I'm still trying to figure it out. Last I checked Pakistan was fighting the Taliban in their own country so what are they doing funding the Taliban in Afghanistan? Is the Pakistani Taliban different than the Afghan Taliban? I could have sworn they were related.
I'm still trying to figure it out. Last I checked Pakistan was fighting the Taliban in their own country so what are they doing funding the Taliban in Afghanistan? Is the Pakistani Taliban different than the Afghan Taliban? I could have sworn they were related.
Yep, Pakistan is officially at war with the Taliban in their own country. The Pakistan government and military are engaged in conflict with the Taliban on a daily basis. However, Pakistan isn't quite notorious for having an incorruptible military. Pakistan's local Tali sect, the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has strong ties with one of the country's major political parties, the JUI-F. The TTP is a faction of the Taliban umbrella, much like a conglomerate corporation. The two organizations may not always work together or even fight the same fights, but they rely on synergy and symbiosis for mutual survival.
If the TTP isn't always fighting along side the Taliban of Afghanistan then it's possible that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence is paying them off to keep them out of the conflict in Pakistan
OR
The ISI is corrupt and somewhat rogue.
OR
Members of the ISI are corrupt and it's not really Pakistan or the ISI that is aiding the Taliban only individuals.
OR
The doubts expressed on many fronts regarding this issue are true and what is found in the leaked documents is nothing more than speculation with little or no basis in fact and the ISI and it's agents are blameless(you know as far as spies go).
See, this is why I'm a historian. We just wait a few decades until everything is declassified and talk about it then.
You forgot number 4, Pakistan is trying to play both sides. Officially help the US to get the always welcome money and do enough for the Taliban, that they limit themselves to certain regions of Pakistan and don't start country wide guerilla warfare.
That would actually be number five, but yes I see your point. No wonder we've been there for nearly a decade. This whole business is nuts. They're our enemies now, but in the 80s we were helping the Taliban. My how things change. Of course if Pakistan is aiding the Taliban and we're sending money to Pakistan, I guess we still are in a round about way. The more things changes the more they stay the same.
If the TTP isn't always fighting along side the Taliban of Afghanistan then it's possible that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence is paying them off to keep them out of the conflict in Pakistan
The TTP fights in Pakistan, but only against Pakistan, and the Taliban in Pakistan are fighting in Afghanistan from Pakistan.
The doubts expressed on many fronts regarding this issue are true and what is found in the leaked documents is nothing more than speculation with little or no basis in fact and the ISI and it's agents are blameless(you know as far as spies go).
Most intelligence is based on speculation, nothing becomes completely valid until someone is seen doing something directly. Leaked intelligence documents are about as useful as leaked movie scripts before the movie is even in production: there's a lot missing from the story, but you can still get the gist of what's going on.
See, this is why I'm a historian. We just wait a few decades until everything is declassified and talk about it then.
I feel the same way about middle eastern affairs. Their whole world is so different, and always changing; it's impossible to keep up unless you dedicate your life to it.
The TTP fights in Pakistan, but only against Pakistan, and the Taliban in Pakistan are fighting in Afghanistan from Pakistan.
That's fun to say. It's much better than Pakistan picked a peck of pickled peppers. Hmmm...I think I just got a book idea. Life as a Tongue-Twister: Confusing Moments in World History.