Pakistan Reported To Be Sending Supplies To Taliban

by Derk Kinnane Roelofsma
United Press International
November 1, 2001

PAKISTAN -- The Taliban militia is receiving military and other supplies covertly from Pakistan despite the Islamabad government's backing for American military operations, according to U.S. officials, The Washington Times reported Thursday.

The military goods, including ammunition and fuel, are being sent with the help of elements of the Pakistani government, said officials familiar with intelligence reports of the transfers.

Officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the trade is approved by officials of the Pakistani military and the Inter Services Intelligence directorate.

The ISI, analysts said, played a key role in assisting the Taliban come to power and remain there and has retained close ties with the regime.

The trade is said to take place at night by trucks. The goods travel from Quetta to the Pakistani border town of Chaman and then on to Kandahar, a Taliban stronghold. "There are two border control regimes: One before sundown and one after sundown," said one official. As well as contradicting the declared policy of President Pervez Musharraf of support for the U.S. airstrikes on Afghanistan, the trade violates a U.N. resolution imposed in December that bars arms transfers to the Taliban. During a recent visit to Pakistan by Secretary of State Colin Powell, Musharraf said his government would provide intelligence, overflight rights and logistical support as long as the operation in Afghanistan goes on.

The continuing support for the Taliban by the ISI highlights the difficulties faced by Islamabad in supporting U.S. military operations against the Taliban and al Qaeda training camps.

Several weeks ago, Musharraf fired ISI chief Lt. Gen. Mahmood Ahmed who was viewed as insufficiently loyal, the Times said. It could not be learned whether the illicit trade was approved by the Pakistan government or was taking place behind Musharraf's back.

Although Musharraf does not share the Islamic views of the Taliban, he was their firm supporter before the Sept.11 attacks on the United States. The Pakistan military have seen the Pashtun-dominated Taliban as ensuring a regime in Kabul friendly to Pakistan, which also has a large Pashtun population.

A spokesman at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington denied the government was involved in any arms shipments or supplies to the Taliban. "This is certainly not true," said Mian Asad Hayauddin, the spokesman.

Hayauddin said, however, that the border with Afghanistan is porous, especially in the southern area and that local tribes are known to conduct cross-border trade.

Asked about foreign military supplies to the Taliban, a senior U.S. defense official said recently, "We know of no significant aid organized aid from a foreign state." The official would not answer when asked to detail the aid, the Times said.

Two Indian newspapers reported last month that Indian intelligence services said that Pakistani military-ISI elements were helping the Taliban with military supplies, including aviation fuel and ammunition.

The Pioneer newspaper of New Delhi stated that Pakistani officials based in Afghanistan were assisting the Taliban military forces.

The Deccan Herald of Bangalore, quoting a classified Indian intelligence report, said arms from Pakistan to the Taliban were being sent disguised as U.N. humanitarian relief supplies.

In Washington Wednesday, a spokesman for the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance said U.S. bombers have not been attacking Taliban front lines.

"As of late, the front lines have become sanctuaries for both al Qaeda organization, militants from around the region, as well as the Taliban," said Haron Amin at the National Pres Club. "And certainly our request has been for both technical as well as strategic coordination to go about hopefully achieving total elimination of terrorism in Afghanistan."

Amin said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's promise more than a week ago to air-drop ammunition and supplies to the Northern Alliance to aid in its offensive has not yet been fruitful.

"Certainly we welcome what we're receiving right now, but that is not adequate to give us the opportunity" to launch an attack on the important northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif or the capital, Kabul, Amin said. "The promised aid that was mentioned, we haven't received it."

Analysts attributed the hold up on U.S. aid to the Northern Alliance as part of a policy, demanded by Pakistan, to prevent the alliance from taking Kabul before a broad-based government, including Pashtuns, was formed to succeed the Taliban.

In a statement published in Pakistani newspapers Thursday, Musharraf ordered police to clamp down on Islamic groups who are inciting violence as a way to protest his support of U.S.-led strikes on Afghanistan He also banned the use of loudspeakers in mosques for encouraging attacks on other faiths.

"Peaceful protest is their right, but violent behavior or inciting people to violence will not be tolerated." The warning came after the massacre of 16 Pakistani Christians by Muslims last Sunday.

The United Nations said Wednesday the Taliban is actively preventing people from leaving Afghanistan, including those in need of urgent medical attention, and Taliban forces continue to take over food and relief supply warehouses and vehicles and loot offices.

Rumsfeld was to leave Thursday for Russia and Central Asia. In Moscow, he will discuss arms-control issues and then travel to undisclosed Central Asian nations for talks with leaders on the operations in Afghanistan.

Copyright 2001 U.P.I.

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