Pakistan's UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon has denounced the leaked US military reports, saying their authors were mostly fed wrong information by Afghan agents who were hostile to Pakistan. In an interview telecast on CBS "World Watch" programme on Thursday, he said those reports were not verifiable and even flawed, as has been pointed out by top US officials, experts and some major newspapers.
The release of the secret documents appeared to be part of an orchestrated campaign against Pakistan, taking into account the spate of statements coming out in Kabul and Delhi, ambassador Haroon pointed out. He cited documents in support of his arguments that the Taliban did not trust the ISI. Replying to a question, the Pakistan envoy said that there may have been a relationship between ISI and the Taliban, but in a war such contacts were considered necessary.
After all in the early 80s, the United States itself worked with ISI to chase out the occupying Russians. Responding to a question whether the war in Afghanistan could be won, Haroon said US war strategy needs to change for America to win. "In my personal opinion, the way the war is being fought, it doesn't seem winnable," Haroon said.
The ambassador also said Pakistan needs more help and equipment to fight the Taliban-al Qaeda insurgency in the north. "The concentration of al Qaeda has shifted to Yemen, number one, and, number two, in Afghanistan itself in the province of Kunar in the north, which everyone in Afghanistan and Pakistan knows, where the Taliban and al Qaeda have put a very formidable enclave, why isn't anyone doing anything about it?" asked Haroon.
"Has the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) forces gone into Kunar? They want us to do more. We have limited resources." In his personal opinion, the ambassador said the insurgent attacks plaguing the region will decrease when US and Nato troops leave.