Leaked report overshadows Blair, Musharraf meeting
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Sept 29, IRNA
UK-Blair-Pakistan
Prime Minister Tony Blair was expected to distance himself from a Ministry of Defence report criticizing Pakistan's intelligence service (ISI) during a meeting Thursday with the country's president Pervez Musharraf.
Blair will allay Musharraf's concerns by saying that the leaked paper, claiming that ISI indirectly helps the Taliban and al-Qaeda, does not reflect his government's view, the BBC reported.
The report was revealed by BBC's Newsnight program on Wednesday.
It was said to have been written by a Ministry of Defence researcher and suggested that ISI should be dismantled.
A defence spokesman has also already insisted that the report, which was also critical of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, "in no way represent the views of either the MoD or the government." But speaking in an interview with BBC Newsnight, Musharraf responded angrily to the claims, saying that Pakistan was doing an "excellent job" tracking militants.
"There is perfect co-ordination going on - intelligence and operational co-ordination at the strategic level, at the tactical level," he said
Since then, BBC reported that it was being told by senior intelligence sources that, while the relationship with the ISI is not perfect, co-operation has improved beyond all recognition since 9/11 and the attacks in London last year.
The research paper said that the UK went into Afghanistan "with its eyes closed" and revealed that a secret deal to extricate UK troops from Iraq so they could focus on Afghanistan failed when British military leaders were overruled.
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