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Russia Frustrates Indian Efforts to Isolate Pakistan

India’s former ally, Russia has declined to support India on its fake surgical strike in Kashmir as the Russian government has disowned its ambassador in New Delhi who in a statement of last week supported India on so-called surgical strikes against Pakistan across the LoC in Kashmir. With this India has failed in obtain a pat on its back for escalation against Pakistan from any important world capital, including permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (P-5). Special Assistant to Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi has confirmed that Russian government has intimated Pakistan about its position on the Indian claims of surgical strikes and distained from the assertions made by its envoy in New Delhi Alexander Kadakin who in an undue haste issued a statement supporting Indian position. Highly placed diplomatic sources told The News here Sunday that Pakistan agitated with Kremlin about the remarks of its ambassador in the Indian capital. Russia while responding to Pakistan has made it absolutely clear that the statement of its ambassador in New Delhi doesn’t commensurate with the Russian position on the subject and it disapproved the observations of Ambassador Alexander Kadakin. It is understood that the ambassador who is serving in New Delhi since 2009 would be reprimanded on this count. Alexander Kadakin welcomed Indian so-called raids on terrorist launch-pads across the LoC. Kadakin said the military exercise with Pakistan was in fact intended to encourage that country not to target its neighbour. “India should not be concerned about military exercises between Russia and Pakistan because the theme of the exercise is anti-terror fighting. That’s in India’s interests that we teach Pakistani Army not to use itself for terror attacks against India. We welcome the surgical strike. Every country has right to defend itself,” Kadakin was quoted as having told an Indian news channel. Russia had raised some concern in Delhi with its anti-terror exercise...

Sri Lanka Cricket Team Attack Mastermind ‘Killed’ In Afghanistan

Qari Ajmal — a leading Pakistani militant leader wanted for organising the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore has been ‘killed’ in eastern Afghanistan, sources close to militants revealed on Sunday. The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team claimed the lives of seven police officials and left seven players including Mahela Jayawaredene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana and Chaminda Vaas injured. Ajmal, a leader of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangi (LeJ), had fled to Waziristan after the attack and was associated with Hakimullah Mehsood, the chief of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who was killed in November 2013, tribal sources said. He later fled to Afghanistan like many other Pakistani militants and had been living with Mehsud Taliban in the Afghan province of Paktika, which borders Pakistan. Sources close to the militants told The Express Tribune that Qari Ajmal was killed in a joint operation by foreign and Afghan troops in Aurgon area of Paktika. Ajmal is the second senior Pakistani militant commander to have been killed in Afghanistan in nearly two weeks. The US-led Nato and Afghan forces killed leading Pakistani Taliban commander Azam Tariq and his son in Paktika earlier on September 25. Separately, Omar Mansoor alias Naray, the mastermind of the brutal Army Public School (APS) attack that killed nearly 140 students and staff members in Peshawar, was killed in a US drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province, which also borders Pakistan. Tribal sources say that the foreign and Afghan forces also arrested Naseer Waeer, a senior Taliban commander of Hakikmullah group during the operation in Paktika. Most Taliban relocated to Paktika from Waziristan as a result of ongoing military operations, according to security forces. In August, three suspected terrorists, who were allegedly involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan team, were killed in a police encounter in Lahore’s Manawan area....

Sri Lanka Cricket Team Attack Mastermind 'Killed' In Afghanistan

Qari Ajmal — a leading Pakistani militant leader wanted for organising the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore has been ‘killed’ in eastern Afghanistan, sources close to militants revealed on Sunday. The attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team claimed the lives of seven police officials and left seven players including Mahela Jayawaredene, Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana and Chaminda Vaas injured. Ajmal, a leader of the banned Lashkar-e-Jhangi (LeJ), had fled to Waziristan after the attack and was associated with Hakimullah Mehsood, the chief of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), who was killed in November 2013, tribal sources said. He later fled to Afghanistan like many other Pakistani militants and had been living with Mehsud Taliban in the Afghan province of Paktika, which borders Pakistan. Sources close to the militants told The Express Tribune that Qari Ajmal was killed in a joint operation by foreign and Afghan troops in Aurgon area of Paktika. Ajmal is the second senior Pakistani militant commander to have been killed in Afghanistan in nearly two weeks. The US-led Nato and Afghan forces killed leading Pakistani Taliban commander Azam Tariq and his son in Paktika earlier on September 25. Separately, Omar Mansoor alias Naray, the mastermind of the brutal Army Public School (APS) attack that killed nearly 140 students and staff members in Peshawar, was killed in a US drone strike in eastern Nangarhar province, which also borders Pakistan. Tribal sources say that the foreign and Afghan forces also arrested Naseer Waeer, a senior Taliban commander of Hakikmullah group during the operation in Paktika. Most Taliban relocated to Paktika from Waziristan as a result of ongoing military operations, according to security forces. In August, three suspected terrorists, who were allegedly involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan team, were killed in a police encounter in Lahore’s Manawan area....

