Author: PTI
Publication: Rediff.com
Date: October 4, 2008
URL: http://www.rediff.com///news/2008/oct/04isi.htm
A confidential Spanish defence ministry report
has alleged Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency helped arm the Taliban
in 2005 for assassination plots against the Afghan government, media reports
said.
The confidential report, obtained by Cadena
Ser radio and posted on the station's Web site, also alleges the Inter Services
Intelligence helped the Taliban procure roadside bombs.
"The Taliban, with the help of Al Qaeda
and Pakistan's ISI, received explosives that were to be activated at long
distance," according to the Daily Times, which quoted the report.
"The plan was that the Taliban used these
devices against vehicles to assassinate... even though it did not specify
against what type of targets," according to the report.
The report also said, Spain's military intelligence
body, also noted the "possible existence of training camps for the production
of improvised explosives devices in Pakistani territory, where Taliban received
training, support and information from the Pakistani secret service."
The report said the ISI planned to have the
Taliban use the explosives "to assassinate high-ranking officials."
However, Pakistani Army spokesman Maj Gen
Athar Abbas has described the report as "baseless, unfounded and part
of a malicious, well-orchestrated propaganda campaign to malign the ISI."
"ISI is the first line of defence of
Pakistan and certain quarters are attempting to weaken our national intelligence
system," Abbas said.
In Spain, the defence ministry and prime minister's
office said they had no comment, the Pakistani newspaper reported.
