ISI’s approach to India has to change: Mullen

“A lot of that will change,I believe,long-term if they have more confidence in their own security,” Mullen said in response to a question in his appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Mullen said he has expressed his concern to the Pak leaders about the links between ISI and the Taliban.

“I have had lengthy discussions with Pak civilian and military leadership,the military leadership is critical here and what I’ve watched and certainly expressed this concern and my belief has been for some time that I believe the ISI has to change its strategic approach in order for progress to be made over the long term,” he said in response to a question from Senator Feingold.

Mullen said,”What General Kiyani has done and the civilian leadership has done has changed out the leadership of that organisation,almost the entire leadership,not just Pasha,but the principle directorates are all people that General Kiyani trusts. We’ve had this discussion. This has happened over the last six months.”

“So I think this is going to take some time. The ISI is very supportive in ways and constructive in ways that we concur in. There are still challenges about connections with militants and their support of those militants as well,and I have constantly address those concerns,will continue to do that,” Mullen said.

The top US military leader,who has been visiting Pakistan almost every other month in the past one year,said: “The ISI is an organisation that as long as last summer I have talked publicly about needing to change its strategic direction.”

At a very high level it gets to the question of how Pakistan ensures its security. “It has historically done that by agitating both in Afghanistan and in India. To the degree that they are secure,they feel good about their security in the future,I think that argues for and presents potential for a strategic shift,” he argued.

“That said,there is a grey area in the ISI that many of us don’t understand. Clearly those kinds of connections that you talked about have been there. And they need to cease at some point,” Mullen said.

During the testimony,several Senators questioned the commitment of the ISI and its continued links with the Taliban.

“In April we saw reports coming out that the ISI in Pakistan was actually assisting the Taliban. That was April,just last month. Now I understand that the Pakistanis are on an offensive,but I’m wondering what is ISI’s role here at this point in time?

“How engaged are they,because when I look at those reports,when I look at the release of the video of our CIA director which should have been a private meeting,and obviously was meant to undercut whatever that conversation was,and when I look at the set of circumstances of acquiring nuclear weapons,when we are giving money,money is fungible at the end of the day,it makes for a concern for me,” said Senator Robert Menendez.