Address The ‘New Normal’ In Kashmir

Generals are, perhaps, not the only ones who fight today’s battles based on the ideas, tactics and lessons derived from previous wars. As Jammu and Kashmir confronts one of its gravest crises, a similar syndrome is playing out in Delhi and Srinagar. All shades of political leaders, strategic analysts, intelligence professionals, and almost everyone else seem to have reached a common conclusion that Kashmir’s present troubles are due solely to Pakistan and India’s mismanagement of the situation. History will not, however, spare those who do not make a distinction between current realities and past situations. Right since Independence, Kashmir has been a contentious issue between India and Pakistan. Keeping a wary eye on Pakistan’s activities in Kashmir has been an important charge on the country’s intelligence and security services. Three unsuccessful wars and numerous failed terror attacks have not deflected Pakistan from continuing along this path. This article originally appeared on www.thehindu.com, October 10, 2016. Original link. Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article are not necessarily supported by CRSS.

Editorial: Pakistan’s Insanity

Extreme brutalities committed by Pakistan in the region are getting attention of the international community. The world cannot ignore for long the atrocities committed by Pakistani military. The systematic genocide of Pashtuns and Baloch people is also making news headlines on regular basis. Key international players have also realized that it is Islamabad’s strategic depth policy which is threatening the regional peace and destabilized Afghanistan. As Pakistan has become a headache for the regional and international community, the country is trying to introduce a new play to divert attention of key international actors from the terrorist sanctuaries on its soil. The first scene of the play has been unveiled by Pakistan Prime Minister’s special envoy on Kashmir, Mushahid Hussain, who said in Washington that peace in Afghanistan is linked to the resolution of the Kashmir issue. The statement proves that Pakistan has utterly failed in its attempts to establish regional hegemony by supporting notorious terrorist organizations. The statement also shows Pakistan’s insanity and dual policy. Peace in Afghanistan is not linked with Kashmir because the former has nothing to do with the latter. However, there is something common between the two. Pakistan is using her largest force of mercenaries to attack civilians and military installations in both Afghanistan and Kashmir. Pakistan has zero tolerance for peace and stability in the region that’s why all of her policies are revolving around use of terrorism as a mean to achieve the ends, especially in Afghanistan. The state that was engineered by the British Empire to leave its legacy behind is under fire for unprecedented human rights violations and aggressive military adventurism. The British Empire was doing the same. Pakistan is not only suppressing the freedom movements in Balochistan and Pashtun belts through use of brutal force but also using the mercenaries—terrorists—to alter policies of the neighboring countries....

Exclusive: Afghan Taliban Leader Taught, Preached In Pakistan, Despite Government Vow To Crack Down

For 15 years until his sudden disappearance in May, the new leader of the Afghan Taliban insurgency openly taught and preached at the Al Haaj mosque in a dusty town in southwestern Pakistan, associates and students told Reuters. Details of Haibatullah Akhundzada's life in Kuchlak, near the city of Quetta, have not previously been reported, and could put further pressure on Pakistan to do more to crack down on militants openly living there. The row over how far Islamabad will go to get rid of jihadi fighters and leaders has hurt relations between Pakistan and Washington, in part because nearly 10,000 American soldiers are in Afghanistansupporting the war against insurgents. A spokesman for the U.S. State Department's South Asia bureau said it was not "not in a position to confirm Haibatullah Akhundzada's whereabouts, past or present." Akhundzada is now believed to be in hiding after crossing the long and porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, but not before going untouched in Kuchlak, located in Baluchistan province, as he rose up the ranks of the Afghan Taliban. He was promoted to "emir" in May after a U.S. drone killed his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, in another part of Pakistan, a strike that infuriated Islamabad but reflected growing impatience over what Washington sees as ambivalence toward its enemies. Five years earlier, U.S. forces stormed a compound near the Pakistani capital and killed al Qaeda's leader Osama bin Laden. "Once he became Emir, he left with his whole family," said Hafiz Abdul Majeed, who runs the Al Haaj mosque, adding that he himself studied for several years under Akhundzada. "You can't teach religion and run (the Taliban's) government at the same time. And it would of course have been dangerous for us and the students and the mosque if he remained here." Pakistan says it does all it can to go after militants. The Interior Ministry did not reply to written questions about Akhundzada's time in Kuchlak. A military...

