"Memo Gate" - Mansoor Ijaz full interview & Husain Haqqani response - VOA Exclusive

"Memo Gate" - Mansoor Ijaz full interview & Husain Haqqani response - VOA Exclusive - Ayesha Tanzeem - Urdu VOA News - Washington, D.C.

A multimillionaire Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz alleges that Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador in Washington, drafted the now famous memo on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari in order to secure the post of the national security adviser in Pakistan. 

"Haqqani's ambition was to go back and become Pakistan's new national security adviser and essentially act as the brain trust for all that would happen between the United States and Pakistan on counter terrorism issues beginning then." claimed the businessman. 

The memo was first mentioned in an op-ed column Mr. Ijaz wrote in The Financial Times in October. The controversy that ensued has created a political crisis for the government of President Asif Ali Zardari. Ambassador Haqqani has been ordered back to Islamabad to clarify the situation.

According to Mr. Ijaz, President Zardari feared a military coup in the aftermath of the US raid that killed Bin Laden and wanted the help of Admiral Mike Mullen, who was then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US army, to prevent it. In return, he was willing to offer the US a new national security team of its choosing and policies that would include ending relationships with the Taliban and the Haqqani network and allowing the US the opportunity to kill or capture high profile terrorist suspects on its soil. The offer also included a more transparent nuclear program.

Admiral Mullen's spokesperson has said that he did receive a memo from a person named Mansoor Ijaz but he never considered it credible and never acted on it. 

Ambassador Haqqani denies that he has ever written, read, or delivered such a memo. He has also questioned the idea that he needed the help of a third party to reach out to Admiral Mullen when he has good relations with the US administration himself.

In an interview with the Voice of America, Mr. Ijaz claims that he was chosen as the messenger because he would have been the "perfect fall guy" had there been a leak somewhere. He says he knew certain people who could get this memo in the hands of Admiral Mullen in time for the meeting he was going to hold with senior Pakistani officials to whom the message was to be delivered.

Mr. Ijaz claims that after the meeting Ambassador Haqqani told him that Admiral Mullen was "very proactive and agreeable to the ideas contained in that memorandum."

This is not the first time Mr. Ijaz has been enshrined in a controversy that involves multiple governments. In the past, he claimed to have been involved in unofficial negotiations between the US and the Sudanese government over the possible extradition of Osama Bin Laden. He wrote several op-ed pieces claiming that the Clinton administration missed an opportunity to arrest Bin Laden. Senior Clinton administration officials denied that claim.

Mr. Ijaz says he has had several conversations with the ambassador since this controversy erupted and the tone has always been "civil" with the ambassador telling him that he will never trust him again but will remain his friend.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• MemoGate
• Mansoor Ijaz
• Husain Haqqani
• Ambassador Husain Haqqani
• Admiral Mike Mullen
• Pakistan
• U.S
• Urdu VOA News
• Ayesha Tanzeem
• Washington D.C
• Voice Of America
• Pakistani politics
• Haqqani memo
• VOA Exclusive.

[urduvoanews]

Dear friends - This post was popular and we received quite a few comments on it. Unfortunately, we had to delete some of your comments. While we are firm believers in the freedom of expression and will never censor something on the basis of content, we do require decency and civility in the words you choose. It will be much better to have an informed or even a heated discussion on the issues rather than to throw trash around. We will delete any obscene language or racial slurs. Thank you.

[gonedoolali]

@DarkprinX2500 There is nothing fake about the memo -It is a real gottcha moment -If it is fake why did Haqqani resign? Is Pakistan really so toothless

As always Paki thinks he is smarter then the rest in the room and arrogant, but then the other side as always takes Paki pants down and tans their smelly Panjabi back side -as India does all the time, every time -Now USA knows what a Paki is too! Basically a ex Hindu nobody easy to just kill on will! Try that with India! LOL

[gonedoolali]

@DarkprinX2500 Nah Paki army can only beat the crap out of civilians -Unarmed ones -Kargil -Lost -Three wars with India -Lost - but best of ALL little 'nigger (isn't that what you used to call them) Bangladeshis put little black cock in Paki army mouth -so well - It is etched in History!

Suicide vest mate -Take the best way out -A fuckin drone/Unchallenged NATO attack or raid is going to get you anyway - Now Baluchis -Yes they are different -Real Muslims Not pretend ex Hindu Panjabi shit!

[DarkprinX2500]

mullen and ijaz kutta are both trying to attack pakistan with this fake memo..

[DarkprinX2500]

@gonedoolali Suicide vest..lol... gimme a break.. Pak army has been beating the crap out of those taliban gandus as well. go sell your suicide vests to them.. .

[gonedoolali]

@DarkprinX2500 Oh OK then -Have you done the Nala on your pyjama and are wearing a suthan with Nike shoes and a beard -Oh how smart - Make sure you buy your vest from an Indian factory -best from Ludhiana -After all no point in blowing your self up with a cheap Paki vest now is there! LOL _ India has made a killing and a bomb selling vests -Get it? Singh is King

[DarkprinX2500]

@gonedoolali most idiot comment .. gandustani

[gonedoolali]

@alisurya Hats off he is doing better then the ISIS -He is so smart for a minute i thought he was a Sikh -Wow Stunning!

[gonedoolali]

@Andhaira I think this handsome well spoken man can have any woman he wants but you sound like a typical Paki who thinks Paki women are inferior as you watch white women on Porn sites -and know full well they would spit at your Paki smell -Ughh -He is so smart for a minute i thought he was a Sikh!

[gonedoolali]

@ikhanlaw For a failed grad student He is the smartest (handsome too) Paki I have ever seen I would almost mistake him for a Sikh -Now they are smart -As we well know!