The Secret Deal With US

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The Secret Deal With US

Submitted by Aurangzeb on December 8, 2011 – 8:09 pm

It killed a former prime minister and formalized a role for US in Pakistan’s governance. Get rid of the deal but ensure that failed politicians don’t become ‘democratic heroes’ again.



AHMED QURAISHI | Tuesday | 6 December 2011 | The News International

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—The removal of Mr. Husain Haqqani from his post and the withdrawal of key facilities given earlier to US military and NATO were sorely needed moves to amend a major flaw in Pak-US ties. That flaw includes the secret US-brokered deal that destabilized Pakistan and shaped the current political setup in the country. Question is: Is it time to revoke that deal? And how should it be done?

The secret deal of 2006-07 was a dangerous escalation in foreign meddling in Pakistan. It devised arrangements to shape how a future government in Pakistan looked and behaved. It turned the US into a decisionmaker in Islamabad, interfering in issues as diverse as deciding our national interest, how ISI should be run, whether India is a threat, and how much footprint CIA should have in our country.


Needless to say, the United States invaded and occupied other nations to do some of the things it was able to do here without direct military intervention. Direct ties between our political parties and foreign governments, and secret meetings between our officials and foreigners at neutral locations, like Abu Dhabi, were a byproduct of this flaw. Even our allies, like the Turks and the Chinese, were aghast at what we were doing. Selling ourselves cheap emboldened our foreign detractors. It is no coincidence that this period coincided with the worst campaign of demonization of Pakistan in world media. Interestingly the main culprit in this was the same country that we allowed to meddle in our affairs.

Sadly, few Pakistani citizens in powerful places played a key role in creating this deformity in Pak-US ties. It is our fault. But here I would like to focus on steps underway to roll back this flaw. Taking back a CIA-run airfield, expelling its agents and insisting on new terms of cooperation in America’s failed Afghan occupation are key steps in normalizing our relations and cleaning our American mess.

But that’s not enough. The deal should be revoked. It has weakened the country. It forced a former prime minister to return home and get killed. Patrons of the deal ignored threats to her life and possibly pushed her to her death to destabilize Pakistan. Not to mention how the deal shattered the trust of Pakistanis who cringe at our slow transformation into a banana republic.

Yet this ultimate rollback is something that the country might not be ready for right now. Ending the deal means rolling back a failed political system. A premature wrapping up of the incumbent political setup will turn discredited politicians into heroes, allow them to revive foreign meddling, and will give our American detractors an opportunity to increase pressure.

So what’s the way out? It might be a good idea to let the incumbent setup, the bastard child of the secret deal, die a natural death by completing its term. After that, we need new thinking. That new thinking will not come through elections, certainly not under the country’s existing political leadership and flawed system that perpetuates linguistic and other divisions and protects corruption. At some point, we need a professional government working out of a plan. We need to distance ourselves from politics for some time in favor of business. We need to de-politicize our people enough to get them into making money and spending money, which is what growth is all about.

We need to redefine the rules of the internal political game. That’s a prerequisite for stability and strength. Ending foreign meddling is a good start.

Source: Pak Nationalist

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A Zardari Exit Strategy?

Submitted by NK on December 8, 2011 – 5:28 pm



Believe it or not, but a coup against Zardari government or giving the incumbent rulers a safe exit back to exile safe havens to plot against Pakistan might be just what Washington and others are hoping for.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—So, is President Asif Ali Zardari escaping from the country? Or is he being quietly eased out of power by the military?

There is a general feeling that both the United States and the client government of President Zardari in Islamabad have reached similar conclusions: that the American idea of using his government to contain Pakistani military from the inside has failed.

If he continues in power, both he and his key aide and former envoy to Washington Mr. Husain Haqqani might face treason charges. Even if that doesn’t happen, the party stands to be discredited for good.

The Pakistani military is also on the ascent for the first time in several years. It is gradually ending US interference in Pakistan and correcting major flaws in its Afghan strategy, including limiting US influence through Pakistani proxies.

Historically, Washington used the same recipe for getting things done in Pakistan: support discredited self-exiled politicians against the military until they’re no longer useful, and then prod the military to take over and use the insecurities of whoever is in charge to extract strategic concessions. When things get rough with the military, Washington reverts back to self-exiled politicians to pressurize the military. This is what happened in 2006 with Benazir Bhutto.

