Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence is still providing support to the Taliban militia, a senior Afghan Opposition official alleged on Thursday. There are lots of (ISI) officers who are fully committed to the way of the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, the foreign minister of the Northern Alliance, Abdullah Abdullah, told a press conference. “They will keep on helping as much as possible. Since the 1980's they have kept the same mentality, the same vision and the same view.” Abdullah did not state how the shadowy Pakistani intelligence service was currently aiding the hardline militia. But he dismissed as ineffective the recent sacking of ISI chief Lieut Gen Mahmood Ahmed by Gen Pervez Musharraf, who has promised Pakistan's full cooperation to the United State's war against bin Laden and his hosts in the Taliban. Musharraf appointed Lieut Gen Ehsanul Haq as new ISI on October 8, a day after US-led forces launched military campaign in Afghanistan.
“But all of them have not been removed. It is a big challenge for pakistan itself,” Abdullah said. The ISI has in the past had close links with the Taliban, and their support was seen as crucial in the rise of the hardline militia.

Bureau Report