According to The Senate Foreign Relations Committee (July 2004 Hearings), Pakistan’s Military intelligence has played a key role in developing the Islamic terror network with financial assistance provided by Saudi Arabia. (Committee on Senate Foreign Relations, Hearings, July 14, 2004). More recently, The Nixon Center (July 2005) has confirmed that the ISI still supports the main Kashmiri Islamic groups including Lashkar-e-Tiaba and  Jaish-e-Muhammad.

Recent Indian Press reports provide concrete evidence and details regarding the ISI’s links to Lashkar e Taiba, which is suspected of having played a key role in the foiled UK terror plot:. Reports suggest that LeT operational commander had meetings with ISI’s top brass:

“The interrogation of two Laskhar- e-Taiba militants arrested here last week [Delhi] has brought to light “direct links” between Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and the terror outfit, strengthening India’s case that Islamabad was actively supporting terrorist activities in the country.

One of the arrested militants Abu Anaz has revealed that he was the body guard of Lashkar second-in-command Zaki-ur- Rehman and given detailed description about functioning of the terror outfit and the monthly meetings that take place between Pakistan Army officials and LeT leaders.

“Zakir-ur-Rehman and some others of LeT used to meet Pakistani Army’s Major Wajahat, Brigadier Riaz and Brigadier Haji every month in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir,” Joint Commissioner (Special Cell) Karnal Singh said here.

Abu, a Pakistani national, has told police that Major Wajahad used to visit the Laskhar top leader at the outfit’s sprawling 50 acre office in Shiwai Nala, also known as Baitul Mujahideen, in Muzaffarabad.

“We have got details about ISI and Pakistan Army’s connection with Laskhar-e-Taiba. It is not that LeT’s working independently. The monthly meeting discussed terror activities in India and this brings out the linkages among terror groups, Pakistan Army and the ISI, ” he added.

He has also given details about the command structure of the outfit and names of operatives in charge of various departments” (The Press Trust of India, August 14, 2006)

So far, the British media has refused to address the fact that Scotland Yard and the Home Office are collaborating with an intelligence agency which is known to support the terror network.

Rachid Rauf

One of the main suspects of the foiled UK plot is Rachid Rauf, who is detained in an interrogation facility of  Pakistan’s military intelligence (ISI), in Rawalpindi.  Rauf  is a member of Jaish-e-Muhammad, an ISI sponsored Kashmiri terrorist organization.

Pakistan interior minister Aftab Khan said that Rashid Rauf “had ties to Al Qaeda: “We [the ISI] arrested him and on his disclosures we shared the information with British authorities which led to further arrests in Britain, ” (Sunday Herald, 20 August 2006)