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Summary US accused Pakistan's intelligence agency of maintaining ties to militants in Afghanistan.
The top US military officer accused Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of maintaining ties to militants in Afghanistan during a trip to Islamabad on Wednesday that was focused on easing diplomatic tensions.Admiral Michael Mullen Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that Pakistans perceived foot-dragging in tackling strongholds in North Waziristan belonging to the Haqqani network and its continuing relationship with it was the most difficult part of the US-Pakistani relationship.“It’s fairly well known that the ISI has a longstanding relationship with the Haqqani network,” he said. He said that Haqqani was supporting, funding, training fighters that were killing Americans and coalition partners.“So thats at the core – it’s not the only thing -- but that’s at the core that I think is the most difficult part of the relationship, Mullen said.ISI director has long been suspected of maintaining ties to the Haqqani network, cultivated during the 1980s when Jalaluddin Haqqani was a feared battlefield commander against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
