Intelligence Happenings
Whenever military commanders fail to achieve their stated objectives, intelligence agencies are convenient scapegoats for their operational shortcomings. US President Carter’s “de-humanizing” of CIA in favour of high-tech did not cater for the present “war on terrorism” waged against a technologically backward country like Afghanistan. During Reagan’s term, CIA’s William Casey, one-time agent of the OSS, CIA’s predecessor agency, turned this policy around 180 degrees, running the war in Afghanistan with help from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). ISI coordinated logistics and operations with the Afghan Mujahideen, with officers and men on “Extra Regimental Employment” (ERE) duties, from Pakistan’s elite commando brigade, Special Services Group (SSG) taking part in actual fighting. SSG prides itself in wearing the winged dagger and having the universal motto of Special Forces everywhere, “Who Dares Wins”. Having done two SSG tenures, prime product General Pervez Musharraf is presently SSG’s Colonel-in-Chief.
Raised from 19 Baluch (old 17/10 Baluch) at Cherat, a hill station not far from Peshawar, dedicated CIA and US Special Forces personnel trained the SSG as part of US “Military Aid to Pakistan” Program (US MAP), among the instructors Chuck Lord, Robert Buckley, Robert Dunn, Maj Murray, Lt Hicks, Sommers, etc. Pakistani SSG officers travelled to Fort Bragg and/or Fort Benning for advanced training. Robert Dunn knew most SSG personnel by name, having spent almost his whole life in this area. Casey chose him to be CIA’s Operations Chief for the Afghan War.
A Year of Satisfaction
This has been a year of mixed fortunes for Pakistan, in final evaluation it must be regarded as a satisfactory period, successfully negotiated. In economic terms we are in such desperate straits that the requirement for Banks collecting Haj money to be deposited with the State Bank of Pakistan after a 14-day period has been shortened to 24 hours. The financial cupboard is bare and that is not a political statement, it is a testament of failure of policy that has tragic overtones for a hapless population. It is not fair but the government of Ms. Benazir is likely to be saddled with galloping inflation and widespread unemployment, which is not a legacy of Gen. Zia (who had no pretensions of being an economic genius) but a heritage from the Junejo period, compounded in the last six months by the chameleon policies of the most powerful economic technocrat ever in Pakistan. If there is a lesson to all this, it must be that essentially all Third World countries should treat acquired foreign qualifications in economic management with care, if not outright suspicion. There is a sick joke going around that while previously the first prize for good economic management was the Chairmanship of the Senate (sic Mr. Ghulam Ishaq Khan), it may now well be the ultimate reward for ruining the economy of Pakistan, perhaps the only appointment in the country from where Dr Haq cannot cause further harm to the economy.