Author: Sami Abraham
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: August 1, 2008
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/343043.html
Introduction: CIA claimed that members of
the spy service have deepened ties with some militant groups responsible for
surge of violence in Afghanistan. Pak has dismissed these charges as 'baseless'
and 'malicious'
US President George W Bush expressed his concern
and some annoyance with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over the
role of the ISI in Pakistan.
Defence Minister, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar,
who was also present at the meeting, said that Bush expressed concern that
certain elements in the ISI were leaking information to the terrorists before
they could be hit by the US or Pakistani forces. This is a cause of concern
for the US side, he added.
Ahmed Mukhtar said the meeting otherwise was
held in good atmosphere, and the US administration looked committed to support
the civilian set-up.
"President Bush also asked who is controlling
the ISI," the minister said, indicating that Bush was probably aware
of the fiasco created by the failed attempt by the Ministry of Interior to
take control of the ISI through a notification shortly before PM Gilani arrived
in Washington.
Another source said Bush agreed with the Pakistani
point of view that all parties in the Afghan conflict, the NATO forces, Pakistan
and Afghanistan should take equal responsibility of meeting the terrorist
threats. "Bush agreed that specific tasks must be identified for each
party to meet and then the performance of each party should be assessed. Accusations
against each other should not be levelled publicly," Bush was quoted
as saying.
Meanwhile, the CIA confronted senior Pakistani
officials with evidence showing that members of the country's spy service
have deepened their ties with some militant groups responsible for a surge
of violence, possibly including the suicide bombing of the Indian Embassy
in Kabul, The New York Times reported.
"We reject this report. This is unfounded,
baseless and malicious," chief military spokesman Major General Athar
Abbas said.
"I'd like to emphasise here that ISI
is a premier intelligence agency, which has caught or apprehended maximum
al-Qaeda operatives," Abbas said.
Gilani is in Washington meeting with Bush
administration officials. In an interview broadcast on Tuesday on PBS's The
News Hour With JimLehrer, Gilani said that to say that some in the ISI are
"sympathetic to the militants, this is not believable. ... We will not
allow that."
Interior Advisor to Gilani, Rehman Malik,
has denied the allegations levelled by The New York Times. Talking to The
News, Rehman said the Indian propaganda is an effort to malign Pakistan's
supreme agency, the ISI, which has played a commendable role in curbing terrorism
in all its manifestations.