"Pakistani inquiry said to widen" November 21, 2011|By Associated Press
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s powerful army intelligence chief personally intervened to check details surrounding a secret memo asking Washington to rein in Pakistan’s military following the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, the man who made the memo public said yesterday.
Lieutenant General Shuja Pasha, the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, flew to London to meet with Mansoor Ijaz on Oct. 22, less than two weeks after the US businessman of Pakistani origin disclosed the existence of the memo in a Financial Times column.
A senior ISI official said he had no knowledge of the meeting but did not deny it occurred. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not have authorization to talk to reporters.
Pasha’s reported involvement shows how seriously the army is taking the scandal, which could cost Pakistan’s ambassador to the US his job and also threatens to engulf the country’s president.
Ijaz has claimed that the ambassador, Husain Haqqani, orchestrated the memo and assured him that Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari had approved it. Both have denied the allegations, although Haqqani has offered his resignation to end the scandal.
The ambassador returned home yesterday to answer questions about the memo, which Ijaz sent in May to Admiral Mike Mullen, the top US military commander at the time. He said he sent it through an intermediary a week after a covert US raid killed bin Laden in a Pakistani garrison town.
The memo has shocked many Pakistanis.
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"Pakistan’s US envoy quits over accusation; Reportedly sought US aid vs. military" November 23, 2011|By Salman Masood, New York Times
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Husain Haqqani, the embattled Pakistani ambassador to the United States, resigned yesterday following accusations that he had sought US help to rein in the powerful Pakistani military....
The accusations center on a memo that Mansoor Ijaz, a US businessman of Pakistani origin, said Haqqani asked him to have delivered to Admiral Mike Mullen, then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. According to Ijaz, the memo asked for US help in heading off a possible military-led coup and promised concessions in return.
The accusations, which Haqqani denies, created a political storm in Pakistan, where anti-US feelings run high. Haqqani, a Boston University professor currently on leave, is considered by some to be an apologist for the United States.
Related: Pakistan's American Face
He has also made enemies among some in the military for his criticisms of the army before he became ambassador. Some analysts believe that the military’s leaders, who wield the real power in the country, pushed for the government to oust Haqqani.
Some US officials yesterday expressed concern that Haqqani’s exit could complicate attempts by the United States and Pakistan to repair badly strained relations.
Political commentators said President Asif Ali Zardari, who considered Haqqani a close aide, appeared to have decided to distance himself from the controversy for political considerations.
Zardari and his party hope to maintain power past elections in 2013, and analysts say he was probably reacting to the military, opposition figures, and the country’s aggressive news media, which had all begun to pummel him for a lack of action on the memo.
“The fact that Mr. Haqqani has been virtually sacked speaks of which way the wind is blowing,’’ said Arif Nizami, editor of the English-language daily newspaper Pakistan Today. “The military had never been in love with Mr. Haqqani and was critical of his role in Washington, D.C.’’
He added that by handing over the investigations to Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, who is not thought to have a soft spot for Haqqani, Zardari had already indicated that he was not willing to worsen the considerable tensions that exist between the civilian government and the military.
This "note" is beginning to smell very fishy.
In a text message last evening, Haqqani said he would continue to serve Pakistan and its democracy in whatever way possible....
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"Pakistan restricts envoy’s travel; Investigation of memo is launched" December 02, 2011|By Karin Brulliard, Washington Post
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States was barred yesterday from traveling abroad while a panel authorized by the Supreme Court investigates a controversial memo, which sought US help with reining in the powerful Pakistani military, that led to his resignation. The memo was probably crafted with the knowledge of President Asif Ali Zardari and amounted to treason.
Husain Haqqani, a Boston University professor on leave, last week stepped down amid accusations that he engineered the memo, a charge he denies.
The scandal exposed the depth of civil-military mistrust in Pakistan, where the military retains firm control of foreign and security policy three years after officially ceding power to Zardari’s civilian government....
Or it could be a plot by a foreign power to divide the nation's leadership.
The memo’s existence has roiled Pakistani politics. The court-ordered investigation could imperil the government if it reveals that Zardari or other high-level government officials knew about the memo....
