun Jul 24, 2011 5:43 AM EDT
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