Pak cooperation on counter-terrorism will be sketchy at best: US expert

Islamabad, Mar.10 (ANI): Divisions within the Pakistani intelligence and security forces over how to deal with the menace of terrorism, especially as it is well known that some of these groups have long enjoyed active or passive support of Pakistani institutions, suggests that cooperation from Islamabad in countering it will be sketchy at best.

Daniel Markey, a former senior South Asia State Department official under President Bush, told The Times: "What you are seeing are sharply different responses between different Pakistani agencies - none are sufficient and some are positively bad."

US officials are particular concerned about the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), which Pakistani and Western intelligence agencies say has trained thousands of Pakistanis in its camps and now has the potential to reach all over the world.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Islamabad has undermined Washington's efforts to identify and thwart the LET who are believed to have a strong presence in the US.

So deep is the concern that Robert S. Mueller III, the FBI Director, visited Islamabad last week to press for better cooperation after the Mumbai attacks.

According to The Times, the FBI and other US officials have been denied access to about 20 LET members, including about six senior officials suspected of heading its global operations and fundraising.

Senior FBI officials have also confirmed that Pakistan has dragged its heels for 16 months in the investigation into the 2006 airline plot by denying access to Rashid Rauf despite Mueller's personal appeals.

Rauf escaped from a Pakistani jail in mysterious circumstances in December 2007 and was reported killed by a US missile in November last year.

British officials have made similar complaints. Pakistani officials deny dragging their feet in joint terror investigations. "It was because of our tip that Britain has been able to break terror networks," one official said. (ANI)