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Al-Qaeda aided by Pak intelligence: US analysts
Washington, Mar 22: Rouge elements within the Pakistani military and its intelligence establishment are aiding al-Qaeda members evade capture and making a mockery of the media hype about the fresh military operations against leaders such as Osama Bin Laden, US analysts have said.
Washington, Mar 22: Rouge elements within the Pakistani military and its intelligence establishment are aiding al-Qaeda members evade capture and making a mockery of the media hype about the fresh military operations against leaders such as Osama Bin Laden, US analysts have said.
''Certain elements within the Pakistani state and society are known to sympathise with the al-Qaeda, and it is likely that certain rogue elements within the Pakistani military and intelligence
establishment are helping al-Qaeda members evade capture,'' said the analysts at the geopolitical intelligence firm strategic forecasting (Stratfor).
Following leaks out of Washington in February, the global media are rife with reports of renewed and vigorous efforts to nab senior al-Qaeda leaders.
The latest operation by the Pakistani army gave rise to media speculations that al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zwahri had been surrounded. However, those reports turned out to be baseless.
Despite US and Pakistani military activity along the northeastern border of Afghanistan, there has been no sign of Osama Bin Laden or any of his top associates, Stratfor said. ''The generic explanations of why this has been the case cite difficult terrain and sympathetic natives -- particularly in the autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) -- but we must consider the possibility that influential elements are helping the Jihadists elude their would-be captors,'' it said.
With anti-Taliban and anti-al-Qaeda forces controlling Kabul, Stratfor said, the only remaining suspects are within Islamabad's inter-services intelligence (ISI) apparatus.
Contending that it had no doubt that the ISI leadership was firmly under President Pervez Musharraf's control thanks to certain personnel changes since September 11, 2001, Stratfor quoted sources close to Islamabad as saying that ''certain old-school individuals -- from colonels on down -- remain in a position to thwart anti-al -Qaeda efforts.''
Bureau Report
Following leaks out of Washington in February, the global media are rife with reports of renewed and vigorous efforts to nab senior al-Qaeda leaders.
The latest operation by the Pakistani army gave rise to media speculations that al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zwahri had been surrounded. However, those reports turned out to be baseless.
Despite US and Pakistani military activity along the northeastern border of Afghanistan, there has been no sign of Osama Bin Laden or any of his top associates, Stratfor said. ''The generic explanations of why this has been the case cite difficult terrain and sympathetic natives -- particularly in the autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) -- but we must consider the possibility that influential elements are helping the Jihadists elude their would-be captors,'' it said.
With anti-Taliban and anti-al-Qaeda forces controlling Kabul, Stratfor said, the only remaining suspects are within Islamabad's inter-services intelligence (ISI) apparatus.
Contending that it had no doubt that the ISI leadership was firmly under President Pervez Musharraf's control thanks to certain personnel changes since September 11, 2001, Stratfor quoted sources close to Islamabad as saying that ''certain old-school individuals -- from colonels on down -- remain in a position to thwart anti-al -Qaeda efforts.''
Bureau Report