Washington: The US confronted Pakistan with
"concrete evidences" of links between the ISI and extremist organisations like the Haqqani network and LeT, before it launced a frontal attack on the spy agency for its terror ties, Pentagon officials have said.
"They (ISI) provide financial support (to extremist
organisations). It provides technical support. It provides
physical support. They (Pak officials) are allowing the safe
heavens to operate," a defence official said on condition
of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
Another defence department official said that Pentagon
has been providing such evidences to Pakistan "since ages" but
it is only after the recent attack on a hotel in Kabul and the
US Embassy in Kabul that this crossed all limits and the
Defence Department decided to go public.
But the senior defence official maintained that these
evidences gives concrete proof of the relationship between ISI
and the extremist organisations including Haqqani network and
LeT.
The senior defence official familiar with it refused from
giving further details of the type of evidences that the US
has provided to Pakistan, based on which Admiral Mike Mullen,
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a key
Congressional committee, last week that the Haqqani network
"acts as a veritable arm" of Pakistan's ISI.
Officials said Mullen shared his thoughts and text of his
remarks with Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, before he went to
make such a strong comment against Pakistan in a public
hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 14:46