08-01-2008, 08:55 PM
Virenji have a look at this evenings first lead story in the CNN
Quote
Pakistan denies 'hellacious' bomb accusation
Story Highlights
Pakistan denies report that its spy agency helped plan bombing of Indian Embassy
Gen. Athar Abbas said the "hellacious report" was an "effort to malign the I.S.I."
New York Times quoting U.S. sources reported agency was involved
India and Afghanistan have both accused Pakistan on involvement in the attack
(CNN) -- Pakistan on Friday strongly denounced a report that the country's spy service helped plan the July 7 bombing of the Indian Embassy in the Afghan capital of Kabul.
The New York Times, sourcing U.S. government officials, reported Friday that intelligence officials made the determination "based on intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and militants who carried out the attack."
Pakistani Gen. Athar Abbas said the "hellacious report" was an "effort to malign the I.S.I," --Pakistan's Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence. The bombing killed 58 people.
"The ISI is a very disciplined organization, manned by military officials. It has played the most crucial role in the war on terror and apprehended members of al Qaeda, the Taliban, and those linked to the attack on mainland America on 9/11," Abbas said.
Abbas said "despite our insistence, no evidence has been provided to us about these allegations."
Afghanistan claims Pakistan informally supports militants operating from havens in Pakistan's lawless tribal regions near the porous 1,500-mile border the two countries share.
Earlier this month, Afghan lawmakers directly accused Pakistan's I.S.I. in connection with a string of attacks in Afghanistan. Among these were the Kabul strike and an assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai at an April 27 military ceremony.
India has previously blamed militants from Pakistan for the July 7 car bombing at the embassy.
The New York Times report also sourced the U.S. officials as saying "there was new information showing that members of the Pakistani intelligence service were increasingly providing militants with details about the American campaign against them, in some cases allowing militants to avoid American missile strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas."
Pakistan and Afghanistan have a tumultuous past. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, religious schools in Pakistan helped train fighters who battled the Soviets.
After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 1996 and imposed fundamentalist rule, Pakistan was one of the few countries that recognized the regime diplomatically.
It dropped its support after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Washington and New York.
Pakistan also has a troubled history with India, and in the past India has accused the I.S.I. of supporting militant separatists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which has been the root of two wars between them.
All AboutPakistan ⢠Afghanistan ⢠Espionage and Intelligence
Find this article at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/...ghan/index.html
Unquote
Such media leaks by the present US administration is a welcome development as far as we Indians are concerned. In the past, the US never highlighted such news to keep Pakistan pleased. Perhaps the change in attitude can only be attributed to US frustration in containing violence in Afganistan.
Quote
Pakistan denies 'hellacious' bomb accusation
Story Highlights
Pakistan denies report that its spy agency helped plan bombing of Indian Embassy
Gen. Athar Abbas said the "hellacious report" was an "effort to malign the I.S.I."
New York Times quoting U.S. sources reported agency was involved
India and Afghanistan have both accused Pakistan on involvement in the attack
(CNN) -- Pakistan on Friday strongly denounced a report that the country's spy service helped plan the July 7 bombing of the Indian Embassy in the Afghan capital of Kabul.
The New York Times, sourcing U.S. government officials, reported Friday that intelligence officials made the determination "based on intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and militants who carried out the attack."
Pakistani Gen. Athar Abbas said the "hellacious report" was an "effort to malign the I.S.I," --Pakistan's Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence. The bombing killed 58 people.
"The ISI is a very disciplined organization, manned by military officials. It has played the most crucial role in the war on terror and apprehended members of al Qaeda, the Taliban, and those linked to the attack on mainland America on 9/11," Abbas said.
Abbas said "despite our insistence, no evidence has been provided to us about these allegations."
Afghanistan claims Pakistan informally supports militants operating from havens in Pakistan's lawless tribal regions near the porous 1,500-mile border the two countries share.
Earlier this month, Afghan lawmakers directly accused Pakistan's I.S.I. in connection with a string of attacks in Afghanistan. Among these were the Kabul strike and an assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai at an April 27 military ceremony.
India has previously blamed militants from Pakistan for the July 7 car bombing at the embassy.
The New York Times report also sourced the U.S. officials as saying "there was new information showing that members of the Pakistani intelligence service were increasingly providing militants with details about the American campaign against them, in some cases allowing militants to avoid American missile strikes in Pakistan's tribal areas."
Pakistan and Afghanistan have a tumultuous past. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, religious schools in Pakistan helped train fighters who battled the Soviets.
After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 1996 and imposed fundamentalist rule, Pakistan was one of the few countries that recognized the regime diplomatically.
It dropped its support after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Washington and New York.
Pakistan also has a troubled history with India, and in the past India has accused the I.S.I. of supporting militant separatists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which has been the root of two wars between them.
All AboutPakistan ⢠Afghanistan ⢠Espionage and Intelligence
Find this article at:
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/...ghan/index.html
Unquote
Such media leaks by the present US administration is a welcome development as far as we Indians are concerned. In the past, the US never highlighted such news to keep Pakistan pleased. Perhaps the change in attitude can only be attributed to US frustration in containing violence in Afganistan.