ISI provides weapons and training to the Taliban fighting US and British troops in Afghanistan, despite official denials, a BBC documentary quotes some people it claims to be Taliban commanders as alleging.
A number of middle-ranking Taliban commanders, it said, revealed the extent of Pakistani support in interviews for the BBC Two documentary series, `Secret Pakistan` A former head of Afghan intelligence also told the programme that Afghanistan gave former president Gen Musharraf information in 2006 that Osama bin Laden was hiding in northern Pakistan close to where the Al Qaeda leader was eventually killed by US forces in May.
The BBC said Pakistan strongly denied the allegations.
One Taliban commander, Mullah Qaseem, told the BBC the important things for a fighter were supplies and a hiding place.
`Pakistan plays a significant role. First they support us by providing a place to hide which is really important.
`Secondly they provide us with weapons,` he said, according to excerpts provided by the BBC.
Other Taliban commanders described how they and their fighters were and are trained in a network of camps on Pakistani soil.
The BBC`s claim that they were Taliban fighters could not be independently verified.
According to a commander using the name Mullah Azizullah, the experts running the training are either members of the ISI or have close links to it.
`They are all the ISPs men. They are the ones who run the training. First they train us about bombs; then they give us practical guidance,` he said.
Talent spotting Another Taliban fighter, known as Commander Najib, said Al Qaeda trainers also operated in the camps, talent spotting possible suicide bombers.
`I was in the camp for a month … They were giving us practical training in whatever weapons we specialised in …Suicide bombers were taken to a different section and were kept apart from us.
Those who were taught to be suicide bombers were there, he said.
Amrullah Saleh, who headed Afghan intelligence from 2004 to 2010, said Syed Akbar, a Pakistani believed to be smuggling guns to the Taliban, told Afghan agents he had escorted Bin Laden from one location to another.
`The information we had was suggesting Mansehra was the town where Bin Laden was hiding … It happens after so many years that Bin Laden was (found) about 12 miles from that location, he said.
Mr Saleh and Afghan President Hamid Karzai took the evidence to Gen Musharraf who, according to Mr Saleh, reacted angrily.
`He (Musharraf) banged the table and looked at President Karzai and said, `Am I president of a banana republic? If not, then how can you tell me Bin Laden is hiding in a settled area of Pakistan. I said `Well, this is the information so you can go and check it`,` said Mr Saleh, who quit last year after differences with Mr Karzai over plans to talk to the Taliban.
The BBC said Pakistan strongly denied the allegations made in the programme.
Reuters
Filed under: Afghanistan, ISI, Talibanization, Terrorism in Pakistan, War on Terror Tagged: | Afghanistan, Haqqani Network, ISI, Osama in Pakistan, Pakistan, Taliban, Terrorism in Pakistan, War on Terror
