Thu, Feb 23, 2012, Rabi-ul-Awal 30, 1433 A.H
:
Last updated 6 minutes ago
e-Paper
My City
Weather:
Karachi
|
Lahore
|
Islamabad
Group Chairman: Mir Javed Rahman
Founded by:
Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman
Editor-in-Chief: Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman
Hot Topics
Senate Elections
Memogate
PM Gilani Indicted
Pak vs Eng
US on Balochistan
Memogate: Detailed SC verdict
You are here:
Home > News
Top Story
World
National
Business
Sports
Islamabad
Karachi
Lahore
Peshawar
Editorial
Opinion
Newspost
Aman ki Asha
National
CIA carving out new role
Farrukh Saleem
Thursday, February 23, 2012
ISLAMABAD: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), led by David Petraeus the former Commander, US Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), has a strategic, multidimensional interest in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province. In March 2011, The Peninsula, Qatar’s leading English language daily, revealed that the “CIA is indulging in heavy recruitment of local people as agents (each being paid $500 a month) in Balochistan to locate members of the Quetta Shura, a term used by the Americans for Mullah Omar-led Taliban commanders.”
Over the long term, the CIA has an interest in keeping the strategically important Port of Gwadar out of China’s influence. Over the short to medium term, the CIA also has an interest in supporting Jundallah, also known as People’s Resistance Movement of Iran (PRMI), a violent organization that claims to be “fighting for the rights of Sunni Muslims in Iran.”
David Petraeus is now bent upon carving out an additional role for the CIA-one that of becoming a mediator between the Baloch Ajoee Lashkar, the Baloch Liberation Front, the Baloch Awami Azadi Mahaiz, the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and the Balochistan Liberation United Front all on one side and the Pakistan Army on the other. If the CIA is successful in capturing the mediator’s role in the Balochistan conflict, the CIA will gain additional leverage over the ISI and thus an upper hand in the Afghan endgame.
As things stand right now Baloch belligerents are not even willing to sit across the table and negotiate a ceasefire. What the CIA has going in its favor is the massive and growing-trust deficit between Baloch militants and the generals of the Pakistan Army. The eventual settlement would have to be negotiated on the negotiating table but the CIA is hopping that they will have a role to play as a mediator-cum-guarantor.
Disintegration of a state is a rare phenomenon. Disintegration of Pakistan is neither in the interest of international powers nor are they really capable of affecting a split at this stage. Bangladesh isn’t a parallel because Balochistan is a contagious province and Balochistan on its own will not be an economically feasible entity. Time, however, is of essence. India is playing spoiler and things are getting from bad to worse.
Tweet
Blog
Forum
Security increased in areas bordering Khyber Agency
Baloch should be respected and trusted
Be the first to comment
Post Your Comments
(0)
Name:
Email:
Country:
Select Country
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Antigua
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Bosnia
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burma
Cameroon
Canada
Chad
Chechnya
Chile
China
Colombia
Congo
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Rep
Denmark
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gambia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guinea
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Morocco
Mozambique
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Niger
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestine
Papua New Guinea
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
UAE
Uganda
United Kingdom
USA
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Enter Code:
If you are facing problem in submitting your comments, please
click here
to report your problem.
Latest News
Small airplane crashes in LHR, two dead
Mansoor Ijaz's testimony: Live updates
Khan says brawl was self-defence
Selling sucks away 87 points from KSE
Khar, Clinton meeting in London
Obama apologises over Quran burning
PM meets US Congressional delegation
Pakistani sets martial arts kick record
Pak-England T20 series begins today
Gas leak at China steel plant kills 3
Pakistan forex reserves fall to $16.64bn
Avalanches kill 12 Indian soldiers
Afghan soldier kills two NATO troops
Hybrid Aviation Lahore office sealed
PML-N, Likeminded hold consultations
US regrets Iran 'failure' on UN mission
Iraq attacks kill 60
Rare whale caught on film for first time
US reaffirms commitment with Afghan govt
OGDCL H1 net profit at 41.57bn rupees