Islamabad: Pakistan’s prime intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sees the US as its ‘’worst enemy” and it is 100 per cent sure that it helps fund the Haqqani network, Shakil Afridi, the CIA informant who helped America kill Osama bin Laden last year, told Fox News in an exclusive interview.
According to the ISI, “The Americans are our worst enemies, worse than the Indians,” Afridi said, who spoke from inside Peshawar Central Jail.
“I tried to argue that America was Pakistan’s biggest supporter … but all they said was, ‘These are our worst enemies. You helped our enemies.’”
“I tried to argue that America was Pakistan’s biggest supporter – billions and billions of dollars in aid, social and military assistance — but all they said was, ‘These are our worst enemies. You helped our enemies.’”
Afridi alleged that the ISI is openly hostile to the US and supports Haqqani network, the militant group in Pakistan’s tribal belt that was last week designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“It is now indisputable that militancy in Pakistan is supported by the ISI […] Pakistan’s fight against militancy is bogus. It’s just to extract money from America,” Afridi said, referring to the $23 billion Pakistan has received largely in military aid since 9/11.
“Without doubt, the Haqqanis are 100 percent supported by the ISI,” said Afridi.
The CIA informant said he had not confessed anything during his months of interrogation.
“I was told stories about what to say as statements and forced to write statements,” Afridi said. “When I refused, the major said, ‘When we give you pain, then you will write.’”
He alleged that he was badly tortured with cigarette burns and electric shocks.
“My clothes were removed and I was forced by a major to wear old dirty torn rags of an army conductor. It was difficult to eat food. I had to bend down on my knees to eat with only my mouth, like a dog. I sat on the floor.”
Afridi showed his love for the US and said he would again help it despite “suffering crippling torture and psychological abuse during the 12 months he was held by Pakistan’s spy agency” Fox News reported.
“I have a lot of respect and love for your people,” he said, adding that he was “proud to work with” the CIA.
Afridi was sentenced in May to 33 years in jail by a tribal court for funding and supporting the Lashkar-e-Islam militant group. But it is privately acknowledged by the Pakistani authorities that he is being punished for helping the CIA.
“The actual story is that ISI, unconstitutionally, inhumanly and unethically abducted me and kept me unlawfully in their custody for one year and concocted these fabricated allegations,” he said. “The ISI couldn’t find anything and had to concoct a story to hide their illegal actions.”
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