The controversy is a “swirl of media allegations initiated by a reckless individual,’’ Haqqani said. He was referring to Mansoor Ijaz, a Pakistani-American businessman who first brought the memo to light in an October column he wrote for the Financial Times. Ijaz said he crafted and passed along the memo on the instructions of Haqqani.
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"Pakistan’s leader spurs worry on health, future; Afghan-bound tankers torched" December 09, 2011|By Karen DeYoung and Simon Denyer, Washington Post
BRUSSELS - The Obama administration has “no reason to speculate’’ about the health or political future of President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday, adding that US officials “expect that he will receive the treatment that he is seeking and then be able to return in full health to his duties.’’
Zardari left Pakistan on Tuesday for Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, where aides said he has been receiving medical care for a heart ailment. His departure sparked rumors that he intends to resign.
The speculation is grounded in strong domestic criticism of the Islamabad government’s ties with the United States after the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in a US airstrike near the Afghanistan border almost two weeks ago.
Yeah, what a WEIRD COINCIDENCE that the AIR RAID "mistake" on the Pakistan military outposts came AFTER the SURFACING of MEMO! I am REALLY STARTING TO SMELL a STINK HERE!!
Since the airstrike, Pakistan has closed supply routes that allow US and coalition military convoys to cross into Afghanistan. Yesterday, more than 20 Afghanistan-bound fuel tankers were torched by assailants near the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, the Associated Press reported.
Just like everything the USraeli empire puts its hand to lately, the provocation turns into a huge backfire. And now they want to attack Iran!!
In an interview this week, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said that new agreements were being negotiated with the Obama administration to ensure that the two countries “respected each other’s red lines’’ regarding sovereignty and rules of engagement along the border.
Pakistan’s demands include a smaller CIA footprint in the country and more information on what US intelligence agents are doing there; more control over and information about drone strikes; and a greater role for Pakistan in Afghanistan’s reconciliation efforts.
How about NO CIA footprint and NO DRONES!?!!??
In a statement, Pakistan’s cabinet “expressed its full support for the government to press upon the NATO and the US to frame new parameters of engagements based on mutual respect and the national interests ensuring sovereignty of Pakistan.’’
A US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that security deals with Pakistan had never included written agreements and that the administration had received no specific new demands.
Whatever. My government lies so I have stopped listening to it.
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"Taliban suicide bomber kills 6 Pakistani soldiers" December 24, 2011|Rasool Dawar and Ishtiaq Mahsud, Associated Press
The attacks came as Pakistan was gripped by tension between the army and the civilian government over a secret memo sent to Washington earlier this year asking for help in reining in the military. Pakistan’s prime minister sought to dial down the conflict Saturday, days after he set off alarm with a warning of a potential coup....
This "memo" is really looking suspicious.
The current political crisis in Pakistan threatens to distract the military from its fight against the militants.
So the U.S. will just have to move in and help out, huh?
The scandal centers around a memo that was allegedly sent to a senior U.S. military official in May by Pakistan’s ambassador to the U.S. at the time, Husain Haqqani, asking for help in averting a supposed army coup in the wake of the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
Haqqani has denied the allegations but resigned in the wake of the scandal. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has also denied claims that he was connected to the memo.
Tension spiked this past week when Pakistan’s Supreme Court opened a hearing into the scandal and demanded the president submit a response, which he has so far failed to do. The government has claimed there is no need for a judicial investigation since parliament is looking into the matter.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani set pulses racing Thursday when he claimed there was a conspiracy under way to oust the government. He did not specifically point to the military, but he did say the army must be answerable to parliament and cannot act as a “state within a state.’’
Army chief Gen. Pervez Ashfaq Kayani dismissed the prime minister’s allegations Friday, saying the military had no intention of staging a coup and would respect the constitution.
Gilani welcomed Kayani’s comments Saturday, saying “the clarification from the army chief yesterday is extremely well-taken in the democratic circles.’’
“It will certainly improve the situation,’’ Gilani told reporters in Islamabad.
Analysts have speculated that the army may try to force Zardari out of office over the memo scandal, rather than actually stage a coup.
Kayani said Friday that talk of a military takeover was a distraction from “real issues,’’ a comment perceived by some to apply to the president’s alleged role in the scandal.
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Related: Pakistan court to investigate memo on possible coup
"Ex-Pakistan envoy denies link to coup memo" January 10, 2012
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s former envoy to the United States, formally rejected allegations that he was behind a memo sent to Washington that sought help in preventing a purported army coup....
