Military

DATE=09/15/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=PAKISTAN-US-AL-QAIDA (L-O)

NUMBER=2-307518

BYLINE=MICHAEL KITCHEN

DATELINE=ISLAMABAD

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Pakistan is disputing allegations that its intelligence agency was providing aid to al-Qaida terrorists at the time of the group's September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. V-O-A's Michael Kitchen reports from Islamabad that Pakistan sees a U-S defense document asserting the claims as inaccurate and misguided.

TEXT: Newly declassified portions of a cable from the U-S Defense Intelligence Agency say Pakistan had asked Afghanistan's Taleban rulers to provide "safe sanctuary" for al-Qaida. The cable, dated October 2, 2001, and attributed to an unnamed "veteran Afghan traveler," discusses strategy for the then-imminent U-S war against the Taleban government.

News of the D-I-A cable made front-page headlines across Pakistan and has sparked strong denials from the country's foreign ministry. Since the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, Pakistan has been a staunch supporter of the U-S-led war on terror.

Ministry spokesman Masood Khan says the U-S government appears to have had doubts about the truth of any connection between Pakistan and al-Qaida in 2001.

/// MASOOD ACT ///

I do not think it has any credibility because the report itself says it is based on raw material.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Khan adds that the U-S government has never mentioned the cable's allegations to Pakistan.

Retired General Hamid Gul led Pakistan's top spy agency, the Inter-Service Intelligence, during the Afghan war against the Soviet Union's occupation of the country. At the time, Pakistan and the United States actively aided anti-Soviet militias.

Mr. Gul says some of the sources providing the United States with intelligence on the region were not accurate.

/// GUL ACT ///

This is not information, this is disinformation. Besides the American intelligence system, now it appears. was highly flawed and defective.

/// END ACT ///

Mr. Gul adds that during the anti-Soviet campaign, the Inter-Service Intelligence agency, set a policy of dealing only with Afghan militias and never with foreign fighters such as al-Qaida and its founder, Osama bin Laden.

/// GUL ACT ///

We had no connection with Osama bin Laden, I had not met him (nor had) any of my agency's people developed any connection with him.

/// END ACT ///

Pakistan did, however, maintain strong ties with the Taleban until 2001. But following the September 11th attacks on the United States, when the Taleban refused to hand over the al-Qaida leadership, Islamabad broke those ties and joined the U-S-led war against the regime. (SIGNED)

NEB/HK/MK/MH/FC/rae