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Backgrounder: The ISI and Terrorism: Behind the Accusations

Council on Foreign Relations

Author: Eben Kaplan, Assistant Editor
October 10, 2006

Introduction

Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has long received criticism for meddling in the affairs of its neighbors. However, in recent weeks, fresh accusations have been leveled at Pakistani intelligence, alleging active support for terrorism. In late September, the BBC received a leaked copy of a report from the Defense Academy, a think tank run by Britain’s Ministry of Defense, which charges, “Indirectly Pakistan (through the ISI) has been supporting terrorism and extremism—whether in London on 7/7, or in Afghanistan, or Iraq.” Just days later, Mumbai’s police chief claimed to have proof that the ISI planned the July 11 bombing of the Indian city’s commuter rail system, which was carried out by the Kashmir-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

In an interview with the BBC in September 2006, President Pervez Musharraf underscored the importance of his nation’s role: “Remember my words: if the ISI is not with you and Pakistan is not with you, you will lose in Afghanistan.” And in an October 1 appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Musharraf acknowledged some retired ISI operatives could be abetting the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. But Pakistan denies allegations of supporting terrorism, citing as evidence its cooperation in the “war on terror,” in which it has taken significant losses, both real and political.

Does ISI support terrorists?

“The ISI probably would not define what they've done in the past as ‘terrorism,’” says William Milam, former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan. Nevertheless, experts say the ISI has supported a number of militant groups in the disputed Kashmir region between Pakistan and India, some of which are on the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organizations list.

Read the rest of this article on the cfr.org website.

Copyright 2006 by the Council on Foreign Relations. This material is republished on GlobalSecurity.org with specific permission from the cfr.org. Reprint and republication queries for this article should be directed to cfr.org.