The powerful army was outraged when news of the memo affair broke last year....
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"Pakistani military issues threat as rift with civil powers widens; Firing escalates political crisis after ‘Memogate’" by Karin Brulliard | Washington Post, January 12, 2012
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - An increasingly public battle between the military and the civilian government of this nuclear-armed nation escalated yesterday, as the army warned that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s recent criticism of its chief could have grievous consequences, and Gilani fired his defense secretary.
The developments sent Pakistan’s crisis-prone politics into a new tailspin, hardening a standoff that some analysts say could bring down the unpopular government. The turmoil appears likely to distract from efforts to repair relations between the United States and Pakistan, complicating US hopes of securing Pakistani support as it withdraws from neighboring Afghanistan.
The current civilian-military tensions center on an unsigned memo that was delivered to the Pentagon last May, requesting help in halting a potential military coup and curbing the army’s power.
EXCUSE ME?
The DAMN THING was UNSIGNED?
Then ANYONE COULD HAVE WROTE IT -- including U.S. INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS!!
Of course, they would NEVER, EVER FORGE ANYTHING!
Btw, why did it taken the AmeriKan press THAT LONG to mention it?
The memo infuriated the army, and the Supreme Court is now investigating the document’s origin and whether it was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari. The government has denied any involvement.
EXCUSE ME?
The DAMN THING was UNSIGNED?
Then ANYONE COULD HAVE WROTE IT -- including U.S. INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS!!
Of course, they would NEVER, EVER FORGE ANYTHING!
Btw, why did it taken the AmeriKan press THAT LONG to mention it?
The memo infuriated the army, and the Supreme Court is now investigating the document’s origin and whether it was approved by President Asif Ali Zardari. The government has denied any involvement.
Yesterday, Gilani fired his defense secretary, retired Lieutenant General Naeem Khalid Lodhi, accusing him of “gross misconduct and illegal action’’ and of “creating misunderstanding between the state institutions’’ by not following government procedures for submitting the Kayani and Pasha affidavits. Lodhi, considered close to the army, embarrassed Gilani last month by submitting a statement to the Supreme Court saying that the government had no operational control over the army or intelligence services. He was replaced by a civilian loyal to Gilani, local media reported.
Hours earlier, the army had issued a statement denying that the affidavits filed by Kayani and Pasha were improper and pointing out they were submitted through government channels. Gilani’s accusation “has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country,’’ the statement said, without elaborating.
Civilian governments and the army have often acted as dueling power centers throughout Pakistan’s 64-year history, and the military has usually been the victor. There have been several military coups, and no elected government has completed a full term. The weak current government has essentially security policy to the army.
Few here say that the army is gearing up for an outright takeover. But it is widely perceived as disgusted with Zardari and a government tainted by graft allegations and unable to control a free-falling economy. Some political analysts contend the military wants to oust Zardari through constitutional means and has influenced the Supreme Court’s aggressive stance in the so-called Memogate case and other alleged government wrongdoing.
The government has summoned Parliament in hopes it will approve a resolution in support of Gilani and Zardari, while the army chief has called a meeting of his top generals.
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"Pakistan to debate democracy plan" by Karin Brulliard | Washington Post, January 14, 201
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistani lawmakers introduced a parliamentary resolution endorsing democracy yesterday as the embattled ruling party sought support from its coalition partners in a civilian-military standoff that is shaking the government.
The resolution, to be debated in Parliament’s lower house Monday, expressed “full confidence and trust’’ in the civilian government and called on state institutions to function within constitutional bounds. The proposal appears intended to bolster the government amid a scandal over an unsigned memo that has sparked rumors of a looming military coup.
“It must be decided whether there will be democracy in the country or dictatorship,’’ Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said yesterday in Parliament.
As tensions rose this week, Gilani fired the civilian defense secretary, saying he had violated rules in connection with what the prime minister said were unconstitutional affidavits submitted to the court by the army and spy chiefs. The criticism drew a strong rebuke from the army, which warned of potentially “grievous consequences’’ for the nation.