Theoretically, Washington and President Zardari would like nothing more than a military intervention at this point. It would save both, allowing them a second chance, and would put the military on the back foot and possibly even allow the US to call for sanctions on Pakistani military for the first time, an idea that many in US military and CIA are promoting these days through US broadsheets.

The leakages from US sources about the anti-Pakistan memo, and about Mr. Zardari and Mr. Haqqani covertly permitting a limited US military invasion on May 2 to humiliate Pakistani military, serve to increase pressure on Pakistani military to mount a coup. Is it possible that Mr. Haqqani is leading his boss through a dark alley? Anything is possible.

Even the current theory that Mr. Zardari is being eased out of power was first published by an American blogger, a known acquaintance of Mr. Haqqani, Zardari’s aide and former ambassador.

The effect of all of these US-origin leaks seems to be to provoke a military takeover.

Question is: Should the Pakistani military take over?

It shouldn’t. Not now at least.

A better strategy would be for the Pakistani military to continue to contain and reverse US influence in Pakistan, expand the post-NATO attack strategy of increasing our strategic space, and allow Mr. Zardari’s government to complete its five-year term.

After all, President Zardari and his aides need to be held accountable for their governance record and this won’t be possible if they are able again to sit in exile and play the underdog.

But here is the problem: What if Mr. Zardari and some of his aides try to cut and run?

That would allow him and many of his aides to escape back to their safe havens in UAE, US and Britain to be used by Washington and London to meddle in Pakistani politics. Preventing the current crisis in Islamabad from producing new ‘democratic warriors and heroes’ should be a key concern of all the pro-Pakistan forces in the country.

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What next for Pakistan's President Zardari?

There is little doubt that Pakistan's army want him out, so Asif Ali Zardari's trip to Dubai could well spell the end of his presidency


Tariq Ali, guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 7 December 2011 19.15 GMT



PTI supporters burn an effigy of Pakistan's President Zardari during a protest in Lahore against a Nato border attack. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters


The war in Afghanistan, as I argued a decade ago, was a potential threat to the stability of the system in Pakistan. Events have long confirmed this view. The US raid on a Pakistan border position a few weeks ago that killed 24 soldiers was only the latest disaster. Motives for the attack remain a mystery but its impact is not. It will create further divisions within the military, further weaken the venal regime of president Asif Ali Zardari, strengthen religious militants and make the US even more hated than it already is in Pakistan.

Was it intended as a provocation? Is Barack Obama seriously thinking of unleashing a civil war in an already battered country? Some commentators in Islamabad are arguing this but it's unlikely that Nato troops will occupy Pakistan. The death of soldiers stirred the mind of the nation to new activity. "Save us from our friends" is a growing sentiment even within the ruling elite.

The overall effect has been a growth of dissent within the military and the uncovering of related scandals. It was one of these, described as "memogate", that may have led a frightened President Zardari to flee the country to Dubai, supposedly for health reasons. Though why Pakistani doctors in the country are considered inferior to their kin in the Gulf is a question posed by many in the country. Army doctors who, according to some reports, did examine him said he was "fine". A US government official is reported to have said that Zardari was "incoherent" when he spoke with Obama last weekend. His own official admitted he was unfocused. This too is nothing new.

What of "memogate"? One of Zardari and his late wife's trusted bagmen in Washington, Husain Haqqani, has been forced to resign. Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the US, appears to have been caught red-handed: he allegedly asked Mansoor Ijaz, a multimillionaire close to the US defence establishment, to carry a message to Admiral Mike Mullen pleading for help against the Pakistani military and offering in return to disband the Haqqani network and parts of the security service, the ISI, and carry out all US instructions, including the possibility of de-nuclearising the state.

Mullen denied that he had received any message. A military underling contradicted him. Mullen changed his story and said a message had been received and ignored. When the ISI discovered this "act of treachery", Haqqani, instead of saying that he was acting under orders from Zardari, denied the entire story. Unfortunately for both men, the ISI boss, General Pasha, had met up with Ijaz and been given the BlackBerry with the messages and instructions. Haqqani had no option but to resign. Demands for his trial and hanging are proliferating.

Zardari was, until the flight to Dubai, standing by his man. The military wanted his head. Haqqani's passport has been seized, but his wife, Farahnaz Ispahani, who is also a presidential aide, accompanied Zardari to Dubai.

Exhausted by war and the resultant suicide terrorism within its borders, in the opinion of many bled white economically by Zardari, his cronies and the bubble class that lives in its own world – Pakistan is in a terrible mess, worse than at any time in its recent history. Zardari's status as a widower of the slain Benazir Bhutto propelled him to the presidency. His main function appears to have been to carry out US instructions and make a lot more money. With the amounts he has accumulated over the years he should not be unduly despondent, unless the pending corruption case in Switzerland is re-opened.

