Pakistani Government's Duplicity and its "Shadowy Secret Service"

A number of articles have appeared on the duplicity of the Pakistan government and especially of the role of Pakistan's ISI in encouraging and supporting the recent resurgence of the Taliban. Here are several of them.
RLC

Pakistan's shadowy secret service
By MAHMUD ALI
Published: October 9, 2006 (BBC)

Pakistan's directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, usually
called the ISI, is accused of many vices. Critics say it runs "a state within a state", subverts elected governments, supports the Taleban and is even involved in drug smuggling.
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Musharraf's misunderstood Afghan strategy
By ILYAS KHAN
Published: October 10, 2006 (BBC)

Allies in the "war on terror" may want to turn the heat on Pakistan to rein in its Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), but they may need to be careful not to drive President Pervez Musharraf too hard on the issue in public. The fear is that instability in Islamabad would increase the influence of Islamic hardliners in the region.
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Musharraf's Doublespeak
By ZAHID HUSSAIN
Published: October 2006 (Newsline Pakistan)

Though President Musharraf's latest sojourn to the United States may have reinforced his status as America's favourite dictator, his standing as a credible leader has hit a new low. During his
inordinately long stay in New York, for the United Nations' General Assembly session, and to promote his newly published autobiography, Musharraf became the focus of an unprecedented media blitz, even
appearing on Jon Stewart's "Daily Show," a satirical evening news programme (the first head of state to do so). For America,Musharraf remains an ally of convenience, at least in the war against Al-Qaeda.
But his credibility, as a man who can be trusted, has been critically exposed when confronted with the paradox between his rhetoric and reality. His efforts to promote himself as a standard bearer in the fight against Islamic extremism fell flat in the face of his policies at home.
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The ISI and Terrorism: Behind the Accusations
By EBEN KAPLAN
Published: October 10, 2006 (Council on Foreign Relations)

Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence(ISI), has long received criticism for meddling in the affairs of its neighbors. However, in recent weeks, fresh accusations have been leveled at Pakistani intelligence, alleging active support for terrorism. In late September, the BBC received a leaked copy of a report from the Defense Academy, a think tank run by Britain's Ministry of Defense, which charges, "Indirectly Pakistan (through the ISI) has been supporting terrorism and extremism-whether in London on 7/7, or in Afghanistan, or Iraq." Just days later, Mumbai's police chief claimed to have proof that the ISI planned the July 11 bombing of the Indian city's commuter rail system, which was carried out by the Kashmir-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.
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