Many of the pressures on the government are expected to come to a head Monday, when, in addition to the parliamentary debate, the court panel will resume its hearings in the memo probe. On the same day, the government is scheduled to appear before a separate Supreme Court body to explain why it has flouted several court orders to reopen old corruption cases involving President Asif Ali Zardari.
Although a military coup is viewed as unlikely, either court probe could eventually bring down the government, which maintains that the investigations are politically motivated.
Yesterday morning, Zardari returned from a one-day trip to Dubai, quelling speculation - for the second time in as many months - that he was fleeing before the military could oust him. Officials with the ruling Pakistan People’s Party, meanwhile, were working to shore up support for the parliamentary resolution, which is expected to pass. There would be no immediate consequence if it fails, but the government’s already feeble mandate would be weakened....
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"Pakistani president and army chief meet amid crisis" January 15, 2012|By Munir Ahmed
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s army chief visited to the country’s president yesterday in a meeting that might signal a willingness for reconciliation between the military and the civilian government after a week of escalating tensions and rumors of an impending coup.
General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and President Asif Ali Zardari discussed the current security situation, according to the state-run news agency.
Friction between the military and the government has spiked after an unsigned memo was sent to Washington last year asking for its help in heading off a supposed coup. The note enraged the army, which was still smarting from the humiliation of last year’s covert US raid that killed Osama bin Laden north of Islamabad.
Zardari’s office welcomed the meeting with Kayani and said it should help relations.
Qamar Zaman Kaira, information secretary for the president’s Pakistan People’s Party, said the meeting was not routine, “given Pakistan’s situation, the heat that is being felt.’’
He told Pakistani television that “certainly this meeting will make things better. . . . It will improve the tense situation.’’
The army has staged at least three coups in Pakistan’s six- decade history and still considers itself the true custodian of the country’s interests.
Analysts say General Kayani has little appetite for a coup, but that the generals might be happy to allow the Supreme Court to dismiss the government by “constitutional means.’’ The court has legitimized earlier coups.
The nuclear-armed country is facing a host of problems, among them near economic collapse, a virulent Al Qaeda- and Taliban-led insurgency, and a crisis in its relations with its key ally, the United States, after NATO airstrikes in November killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on the Afghan border.
The view here is that this is looking more and more like an AmeriKan-initiated effort to divide Pakistani leadership and occupy some portion of Pakistan per neo-con plan.
A US investigation found that Pakistani forces fired first and that US troops acted in self- defense.
PFFFFFFFFFT!
Where is the "Al Qaeda" because you can put that self-serving piece of shit right in it.
US efforts to determine whether there were Pakistani forces in the area were foiled by bad maps, poor coordination, and Islamabad’s failure to provide the locations of its border posts, according to the report.
Blaming the victim!
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"Pakistan’s prime minister gets time to prepare case" by Washington Post, January 20, 2012
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan’s Supreme Court yesterday granted the prime minister two weeks to prepare his defense on contempt of court charges, prolonging a political crisis that has shaken this nuclear-armed nation and set off a frenzy of media coverage.
Yes, the U.S. must invade to guard and protect those nukes!
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared in court to explain why he has not pursued longstanding corruption allegations against President Asif Ali Zardari, something the court has repeatedly ordered and the government has repeatedly refused to do. The testimony capped days of speculation about whether Gilani would apologize, agree to the court’s demands, or resign, and about the implications for a civilian government facing collapse amid duels with the military and the judiciary.
Instead, Gilani stuck to the government’s position that Zardari is immune from prosecution, and his recently appointed attorney, Aitzaz Ahsan, pleaded for more time to study the case. The court consented and set the next hearing for Feb. 1....
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"Pakistan lifts restrictions on ex-aide linked to scandal" January 31, 2012|Zarar Khan, Associated Press
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s top court yesterday lifted a travel ban imposed on Husain Haqqani, the country’s former ambassador to the United States, during an investigation into a memo sent to Washington that had enraged the army and threatened to bring down the civilian government.
The decision was being viewed as a possible sign that authorities may be losing interest in the scandal, known as Memogate in the Pakistani media.
Haqqani, a former associate professor of international relations at Boston University, resigned as ambassador in November and returned to Islamabad to answer allegations that he was behind the memo. He has denied any link to it.
The unsigned note asked for Washington’s help in curbing the powers of the Pakistani army in exchange for security policies favorable to the United States.
