Mistrust marks ISI-CIA ties: US

ISLAMABAD: American officials have told Pakistan that there is mistrust between the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

“John Tierney (the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee of the US Congress) told a Pakistani delegation that there is mistrust between the CIA and ISI,” according to a report of the Senate’s standing committee on defence about a visit by its members to the US last month.

The 17-page official report, which has been drafted by Iftikharullah Babar, secretary of the Senate committee under the supervision of Senator Javed Ashraf Qazi and a copy of which is also available to Dawn seems to be a revealing document regarding the thinking of the US establishment towards Pakistan.

This is for the first time that the US administration has expressed their views in front of any parliamentarian delegation which was visiting US on the official invitation of David Price, Chairman of House Democracy Partnership.

Qazi who originally hails from PML-Q but PPP led group of present coalition partners also supported him for this slot as he had worked with late Benazir Bhutto as DG ISI in her last tenure in the government 1993 to 1996. He also enjoys the confidence of President Zardari since late 90’s.

Qazi has been described as “man of many secrets” by one of the best seller books on Pakistan Army, “Cross Swords” has a wide experience of intelligence as he has headed ISI between 1993 to 1995 and Military Intelligence from 1990 to 1991.

Qazi who had headed both ISI (1993-95) and Military Intelligence (1990-1991) , while leading the committee delegation in US held extensive meetings with the some key members of the US establishment including one CIA official whose name has intentionally not been mentioned in the report and Richard Holbrooke the US Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Under the title of “Meeting with Senior Official of CIA” report mentions that the delegation had a meeting with the official (whose name has not been mentioned) on May 19th. The CIA official informed the delegation that 40 personnel of the Agency are dedicated to liaise with the Congress. He asked as to how the Defense Committee conducts oversight of the Intelligence Agencies in Pakistan. Senator Lt.Gen. (R) Javed Ashraf responded that the Defense Committee has not performed that role so far.

The committee can do it but it cannot stop their funding since the Senate has no power to appropriate funds.

In a luncheon meeting with Representative John Tierney, the Senator told the delegation that there is mistrust between the CIA and ISI. To this Qazi said this perception was baffling because ISI and CIA are working closely together in this war and there is no such feeling on the ISI side. Qazi warned, “If the mistrust message is conveyed back home it would be taken seriously. CIA should clarify to the Congress if their relationship with ISI is good.

On the contrary the unnamed CIA official who met with the committee members responded that it seems CIA has not done a good job explaining things to Representatives Tierney but the CIA Director and all of us at CIA are appreciative of the cooperation by ISI. He stated that CIA has a history of sixty years and the Congress has gradually strengthened its oversight role. CIA deals with congress as a customer and provides it information.

CIA shares sensitive information with a small select group in the Intelligence Committee and very sensitive information with two senators and two Congressmen only. Director CIA reports to the Director of National Intelligence.

He can also go to the US President directly. Director CIA is appointed by the President and confirmed by Congress. Director, National Intelligence basically coordinates between different intelligence agencies, CIA sends brief to the President, which has in put from other agencies as well.

Oversight: Senator Lt-General (retired) Javed Ashraf who has been described as “man of many secrets” in a best seller book “Cross Swords” on Pakistan Army , stated that oversight role of the US congress on defense matters is not impartial as individual Senators and Congressmen influence the setting up of large manufacturing units in their constituencies and oppose their should down to please their constituents. He said that the next step for the Senate Defense Committee may also include an oversight of the intelligence agencies. At times things done by IB are blamed on ISI and vice versa due to lack of any coordinating setup.

In reply to a question the CIA operative said that sharing the level of information on covert/overt operations with Congress is determined by the President. In the past some opportunities were lost due to seeking approval from the Congress. However, the hands of CIA are not completely tried and it does enjoy some flexibility in its working.

Richard Holbrooke accuses ISI: The US special representative Richard Holbrooke in his meeting with a parliamentary delegation visiting US last month indirectly accused Pakistan and premier Pakistani intelligence agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for knowing the whereabouts of Mullah Omar the at large Amir of Afghan Taliban.

“People in the US think that Pakistan authorities know where Mullah Omar is. If nobody in the ISI can do anything without the knowledge of DG ISI , he is not telling,” said Richard Holbrooke in a meeting with the members of the Senate Standing Committee on Defense headed by Senator Lt.General (retired) Javed Ashraf Qazi a report of the committee members US visit also available to Dawn revealed this here on Saturday. The report has at length mentioned the details of discussions of the committee members with the US State Department, Senate, Congress and CIA.

While discussing about the meeting with Richard Holbrooke the report says that Holbrooke told that members of the committee that India is angry about the release of Hafiz Saeed the chief of a militant charity organization Jammat Jammat ud Dawa about which Javed Ashraf Qazi rebutted the Indian claim by saying that he was released by the courts due to the lack of evidence.

Sacrifices of ISI:

Sixty nine years old Qazi who also had served as Communication and Education Minister in different times argued in favor of his former department ISI number of times during his official visit to the US. At one point during a meeting with Senator Robert Casey , Chairman Sub Committee of Foreign Relations on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs, while defending the blames against ISI regarding its secret ties with Taliban he mentioned the sacrifices rendered by the ISI during the on going war on terror. He said that three ISI headquarters have been destroyed and almost 300 causalities have been inflicted on ISI in this war. How can ISI have sympathy with Taliban?

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