Report: NATO says Pakistan aiding Taliban

In this photo taken on July 28, 2011, Taliban No. 2 commander Waliur Rehman, centre , flanked by militants, talks to the Associated Press in Shawal area of South Waziristan along the Afghanistan border in Pakistan.

/ AP Photo/Ishtiaq Mahsud

A secret NATO report relays long-held fears that members of the Pakistani security services have been helping the Taliban in Afghanistan, despite repeated official denials to the contrary, the BBC reports.

The secret report leaked to the BBC is based on material from 27,000 interrogations with more than 4,000 captured Taliban, al Qaeda and other foreign fighters and civilians, and truly undermines an already damaged relationship between Pakistan and NATO allies, especially the U.S.

While the accusations may be nothing new - the former NATO chief, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, said in 2009 that Iranian and Pakistani spies were assisting the Taliban, to name one of many instances - any proof behind the accusations has never been laid bare before.

Lieutenant Colonel Jimmie Cummings, a NATO spokesman for the Afghanistan mission, confirmed the existence of the report on Wednesday, but stressed that it was not a strategic military analysis.

"The classified document in question is a compilation of Taliban detainee opinions," he told The Guardian. "It's not an analysis, nor is it meant to be considered an analysis."

Another NATO official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the Associated Press, said the report's inference that the Taliban might regain significant control over Afghanistan following a U.S. and NATO withdrawal, suggested it is more a reflection of Taliban militant's own delusions of grandeur than an actual gauge of the group's strength.

"It's a very lopsided perspective because some of them are motivated to portray the picture in their favor," the official said.

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"Pakistan's manipulation of the Taliban senior leadership continues unabatedly" the report states, according to the BBC, adding that Pakistan is aware of the locations of senior Taliban leaders.

Much of the official blame for Taliban assistance has long fallen on the shadowy official spy service of Pakistan, the ISI, but the report also says Afghan police and military officials regularly collude with Taliban.

The BBC writes: "In a damning conclusion, the document says that in the last year there has been unprecedented interest, even from members of the Afghan government, in joining the Taliban cause. Afghan civilians frequently prefer Taliban governance over the Afghan government, usually as a result of government corruption."

The report by the BBC comes at a particularly delicate time for the West and Afghanistan, as they are currently in discussions with the Taliban to start holding peace talks.

Many feel the Taliban are just using the peace talks as a means to stall for time and seal their legitimacy, something the leaked NATO report all but confirms.

The BBC writes: "The report has evidence that the Taliban are purposely hastening NATO's withdrawal by deliberately reducing their attacks in some areas and then initiating a comprehensive hearts-and-minds campaign."

[cbs_bull]

Assume each side acts on their best interest, then there are(were) many players who don't or didn't want to eliminate Taliban and al Qaeda completely in Afghanistan, such as Pakistan, Karzai's government, and Bush/Cheney and their cronies. It's naive to think above players who'd put American interest first.

[worldcitizen1]

Invasion and occupation was never a good idea, special operations to remove those responsible for 9/11 was all that was needed, and what eventually lead to the demise of Osama and most other Al Qaeda members involved. The Taliban are like the Viet-cong; the population of an occupied country fighting back. Pakistan is what it is, leave them alone and they will leave us alone. Basic logic. Muslims want to rule the world, absolute absurd,fantasy. US 'robust foreign policy' is the US's worst enemy. The largest most efficient high tech military, without the wisdom to avoid war. Pathetic!

[endpcnow]

Wow!! What news!!

This just in: Water is wet and George Washington is still dead.

[ispat101]

Why wouldn't they help Talibans? They are one and the same. Most Talibans are their family members or extended family members. Ah...naive Westerners..

[karek40]

Surely this isn't a surprise to anyone, what I'm wondering is why we are still providing financial aid to them. Our politicians seem to think they have so much money that a few billion doesn't matter, just print some more. It doesn't matter who gets to be president, our governments financial policies will not change, we will likely not be able to borrow money after 2016. Major changes are ahead in the near term.

[omnibus66]

How many "friends" would we have anywhere in the world if we quit giving them money and weapons? Maybe Canada.

[Jaylah54]

They're just now figuring this out? Really??

[slatep]

In spite of all the proven treachery perpetrated by Pakistan; it seems that the US and Nato cannot get through their thick heads that Pakistan is our enemy.

How many more American troops have to sacrifice their lives to convince these idiots.?

Apparently; more than 5,000 killed and thousands more wounded or maimed for life is not enough to convince them.

This is not to mention the multiple billions of dollars of taxpayer money that has been sent to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq
for the last 10 years that should have been spent here in the US to re-inforce our own economy and infrastructure.

Some people never learn.!!, and it looks like the US and NATO are at the top of the list.

[bradkt1]

I hope that this isn't a surprise to anyone. Pakistan is our enemy. They hid Bin Laden...the man who ordered the murder of 3000 American civillians and are helping the Taliban to kill and maim U.S. soldiers. There once was a time when we went to war with countries that did this to our soldiers.

Why is it that this is somehow a revelation to the U.S. Government? The only reason that this is a "secret" report is because they are trying to keep the truth from the American people and the people in the other NATO countries who loved ones are being killed and maimed.

Leon Panetta says that he can't prove that Pakistan hid Bin Laden and knew he was there.

Use your d*** common sense people! Wake up!

[askagain]

Of course this isn't new news. We are aware of this from newspaper articles and statements made by our government. As mentioned in the article, this was leaked and previously kept quiet by NATO. This io just further verification from still another source of something we already knew.