There is little doubt that the army want him out. Will they replace him with the prime minister, Yousuf Gilani, as the frontman until the February 2013 elections? Or order a behind-the-scenes dissolution of the existing assembly and install an emergency national government for a year?

Two developments are worth bearing in mind. The Chinese foreign office issued (for them) a sharply worded denunciation of the US attack on the Pakistani border post. The party that is currently leading the opposition is Imran Khan's PTI, whose most popular pledges are independence from the USand a war on corruption. Never a dull day in Pakistan.

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Memo a Reality & Conspiracy Against Army: Kayani

Submitted by Aurangzeb on December 16, 2011 – 8:25 pm



PESHAWAR: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in his reply to the Supreme Court stated that the memo was a reality and a conspiracy was being hatched against the army and national security, a private TV reported. In the reply General Kayani writes that the Financial Times published Mansoor Ijaz’s story about the memo on October 10. COAS Kayani was informed about DG ISI General Pasha’s meeting with Mansoor Ijaz on October 24 and Pasha was of the opinion that there was enough evidence to validate the authenticity of the memo.The DG ISI said there was evidence which illustrated that Ijaz was in touch with Hussain Haqqani between May 9-11 and that they exchanged text messages and phone calls.


Kayani says on October 28 the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry and Presidency denied the memo in separate statements. Admiral Mike Mullen through his spokesperson first denied receiving the memo on November 8 but a few days later confirmed its receipt. The reply goes on to state that on November 13, during a meeting with Prime Minister Gilani, I (Kayani) advised that those points of the memo which were leaked were very sensitive and that a decision had to be made on its being real or not. According to the reply Kayani strongly insisted that the Prime Minister summon Haqqani so he can brief the country’s leadership about this matter. Kayani told the prime minister that time was limited and the sooner we found out the facts the better it would be.

On November 15, Kayani said he was called by the President for a meeting and met him at two in the afternoon.According to Kayani the prime minister had already informed the president about his recommendations. President Zardari informed Kayani that the decision to summon Haqqani had already been made. On November 21, US General James Jones confirmed that he had taken the memo to Mullen. Kayani said that he was part of a meeting which also included the prime minister, president and DG ISI on November 22. It was during this meeting that Haqqani briefed all of them and Prime Minister Gilani asked for Haqqani’s resignation and ordered an investigation. Towards the end Kayani writes that there was enough evidence validating the memo and there should be full review to evaluate the circumstance and facts behind it. General Kayani said that the memo tried to decrease the morale of the Pakistan Army but was unsuccessful in doing so.

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US Think Tank Paid $100,000 to Haqqani to Write Book Against Army


Submitted by Aurangzeb on December 18, 2011 – 5:17 pm



ISLAMABAD: Smith Richardson Foundation, an American think tank, claims that it paid $100,000 to Husain Haqqani to write a book, which attacks the Pakistan army and the military-mosque alliance and its implications for US policies.

Haqqani came up with a book within two years and the controversial memo reflects many of the thoughts stated in his book.

The think tank also claims that it funded another $175000 to Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for developing a new US policy toward Pakistan in 2004 and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace hired Husain Haqqani for the purpose.


Smith Richardson Foundation is an American think tank whose mission is ‘to contribute to important public debates and to help address serious public policy challenges facing the United States.

The Foundation seeks to help ensure the vitality of our social, economic, and governmental institutions. It also seeks to assist with the development of effective policies to compete internationally and to advance US interests and values abroad. This mission is embodied in our international and domestic grant programs.’

The website of Smith Richardson Foundation shows under the link: www.srf.org/grants/grantsdb.php? username=&lg=1 that in 2003 a sum of $100,000 was given as grant to Carnegie Endowment for International Peace regarding ‘Mosque-Military Alliance in Pakistan and Implications for US Policy’.

The website describes the usage of grant as, “Husain Haqqani will research and write a book on the relationship between Pakistan’s military and the country’s radical Islamic forces and assess the implications of that relationship for US security.”

Interestingly Haqqani came up with a book in 2005 titled ‘Pakistan between Mosque and Military’ and he wrote in the concluding paragraphs of his book: “Washington must not ignore Pakistan’s state sponsorship of Islamist militants, its pursuit of nuclear weapons and missiles at the expense of education and healthcare, and its refusal to democratize; each of these issues is directly linked to the future of Islamist radicalism.”

