Pakistan's intelligence service has had a longstanding relationship with the al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan, raising questions about its support for the US war on terrorism, the New York Timesreported today, citing US officials.
The agency had no direct involvement with Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network in terrorist acts against the United States, but turned a blind eye to growing ties between bin Laden and the Taliban, and used al-Qaeda camps to train for covert violence against India in the disputed border area of Kashmir, the report said.
Prior to September 11, Pakistan was one of the few countries in the world that recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. After terrorist attacks on US targets, which the United States blames on bin Laden, Pakistan turned against the Taliban and al-Qaeda, and is now a key US ally.
As part of that shift, General Pervez Musharraf fired the chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. Another former chief of the ISI has been a vocal critic of current US policy in Pakistan.
AFP