http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...0/03/wpak03.xml

Musharraf U-turn on Taliban
By Isambard Wilkinson in Islamabad
(Filed: 03/10/2006)

Retired Pakistani intelligence officers could be running the Taliban insurgency against coalition forces in Afghanistan, Pakistan's president, Gen Pervez Musharraf, has said.

He made the admission to an American television channel at the weekend — the first time he had broken from his usual policy of denying any Pakistani hand in the rebellion against American, British and other forces.

Asked on NBC television if his Inter Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) was involved in helping Taliban fighters, he said that retired rogue officers might be involved.

advertisement"I have some reports that some dissidents, some people, retired people who were in the forefront in ISI during the period of 1979 to 89, may be assisting with their links somewhere here and there.

"We are keeping a very tight watch and we'll get a hold of them if that happens."

The ISI was closely involved in helping the Afghan resistance against the Soviet occupation during the 1980s, often working alongside the Americans. It is now under renewed international scrutiny after it was accused of supporting not only the Taliban uprising but Islamic terrorists in India.

India has said that it will give evidence to the Pakistani government about the alleged involvement of the military-run ISI in July's Mumbai train bombings, which killed 186 people.

Gen Musharraf's remarks confirmed suspicions long held by western diplomats. Gen Musharraf has hitherto fiercely rejected the claims, saying during a visit to Britain last week that the West would be "brought to its knees" without Pakistan's help.

"Remember my words: if the ISI is not with you and Pakistan is not with you, you will lose in Afghanistan," he said.

The ISI helped the Taliban rise to power in the mid-1990s, largely in an attempt to ensure that Kabul would be in the hands of rulers who were sympathetic to Islamabad and therefore grant Pakistan much-coveted strategic depth in the event of a conflict with India.

From 1989 the agency also backed an Islamic insurgency in India's portion of divided Kashmir and trained and directed several jihadi groups.

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/arti...41&parent_id=23

President dubs alleged Pearl killer MI6 spyPublished: Friday, 29 September, 2006, 01:06 PM Doha Time

LONDON: Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has disclosed that Omar Sheikh, who kidnapped and murdered American journalist Daniel Pearl and is now facing death penalty, was actually the British secret Agency MI6’s agent and had executed certain missions on their behest before coming to Pakistan and visiting Afghanistan to meet Osama and Mullah Omar.

General Musharraf’s book has also given a new twist to the whole drama of kidnapping and murder of American journalist as many believe here British national Omar Sheikh might use Musharraf’s memoir to plea his innocence after, quite surprisingly, Musharraf tried to give a clean chit to Omar despite his role in kidnapping which is punishable with death in Pakistan.

It has been reported that General Musharraf has written in his book that while Omar Sheikh was at the London School of Economics (LSE), he was recruited by the British intelligence agency MI6, which persuaded him to take an active part in demonstrations against Serbian aggression in Bosnia and even sent him to Kosovo to join the jihad.

At some point, he probably became a rogue or double agent.

The local media is discussing the possibility that Omar would use evidence from President Musharraf’s memoirs to save himself from the hangman.

General Musharraf appeared to exonerate Omar Sheikh in his book In the Line of Fire.

Sheikh, 32, who was brought up in Wanstead, east London, has been on death row since 2003 after being convicted of orchestrating the kidnap and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter.

The Times, which is carrying extracts of Musharraf autobiography has reported that General Musharraf appears to have changed his mind about the Briton’s guilt, saying he now believes that the man who beheaded the American hostage was Khalid Sheikh Mohamed, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

The Times has reported that Rai Bashir, Sheikh’s lawyer, said that he intended to use the memoir to force a new appeal hearing.

The Times report said General Musharraf appears to contradict the original claim that the British militant callously planned Pearl’s murder, saying: "Only later did I realise that Omar Sheikh had panicked because the situation had spiralled out of his control."

Bashir said: "After reading the book, if I feel necessary, I will quote the book in my arguments in favour of my client. It can be used as evidence." Three other men jailed for life for their part in the crime have lodged appeals. - Internews

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools...sia/5398218.stm
Al-Qaeda HQ 'based in Pakistan'
A letter found when al-Qaeda's chief in Iraq was killed said the group's leadership was based in Waziristan, Pakistan, the Washington Post reports.
The December 2005 missive is said to be the first to emerge from what the US military calls a "treasure trove" after Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death in June.

It was reportedly sent by a member of Osama Bin Laden's high command, who said he wrote from Waziristan.

Bin Laden is suspected of hiding along the Afghan-Pakistani border.

If accurate, the letter would confirm the location of the al-Qaeda leadership at the time it was written, the newspaper said.

'Wish to advise'

The missive was uncovered from Iraqi safe houses at the time of Zarqawi's death in a US air strike, according to the Washington Post.

A 15-page English translation of the Arabic document was released last week by a US military counter-terrorism centre, the paper reported.


I am with them and they have some comments about some of your circumstances
"Atiyah"

The author said he was writing from al-Qaeda headquarters in the restive border region, where Taleban and al-Qaeda fugitives have been active.

The paper said the letter was signed by "Atiyah," whom counter-terrorism officials believe is Atiyah Abd al Rahman, a 37-year-old Libyan who joined Bin Laden during the 1980s.

"I am with them," the letter says.

"And they have some comments about some of your circumstances."

The letter described the difficulty of direct communications between Waziristan and Iraq, and suggested it was easier for Zarqawi to send a representative to Pakistan than the other way around, the Washington Post reported.

It also warned Zarqawi that he risked removal as the leader in Iraq if he continued to alienate Sunni leaders and rival insurgent groups, the paper said.

The "brothers wish that they had a way to talk to you and advise you, and to guide and instruct you; however, they too are occupied with vicious enemies here," Atiyah reportedly wrote.

"They are also weak. And we ask God that He strengthen them and mend their fractures."

Counter-terrorism officials reportedly deemed the document authentic.

'Laughing hijackers'

The report comes a day after the release of a video purportedly showing the ringleader of the 9/11 attacks.

British newspaper the Sunday Times posted the video, which has no sound, on its website.

Dated January 2000, it shows ringleader Mohammed Atta and fellow hijacker Ziad Jarrah talking and laughing, and speaking to the camera.

The Sunday Times said the video was made in Afghanistan for release after their deaths.






Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/5398218.stm

Published: 2006/10/02 10:52:59 GMT

© BBC MMVI