The memo was sent to Washington after the May 2011 American operation that killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistan army town. It appeared to confirm the army’s worst fears that the country’s elected politicians were conspiring with Washington, a potent charge in a country where anti-Americanism runs deep.
The outrage, whipped up by right-wing, pro-army sections of the media, exposed the apparent fragility of the government in the face of generals who have ruled the country for much of its more-than-60-year existence and still run defense and foreign policy.
They are simply known as newspapers over here in AmeriKa.
Haqqani said he now intends to travel to United States to join family there.
“Anywhere else, this matter would have been laid to rest long ago,’’ Haqqani said. “The memo had no impact on US policy and was consigned to the dustbin by its recipient.’’
Which is where a lot of unread Globes will soon be joining them.
The Supreme Court set up a commission to investigate the affair after opposition politicians petitioned for an inquest. Despite the fact he had not been charged with a crime, the commission had banned Haqqani from traveling.
Yesterday, it ruled that Haqqani - who has been living in the prime minister’s residence, reportedly worried about threats to his life - could travel. The court said Haqqani had to return to Pakistan if the commission required it. Haqqani said he would comply with the orders.
Up until a few weeks ago, there was speculation that the scandal could lead to the demise of President Asif Ali Zardari. But last week, the main accuser - a Pakistani-American businessman who claimed to have delivered the note to Admiral Mike Mullen, the top US military officer at the time - said he could not come to Pakistan to testify, citing security fears.
That appears to have dealt a sharp blow to the case, even assuming the accuser, Mansoor Ijaz, had a “smoking gun’’ linking Haqqani and President Zardari to the memo. Many observers have since predicted that the probe is heading nowhere. Some media reports have speculated about a possible agreement between the army and the government to shelve the case.
The slow motion has come to a STOP!
Haqqani has won support from some US lawmakers and prodemocracy activists in Pakistan, who painted him as a victim of army meddling in the democratic process. Although he worked hard in Washington defending Pakistan - a challenging task over the past few years - prior to taking the job he was known as having an antiarmy line.
The scandal has transfixed Pakistan’s media and political class even as the country grapples with more existential threats like Islamist militancy and potential economic collapse.
Yesterday, a suicide bomber killed Haji Akhunzada, a leader of a militant group that has been fighting a rival outfit in northwest Pakistan close to the Afghan border, police said.
Akhunzada was a senior figure in Ansarul Islam, which operates in the Khyber tribal region close to the Afghan border. He was reportedly killed along with his son-in-law while visiting his house close to the city of Peshawar.
Ansarul Islam is fighting with another militant group, Lashkar Islam, for control of the Khyber region, and dozens of people have been killed in the violence.
In a separate development yesterday, President Obama said US drone strikes on terrorism targets have been “very precise” and will remain a key part of the fight against terrorists.
Then f*** you, you mass-murdering war criminal!!!
Drone strikes on targets inside Pakistan have increased friction between the United States and Pakistani authorities.
That will be the subject of my next post.
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Also see: Sunday Globe Specials: Up and Down Drones
UPDATE:
"Pakistani high court pursues charges against prime minister; Tension intensifies between judiciary and government" by Declan Walsh | New York Times, February 03, 2012
ISLAMABAD - The simmering crisis between the government and judiciary flared yesterday when the Supreme Court announced it would pursue contempt charges against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for failing to reopen a corruption investigation into the finances of his boss, President Asif Ali Zardari.
The Supreme Court said it would start proceedings for contempt of court against Gilani on Feb. 13.
If convicted, the prime minister faces up to six months in jail and possible disqualification from public office.
Since 2009, the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, has insisted that the government should write a letter to authorities in Switzerland, asking them to reopen an investigation into corruption allegations against Zardari stretching to the 1990s.
The government has responded with stalling tactics, using various ruses to dodge the order in court, while in public it has argued that Zardari has immunity from prosecution while in office.
But the court’s forbearance ended last month when it ordered Gilani to appear before the court under threat of contempt charges. Amid dramatic scenes Gilani turned up Jan. 19 and was represented by Aitzaz Ahsan, one of the country’s most famous lawyers....
The court drama comes just days after the other judicial crisis facing the government, involving accusations of treason and popularly known as Memogate, started to recede from the front pages of newspapers....
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