Washington: Retiring US Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen has said that He was not sure about ISI having complete controle over Haqqani network.
He was giving an interview to CNN shortly after when the White House distanced itself from Mullen’s statement to Congress last week that the Haqqani network acted as a “veritable arm” of Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) agency.
“I told the Congress what I was thinking and I told what I want to told” he said, adding that he is stand by every word of his Congressional testimony.
Mullen added Pakistan’s army chief Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani was not big supporter of Haqqanis.
When asked if he overstated the situation to Congress, Mullen repeated that a link exists but referred to elements in the spy network as opposed to some kind of formal structure.
“There are elements I think of the ISI very active with Haqqani,” Mullen said, adding that “the piece” of the ISI “that is so focused on sending Taliban and insurgents into Afghanistan” from safe havens in Pakistan must be addressed by both the United States and Pakistan’s government and military.
“With respect to the ISI, we enjoy in ways a very positive relationship in some areas, we’re focused on shared interests, we’ve operated together, and from that perspective it’s been very positive and actually improving,” Mullen said.
He said “the strategic intent here is to … focus on this like a laser, because it’s been there for a long time and unless the Pakistani leaders take action, it will continue to be there and that support will continue to be there.”
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