Smith Richardson Foundation’s website further says that it granted $175,000 in 2004 to Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Developing and explained that ‘Husain Haqqani will lead an effort to develop new ideas for US policy toward Pakistan.

He will organize working groups of US and Pakistani experts and commission papers. He will write a blueprint for a US policy to encourage Pakistan to adopt a more moderate and democratic political system. The project’s findings will appear in a series of monographs and a policy report.’

It is worth mentioning here that Haqqani in the concluding paragraphs of his book has also written “The United States clearly has few good short term policy options in relation to Pakistan.

American policy makers should endeavor to recognize the failings of their past policies and avoid repeating their mistakes. The United States has sought short-term gains from its relationship with Pakistan, inadvertently accentuating that country’s problems in the process.

Pakistan’s civil and military elite, on the other hand, must understand how their three-part paradigm for state and nation building has led Pakistan from one disaster to the next. Pakistan was created in a hurry and without giving detailed thought to various aspects of nation and state building. Perhaps it is time to rectify that mistake by taking a long-term view. Both Pakistan’s elite and their US benefactors would have to participate in transforming Pakistan into a functional, rather than ideological, state.” Haqqani was tried to be contacted and an SMS was also sent on his number but no reply was given till filing of this report. A message was also sent on his verified twitter account but that was also not replied.

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The confidential memorandum

www.foreignpolicy.com/files/fp_uploaded_documents/111117_Ijaz%20memo%20Foreign%20Policy.PDF

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Forensic Tests Confirm Husain Haqqani Wrote The Memo

Submitted by Aurangzeb on May 13, 2012 – 2:10 pm

Two examinations of a Blackberry handset and a desktop computer by two separate teams of forensic experts reach the same conclusion: Husain Haqqani and his yet unknown accomplices are guilty of writing the treasonous memo.



SPECIAL REPORT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—An exhaustive eight-hour examination of a Blackberry handset and a desktop computer conducted by forensic experts of a Pakistani judicial commission at the offices of the Pakistan High Commission in London on May 10 appears to confirm Husain Haqqani’s involvement in authoring a confidential document that could see him declared a traitor under Pakistani law.

The News International reported today that Husain Haqqani boycotted the proceedings while American businessman Mansoor Ijaz cooperated with the Pakistani forensic team. Haqqani denies he wrote the memo while Ijaz insists he did.

It is not clear why Haqqani, the disgraced former ambassador of Pakistan to United States, would miss an important opportunity to clear his name and prove his innocence. He is accused of writing a secret memo along with still unknown Pakistani partners addressed to US military seeking help to undermine Pakistan’s military and intelligence. The forensic examination was an excellent chance for Haqqani to clear his name if he is not guilty.


The judicial commission is yet to release the findings from the forensic examination. But The News International reports that the initial results confirm the validity of the email and text messages Haqqani exchanged with Ijaz, who later acted as a messenger delivering the memo to former US chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen.

“It was an exhausting process and Mansoor Ijaz had substantiated each and every word of each BBM chat exchange, e-mail, SMS messages and all the telephone calls that were exchanged between him and Husain Haqqani,” wrote the newspaper.

Haqqani’s role in writing the memo “has been forensically verified and validated,” it said.

While Ijaz promptly cooperated with the Pakistani judicial commission, giving it access to his Blackberry handsets and computer, Haqqani deployed delay tactics, reporting that he lost his BBM handsets and later claiming he’s too sick to appear before the commission. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and most independent watchers believe he is lying under oath. One evidence of his lying is that he failed to report the loss of his BBM sets to the Ministry as per rules, since the loss of an ambassador’s BBM is a serious breach of secure official communications.

The initial findings of the independent Pakistani forensic experts also confirm the conclusions of the experts of ISI, Pakistan’s premier spy service, which conducted a separate examination of Mansoor Ijaz’s BBM and found Haqqani was indeed part of a conspiracy to invite US military to decide senior appointments inside Pakistan’s military.

To read the text of the messages sent by Haqqani (the traitor), see this link bit.ly/s0Wyyg

To the testimony of a senior Pakistani politician accusing Haqqani (the traitor) of allowing 15,000 CIA agents to enter Pakistan, see this link bit.ly/rHpb7w

Read a simple, point-by-point analysis of the memo written by Haqqani (the traitor) and why it seen as treason committing by a government official, at this link bit.ly/wpCNso

Source: Pak Nationalists