January
27, 2008
Pakistan Rebuffs US Proposal
for CIA Buildup: NYT
New York
Two top US intelligence officials made a secret visit to Pakistan
this month to seek greater latitude for the Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA) to operate in the tribal areas where Al Qaeda and other
militant groups are active, but were rebuffed by President Pervez
Musharraf, the New York Times reported Sunday.
Musharraf also rejected an expansion of US presence in his country
through joint operations with Pakistani forces.
The daily, quoting unnamed sources in the US and Pakistan, said
Washington and Islamabad were now discussing other joint efforts,
such as increased use of armed Predator surveillance aircraft over
the tribal areas, and identifying ways the US can speed intelligence
information to Pakistani security forces.
The unannounced Jan 9 meeting with Musharraf involved US Director of
National Intelligence Mike McConnell and CIA Director Gen. Michael
Hayden.
On the Pakistani side, army chief Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani as well
as the head of Pakistan's military intelligence agency ISI, Lt. Gen.
Nadeem Taj, were present at the meeting, the US daily reported.
Two days after the meeting, Musharraf said US troops crossing into
Pakistan to hunt Al Qaeda terrorists would be regarded as invaders.
The US officials' visit was prompted by Washington's concerns about
Al Qaeda and the Taliban increasing their efforts to destabilize
Pakistan, the Times said.
The newspaper also quoted a senior US official as saying the purpose
of the mission "was to convince Musharraf that time is ticking away"
and that increased attacks on Pakistan would ultimately undermine
his hold on power.
According to other officials, recent intelligence indicates that Al
Qaeda was operating in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan with
impunity akin to that of the days before the 9/11 attacks on World
Trade Centre in New York.
The main difference of perception in Washington and Islamabad seems
to be over dealing with Al Qaeda.
Despite the insistence of the Bush administration that the US and
Pakistan have a common goal in fighting Al Qaeda, Musharraf has made
clear in public proclamations that it is far from his first
priority.
At the just concluded World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Musharraf
said that the 100,000 Pakistani troops stationed along the border
were hunting for Taliban extremists and "miscreants", but he also
said there was no particular effort being put into the search for
Qaeda fighters.
In Washington, however, the Bush administration has said that
fighting terrorists, chiefly Al Qaeda, is the primary purpose of the
$10 billion in US aid given to Pakistan, mostly for reimbursements
for the cost of patrolling the tribal areas.
While officials confirmed some details of the secret Jan 9
discussions, much remains unknown about the continuing dialogue
between Islamabad and Washington, the Times said.
Pakistan's ambassador to the US Mahmud Ali Durrani told the Times
that the meetings were about "improving coordination, discussing the
war on terror, and filling the gaps between intelligence and
operations", but he declined to provide details.
On Thursday, Defence Secretary Robert M. Gates said the US was
willing to send combat troops to Pakistan to conduct joint
operations against Al Qaeda and other militants if the Pakistani
government asked for American help.
Gates conceded, however, that that Pakistan had not requested US
assistance, and that any American troops sent to Pakistan would
likely be assigned solely to train Pakistani forces.
The top US commander in the region, Adm. William J. Fallon, visited
Pakistan last Tuesday to discuss counterterrorism issues with senior
Pakistani officials, including General Kayani.
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