Iraq strikes bear ISI stamp: Gen Vij

PUNE: Army chief Gen. N C Vij on Tuesday hinted that Pakistan''s infamous Inter-Services Intelligence agency may have been behind the recent strikes against the US-led forces in Iraq.
“Training for this kind of guerrilla warfare is only provided by the ISI,� Vij said, pointing out that Pakistan had a strong hand in similar attacks in Afghanistan during the Taliban regime.“Pakistan is the epicentre of terrorism,� he said.
“Isn''t it surprising that the US has lost 197 soldiers in Iraq after the war ended, although it overthrew the Saddam regime losing only one tank,� he told a packed audience at the University of Pune.
Vij, who held the post of directorgeneral of military operations during the Kargil conflict, was at the university to deliver the annual Gen. B.C. Joshi memorial lecture.
Referring to the global war on terror launched by the US, Vij said that although a consensus had been reached that terrorism affects everybody, everywhere; if not tackled jointly, “some mercenary countries, including Pakistan, continue to use it for their own gains�.
“How can Pakistan claim to be a partner in the global war against terror when it is constantly engaged in a proxy war against us,� the general asked, while lamenting the fact that the US failed to take note of the factor.
Vij expressed surprise about the fact that the Bush administration was hobnobbing with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, although two highprofile figures from the countries were suspected to be involved in the 9/11 attacks.
The general, however, emphasised the fact that the situation faced by American troops in Iraq was nothing as compared to the Indian situation. “Our soldiers have been fighting a similar war for 13-14 years now.�
On sending troops to Iraq, he said a decision was yet to be taken. “There are several issues involved,� Vij said, questioning whether the country had any resources to spare at all.
“Moreover, it is also a question of whether we want to fight under another command.