Russia Tilt Towards Pakistan Scares India

Pakistan and Russia, two Cold War era rivals held their first-ever joint military drill during September 27-October 10, 2016. This new development has scared Pakistan’s regional rival India. Modi’s government is furious that its hysteria over Kashmiri separatists’ attack on India’s occupied Kashmir base which resulted in the death of 17 Hindu soldiers and wounding another 23 soldiers, didn’t convince Russia to cancel the drill. Last month, India did succeed, however, in getting SAARC summit in Islamabad in November 2016 cancelled by convincing Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Bhutan to boycott it. On September 29, 2016, Jewish online news website The Diplomat, boasted that SAARC cancellation will sting Pakistan, but wouldn’t stop Pakistan making new terrorist attacks against India. Professor Sergey Lunev at the Oriental Studies Department of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations tried to calm down New Delhi fears in an interview with Pravda newspaper. “The military drill is not an index of friendly relations, but these are the first drills ever held with Pakistan. Before that Russia abstained from military or political contacts with Pakistan, mainly because of very friendly relations with India in military, political, and uncompromising support for India against Pakistan,” he said. Last month, Moscow agreed to sell six battalions of country’s upgraded missile defense system S-400 to Indian Air Force to defend itself from aerial attacks from Pakistan or China. Under the multi-billion dollars deal, India is expected to receive first shipment of S-400 by end of 2017. India already has American AWACs. China received its first S-400 system last year. Pakistan is currently negotiating to buy a new long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system from China. Soviet Russia had been India’s main source of military imports since the 1950s. But lately, United States began selling arms and providing nuclear technology to India to make it America’s regional...

Pakistan Urges Afghan Refugees Repatriation by 31st March 2017

Pakistan has urged Afghan refugees to ensure their repatriation by 31st March of next year. In a statement, the Ministry of States And Frontier Regions has advised them to adopt the way of voluntary and dignified return to their country in extended time, Radio Pakistanreported on Sunday. The Ministry said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is providing 400 dollars each refugee for their repatriation and they should get advantage of this financing and get Afghan National Identity for their children. This article originally appeared on www.jasarat.org, October 09, 2016. Original link. Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article are not necessarily supported by CRSS.

Afghanistan 15 Years On: Obama’s Sorriest Legacy

Twelve days after 9/11, on September 23, 2001, CIA Islamabad station chief Robert Grenier received a telephone call from his boss, George Tenet. “Listen Bob,” Tenet told him, “we’re meeting tomorrow morning at Camp David to discuss our strategy on Afghanistan. How should we begin?” Over the next three hours, Grenier laid out the U.S. battle plan in an eight-page paper, then sent it on to Washington. President George W. Bush approved Grenier’s memo and gave the task to the CIA, whose mandate was to destroy Al Qaeda, wrench control of Afghanistan from the Taliban and hunt down Osama bin Laden. Tenet handed ops off to CIA veteran Gary Schroen, who then directed his staff to contact the Pentagon to recruit the help of special operations. “Reach out to these guys,” Schroen told an aide. “Let’s talk to the SEALs. Let’s talk to Delta. ... Anybody you know, let’s invite.” But as it turns out, the U.S. military didn’t seem all that interested in Afghanistan. Schroen’s aide came back to report: The special operations people couldn’t decide on who should go. And so it was that America’s war in Afghanistan, dubbed Operation Enduring Freedom (renamed Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in 2014), began as a strategic and tactical muddle on October 7, 2001, when the air campaign began 15 years ago. It remains a muddle to this day. And a muddle—possibly an intractable one—is precisely what the next U.S. president will inherit from Barack Obama, despite the 44th president’s strenuous efforts to pull out of Afghanistan entirely before he left office. In all, the U.S. has spent over $850 billion on the Afghanistan war, suffered nearly 2,400 dead and the Taliban are not only back in the field, they’ve made steady progress in wresting control of the country from the U.S.-backed Afghanistan government. The Pentagon would like to convince us that the glass is half full: Two weeks ago the Defense Department announced that “U.S. backed forces control 70 percent” of the country. Another...

America’s War in Afghanistan: 15 Years, Three Stories

Fifteen years ago, in response to 9/11, the United States launched a bombing campaign in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, that led to the end of the radical fundamentalist Taliban regime and initiated one of the world's most expensive rebuilding projects. Since then, Afghanistan has seen significant progress in women's rights, millions of children who might otherwise have been denied educations have been to school, and independent media have flourished. And yet, for all the billions spent, Afghanistan remains one of the poorest and most unstable countries in the world, with corruption rife, the drug trade rampant, and growing insecurity a global concern. As the longest war in U.S. history enters its 16th year, we asked three Afghans from different parts of the country how they think their lives have been affected and what they think the future holds. INFOGRAPHIC: Afghanistan: 15 Years On Roya Mahboob in her office in New York Roya Mahboob Tech entrepreneur Herat, western Afghanistan In 2001, Roya Mahboob was 12 years old and living with her family in neighboring Iran, where they had fled after the Soviet invasion of 1979. As an Afghan refugee, Mahboob was not allowed to enroll in an Iranian school. Without access to the Internet or even a computer, she assuaged her interest in technology by studying books on computer hardware. "When I came back to Afghanistan, I found so many new opportunities," Mahboob, a native of the relatively stable western Afghan city of Herat, tells RFE/RL. "Like me, there were many girls and boys who took advantage and changed their lives, their family's lives, and changed their future." Today, Mahboob is one of few female CEOs in the country. She founded her Afghan Citadel Services, an IT consulting firm, in 2010, and she and her 25 employees (most of them women) provide computer, Internet, and software assistance to schools, hospitals, and businesses around the country. In 2013, Time magazine included her on its list of the 100...