Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations

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Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations
AuthorOwen L. Sirrs
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Subject Inter-Services Intelligence
PublisherRoutledge
Published in English
2017
Pages317

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations is a 2017 book about the Inter-Services Intelligence written by Owen L. Sirrs. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Contents

The book is an analytical study of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the main intelligence agency of Pakistan. [1] He uses a structured inquiry to dissect the role and function of the ISI, challenging the notion of the agency as either a rogue agency or a parallel state. [1] The book posits that the ISI operates under military directives, executing policies crafted by the military hierarchy, rather than following civilian government orders. [1]

Sirrs uses a question-based approach to structure the narrative, employing questions both to introduce and conclude sections, which serves to frame the ISI's activities within a coherent investigative context. [1] The historical trajectory of the ISI is delineated, with particular attention to its role in domestic security. [1] The author details the ISI's influence over domestic politics, media, and its efforts to quash dissent, highlighting its evolution into a powerful internal security force following the establishment of an "internal wing" during Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's tenure. [1]

The book also includes personal stories of ISI operatives, revealing the personal motivations and backgrounds of ISI personnel, including a story of a major who defected in 1971 due to disillusionment with the army's actions in East Pakistan. [1]

Sirrs further explores the ISI's involvement in unconventional warfare, particularly its management of jihadist groups against India and Afghanistan. [1] He delineates between militants deemed beneficial for Pakistan's strategic interests and those considered threats to the state. [1]

The book's exploration of the secretive Directorate S within the ISI remains inconclusive, reflecting the inherent challenges in understanding the agency's covert operations. [1]

Reception

The book has been reviewed by Foreign Policy and Studies in Intelligence . [4] [1]

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 https://www.cia.gov/static/ISI-Pakistan.pdf
  2. Bennett-Jones, Owen (June 7, 2017). "Pakistan's inter-services intelligence directorate: covert action and internal operations". Intelligence and National Security. 32 (4): 523–525. doi:10.1080/02684527.2016.1246126 via CrossRef.
  3. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14662043.2018.1435170
  4. Ricks, Thomas E. "Two new books on Pakistan's ISI and its 'War for National Survival'".