Imran Regrets Pak Supporting USA After 9/11

Pakistan PM Imran Khan, on Monday, called Pakistan joining the USA’s War on Terror after 9/11 one of the ‘biggest blunders’. While acknowledging the role of ISI and Pakistan Army in training the Taliban, Al Qaeda and other terror groups in south-east Asia, he tried to deflect the blame on CIA and the Cold War era.

Crux of the Matter

1. In the 80s during the cold war, USA’s CIA worked with Pakistan’s ISI to train mujahideens to fight the Societ Army in Afghanistan.

2. After withdrawal of both US and Soviet forces in the 90s, Afghanistan entered a brief period of civil war after which it was taken over by the Sunni Islamic fundamentalist group Taliban. The Taliban had been trained and indoctrinated in Pakistan.

3. Since the 80s, Pakistan has also aided, abetted and used terrorist organisations to fight an asymmetric war of attrition with India using dispensable non-state actors.

4. Pakistan’s Army and intelligence agency, ISI have supported and sponsored insurgency movements in Punjab and Kashmir since the last 4 decades.

5. One of the ket masterminds of the 9/11 terror attacks on USA, Al Qaeda’s Osama bin Laden was finally found and killed in Abottabad in 2011 after a decade of war in Afghanistan to find him. Abbottabad is a town in Pakistan close to the national capital of Islamabad.

Curiopedia

Pakistan’s State-Sponsored Terrorism – Pakistan has been accused by neighbouring countries India, Afghanistan and Iran and other nations, including such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France of involvement in terrorist activities in the region and beyond. Pakistan’s tribal region along its border with Afghanistan has been described as a safe haven for terrorists by western media and the United States Defense Secretary. Pakistan’s ISI, has often been accused of playing a role in major terrorist attacks across India including terrorism in Kashmir, the July 2006 Mumbai Train Bombings, the 2001 Indian Parliament attack, the 2006 Varanasi bombings, the August 2007 Hyderabad bombings, and the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. The ISI is also accused of supporting Taliban forces and recruiting and training mujahideen to fight in Afghanistan and Kashmir. More Info

Curated Coverage

1. Hindustan Times – Joining US after 9/11 one of Pakistan’s biggest blunders, says Imran Khan

2. The Indian Express – Pakistan should have stayed neutral after 9/11, committed blunder going after terror groups: Imran Khan

3. India TV – Pakistan Army, ISI had trained al Qaeda terrorists prior to 9/11: Imran Khan

#USA #Geopolitics #Terrorism #Pakistan #World