LAHORE – Raymond Davis, the American who killed two innocent Pakistanis in the provincial metropolis on January 27, had links to the CIA, confirmed sources in the country’s premier intelligence agency.
ISI sources told The Nation that the conduct of the CIA around the tragic incident has “virtually thrown the partnership into question”. They said: “Irrespective of the commonality of objective in the
war on terror, it is hard to predict if the relationship will ever get back to the level it was prior to the Davis episode. The onus of not stalling the relationship between the two agencies now squarely lies on the CIA.”
war on terror, it is hard to predict if the relationship will ever get back to the level it was prior to the Davis episode. The onus of not stalling the relationship between the two agencies now squarely lies on the CIA.”
To a question, the sources said: “The ISI and the CIA enjoy a professional relationship that has grown stronger over the years. There have been ups and downs, but to say that the ties are the worst since 9/11 would be incorrect. Neither are the ties alarming. Pakistan is doing all that is within its means and capacity to combat the menace of terrorism and our track record speaks for itself.”
About the drone attacks that have killed hundreds over the past months, the sources said these attacks come under “an autonomous CIA operation and Pakistan or the ISI has never provided any target information for drone strikes.”
The sources rejected the misperception fuelled by TV talk shows that information about the targets was being provided by Pakistan. They put to rest aspersions that drone attacks came to a halt after the Davis episode because Pakistan had stopped providing information about targets.
To another question, the sources said: “Pakistan is at present fully engaged in operations against the Taliban in South Waziristan and does not have the wherewithal or the capacity to undertake a simultaneous operation in North Waziristan, which could only be tackled once gains in the South have been consolidated.”
