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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sarmad Y. Hermiz who wrote (130098)	4/26/2004 9:59:20 AM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

That's false.. The author is wrong. Bin Laden was never on the CIA payroll. In fact, he was only vaguely known as another wealthy Saudi Arab who wanted to participate in building roads and infrastructure (the expertise of his family's business).. Bin Laden was a personal friend of the Saudi Chief of Staff of Security (GID). I suggest you read Stephen Coll's book "Ghost Wars". ISI FORBADE the CIA from personally recruiting any mujadhedin forces to fight in Afghanistan. All guerilla forces WERE REQUIRED to be solely under the control of ISI, so that they could "manage" the level of intensity by which the war was fought in order to prevent the Soviets from being tempted to invade Pakistan, or directly attack it as a combatant. Bin Laden, if he belonged to anyone, belonged to the Saudis. Prince Turki, head of the Saudi GID has been evasive in detailing just what manner of direct relationship his intelligence agency had with Bin Laden. But one thing is for certain.. When the Soviets pulled out in defeat, funding for the Afghan war by the US also pulled out. And Afghanistan, being in Pakistan's backyard, was left to the auspices of the ISI. When the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, the US turned its attention (and resources) to other regions, including Africa and the mid-east (Saddam). With the active encouragement of the CIA and Pakistan's ISI [Inter Services Intelligence], who wanted to turn the Afghan jihad into a global war waged by all Muslim states against the Soviet Union, Certainly some Pakistani ISI officers, and the anti-communist Saudis certainly wanted to do this. But the US policy was NOT to permit mujadhedin to directly attack the Soviet Union. There were several attacks that were made when Casey was CIA director (HE wanted to do this), but it was not authorized, and he got in considerable trouble over it. But again.. Bin Laden rose to power in the period AFTER the Soviets left, and Afghanistan was plunged into civil war amongst the various warlords. In sum, the US wanted to give the Soviets their own "Vietnam".. And they did this by supplying ISI with money, weapons, technology, and training. But ISI was, for the most part, directly responsible for deciding which warlord received the benefit of that support.. And when the Soviets pulled out, so did the US. And this, of couse, left the ISI in a very powerful position to determine the "texture and tone" of Afghani politics and culture for next decade. In sum, your source is not only NOT credible, it's wrong. And it's not reflective of the facts. But don't ask me.. try and find any source that can directly attribute Bin Laden to US financing and support.. DIRECTLY.. (not mere allegation) Hawk