ISI chief to India: talk to us, we make policy too

[SATISH]

Intelligence agencies play a BIG role in foreign policy if any major country. Who do you think shaped Americas policy during the cold war? Who created the Taliban? Who ran the war in Vietnam? Who gave the courage to Indira Gandhi to go ahead with the break up of Pakistan and create Bangladesh? It was RAWs biggest achievement.

ISI has always shaped Pakistans policy there is no two doubts about it. Along with the army, they are just biding time while they are the focus of the war on terror. One wrong move by the "democratic" government and that will be the end of it.
For India to resolve any issue including Kashmir, it has to have a deal with the ISI/PA. Without them there is going to be no peace.

Intelligence agencies influence foreign policy...not make them. Unless you are under a dictatorship. I thought there was a civillian government in Pakistan guess i was wrong...It is a proxy civillian government that does some thing says something and the Armed forces dosent even care.

 

[Yusuf]

Ok let me ask a question. Who runs the policy of the country? The ministers or the beaureucrats? You can consider the intelligence to be part of that kind of functionary and definitely helps make foreign policy. How else would the Indian government shape it's policy in Astan?

 

[SATISH]

Well the beuraucrats make the policy Ysufji but it is the bunch of civillians. Not the uniformed ones. C'mon all these guys know is to fight and win a war. They cant go and "make" foriegn policy...They just send their obligations to the beuraucrats who further help in forming the policy.

 

[Yusuf]

Yes but then if the government itself is remote controlled by the Intel and army then it's not going to surprise anyone that they run policy as well. How else fid terror as an instrument if state policy come about?

 

[SATISH]

But coming on air and telling the intelligence agency also 'make" policy is kinda ridiculous. The total crediblity of the civillian government is lost.

 

[Yusuf]

When was that government credible?

 

[Yusuf]

If people remember, the "democratic" government was days away from being toppled if not for some international pressure did the army refrain in Pakistan.

 

[SATISH]

Then why the hell are we talking to them? What is the use of Americans talking to the civillian establishment?...then there is no use of any of these negotiations. We must talk in the language that the Generals and the other guys talk in...not in a civilised way.

 

[Yusuf]

The Americans called in Kayani at the hight of the internal squabbling in the "democratic" set up. They consider him more important than Zardari or Hilani. They won't say it on the face, but that's the fact.

 

[SATISH]

That means we are the only fools talking to Zardari and Gilani. And the real persens we need to talk to are Kayani and Pasha. I think the ISI has come out and told us that we are doing everything wrong.

 

[Yusuf]

Who is talking to Zardari? Telling him we have a limited mandate to talk is not talking. Besides the recent talks are also sham I feel and it's just for the western audience.