MOSCOW BOMBINGS - FOOTPRINTS IN PAKISTAN

Black Widows from Chechnya were responsible for the Moscow blasts. Hence Islamists in Chechnya were responsible.

That is a Level 1 understanding of the events. As usual, there is more to it than meets the eye.



The ISI, Lashkar e Taiba (LeT), CIA and Chechnya – a short historical tour.



Shamil Basayev, the then “young” Chechen field commander (year = 1994) caught the attention of the Pakistani intelligence stationed in the neighboring oil rich Azerbaijan, where about 1500 Afghan mujahideen under the command of Pakistani officers were fighting Armenians to reclaim for Azeris the rebel Armenian enclave of Nagorno Karabakh. In April 1994, ISI arranged for Basayev and his trusted lieutenants to undergo intensive Islamic indoctrination and training in guerrilla warfare in the Khowst province of Afghanistan at Amir Muawia camp, run by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. In July 1994, Basayev was transferred to LASHKAR e TAIBA (LeT) camp in Muridke to undergo training in advanced guerrilla tactics. In Pakistan, Basayev met the highest ranking Pakistani military and intelligence officers: Minister of Defense Gen. Aftab Shahban Mirani, Minister of Interior Gen. Maseerullah Babbar, and head of ISI branch in charge of supporting Islamic causes, Gen. Javed Ashraf (now all retired).

(NOTE – THE ROLE OF GULBUDDIN HEKMATYAR and LeT and ISI)

That same summer, Pak backed Taliban offensive against the government of Iran backed President of Afghanistan, Burhanuddin Rabbani, threatened to cut the Chenchen drug trade. After personal intervention of Gen Babbar and the ISI, Taliban and government forces allowed shipments of Chechen drugs through their lines while they were slitting each other’s throats.

One of the most prominent Pakistani nationals Abu Abdulla Jafa, along with Basayev and Jordanian born Afghan veteran Khattab organized a terrorist academy in Chechnya. The ISI also deputed 9 trainers of the rank of Captain and subedars (NCO) to train the Chechen guerrillas in urban and mountain warfare.

(NOTE: Role of ISI directly into Chechnya)

Abu Abdulla Jafa was a career officer of Pakistan’s elite Northern Light Infantry Brigade and the tactical mastermind behind Basayev’s invasions into Dagestan.

Fighters from an ISI battalion of Afghan mujahedeen stationed in Peshawar were also dispatched to Chechnya in late 1994 to bolster the Pakistani-Chechnya detachments. In 1997, several hundreds of Chechens were trained in ISI sponsored camps. These training programs continued till 2001. Islamabad continues to support the Chechen rebels.

Basayev formed common cause with ISI and Al-Qaeda – establishing independent Islamic regimes in Muslim majority states of Russian Caucus. Pakistan’s overall strategic goal in Central Asia is intricately linked with the oil / gas resources in the Caspian Sea zone.

And CIA is not averse to the idea. Remember how US tried to broker oil deals through Unocal and Taliban – well, the idea continues in the different context today. Today, it is perhaps the turn of the “Good Taliban” who will grant the US access to the rich Yolotan-Osman gas reserves and beyond and Pakistan the warm water ports.

Cut to present:

Gulbuddin Hekmatyar continues to give 50% of his earnings to Chechen fighters.

In its infinite wisdom Washington has understood that to win in Afghanistan, it has to kill off some of the top echelons of Al – Qaeda and then withdraw after cobbling together a government in Kabul that will be friendly towards USA.

This widom made Washington initiate dialogue with the veteran mujahid, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA), through his longtime lieutenant, Abedi. Abedi is an Afghan-American

(NOTE: Prominent jehadist Hekmatyar’s go between is comfortably based in Los Angeles).

Other than Chenchen terrorists, Central Asia has seen most turmoil unleashed by Hizbut Tahrir members – whose headquarters are based in the UK.

(Note : HuT is based out of UK).

US, UK, ISI, Hekmatyar – any one or in any combination could have used their connections to use Black Widows to bomb the Moscow subway.

There are many reasons to bomb the Russians at this juncture – some are:

1. Russia’s growing clout in Central Asia
2. Oil pipelines through Chechnya . It sits atop Georgia that is seeking an accelerated membership to NATO.
3. Playing spoiler for NATO forces in Afghanistan
4. Russia asking for eradication of poppy in Afghanistan and NATO / US not backing as they are all in the game
5. Russia’s growing proximity to Venezuela
6. Russia and China devouring Central Asian gas at the cost of the Europenas

And many more. This story will unfold its many layers and ultimate backers. That Pakistan had a role to play is without a shred of doubt as will be uncovered in the coming days.

Blame may shift to Al-Qaeda. The world will learn soon that tactical planning for Al-Qaeda comes out of Pakistan Army HQ in Rawalpindi. Two of Pakistan's top commandos are now senior leaders in terrorist outfits:

1. Ilyas Kashmiri is military commander of Lashkar al Zil, the Al Qaeda military wing
2. Zaki ur Rahman Lakhvi is the military commander of Lashkar e Taiba (LeT)

Al Qaeda = Pakistan Army = LeT in various guises.

Syed Shahzad of Asia Times also commented in his article : PAKISTAN ROOTS TO MOSCOW ATTACKS and mentions: Well-placed contacts within jihadi circles confirm to Asia Times Online that the attackers were in all probability from the North Caucasus, but add that they could have been trained in Pakistan as part of a broad plan that al-Qaeda has been working on for many years - to stir unrest across Central Asia.

Mr Shahzad - you and I disagree on the extent of Pakistan military complicity and penetration in Al-Qaeda.

Mr Shahzad you mention in the same article and I quote : "As top al-Qaeda ideologues see it, the map of ancient Khurasan (comprising the present Central Asian republics, parts of Afghanistan, parts of Iran and parts of Pakistan) would be revived. Victory here would then lead to the "end-of-time battles" in the Middle East." Funnily Mr Shahzad, the road to Khurasan as you mention, starts with GHAZWATUL HIND and here the objectives of ISI, LeT, Taliban and Pakistan Army are intertwined. Ergo : Al Qaeda objectives = Pakistan Army objectives. The game of deceit goes on