QOTD: What Saleed Shahzad wrote..

Some quotes from this review of the late Saleem Shahzads book inside Al Qaeda and the Taliban: Beyond Bin Laden and 9/11 by Khaled Ahmad.

'There were at least 600,000 youths there since 1979. At least 100,000 Pakistanis were active members or different Jihadi cadres. Over 1 million students were enrolled in various Islamic seminaries, and there were several hundred thousand supporters of Pakistan's Islamic religious parties. The main handler of the Afghan Jihad against the Soviets had been Pakistan's army, which itself was not immune to the influence of radicalism. Several army officers had pledged their allegiance (bait) to different Jihadi spiritual leaders, including Maulana Akram Awan of Chakwal. These groups were known in the Pakistan Army as pir bhai groups.    pg 9

and this one...

'Major Haroon Ashiq hung up his boots right after 9/11. On his release from service, he joined LeT. One of my unit officers Major Abdul Rahman also followed suit. I joined the outfit soon after, without caring for the consequences' (p. 83).

Finally

For Captain Khurram faith came before country. While on a UN mission in Sierra Leone he clearly demonstrated it: 'Khurram built a mosque and a Madrassa in Sierra Leone, despite the opposition of his commander, Brigadier Ahmad Shuja Pasha, later chief of the ISI' (p. 85). Both brothers had joined the LeT, but had soon 'realised that the LET was just an extension of Pakistan's armed forces' (p. 86).

Quotes for the day: Ayub Khan & Ghulam Mohammed

Well actually two, both the result of a journalist with the nickname Pasha

"These civilians cannot be trusted with such sensitive matters of national security"
        -Commander in Chief Ayub Khans advice (1952) to Pakistani Military attache to the USA 

He also advised the bypassing of the ambassador and Foreign Minister in any military deals with the United States.

And the second quote Beside the Governor General stood the strongman of the Pakistan army, Major General Iskander Mirza. "I am dissolving the Constituent Assembly tomorrow," announced Ghulam to the Prime Minister. "You will remain Prime Minister, but you will reform your Cabinet. Major General Mirza will be your Minister of the Interior. General Ayub Khan will become Defense Minister as well as commander in chief . . ." Angrily, Ali turned on General Mirza and accused him of plotting behind his back; Mirza indifferently shrugged his big shoulders. Desperately, Ali wheeled back on the seated Ghulam. "Suppose I refuse?" Ghulam was inexorable and cold: ''Refusal is out of the question. You seem to forget I am head of state."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,857631,00.html#ixzz1OhuF29UR

Quote for the day

“What does he boast about ? He thinks he has a lot of money. I have made him a politician. I called him from the Gulf to play politics. He knew nothing and had nothing. What if now he has $250 million dollars. Is that all? Look at me, God has given me everything. Everything, I say Ejaz just has peanuts” he said thumping his chest  

- circa late 1980's & early 1990's. Humayun Akhtar, allegedly speaking about Ejaz Ul Haq to Shaheen Sehbai