ISI 'foments chaos', not worthy of talks

NEW DELHI: In what could reinforce the perception that getting the ISI on board in India���s negotiations with Pakistan is a dangerous idea, chairman of the joint chief of staff of US, Admiral Mike Mullen, has said that Pakistan���s semi-rogue spy agency is fomenting ���chaotic activity��� in Kashmir.

���I believe that in the long run the ISI has to change its strategic thrust which has been to foment chaotic activity ... in its border countries,��� Admiral Mullen, who has travelled to Islamabad nearly a dozen times in the past one year, said.

���What I mean is that they have clearly focussed on support of ... historically of militant organisations both east (India) and west (Afghanistan). I mean that's been a focus of theirs in Kashmir historically as well as in FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas). And I think ... that fundamentally has to change,��� he said.

His remarks came when he was asked to explain what he meant by saying that the ISI had a strategic thrust to foment chaos in neighbouring countries.

Describing ISI's close links with the Taliban as ���another extraordinarily complex��� relationship, Mr Mullen said, ���And it's one that I've spoken very publicly about.���

At the same time, he said ISI has also provided ���some very positive intelligence��� in the past. ���...the ISI has also served ... some very positive intelligence needs both in the country and certainly between our two countries,��� he said.

Admiral Mullen also said that the US was having discussions with the Pakistani leadership on how to change ISI's focus.

���There are discussions which have been ongoing in respect to that and the leadership recognises that and there is a big challenge dealing with that based on what their history is and what they need to do for the future,��� he said.