Washington is “losing faith” that Pakistan’s new civilian government can stop the expansion of Al Qaeda-linked terrorism in that country’s tribal regions, Newsweek reported on Sunday quoting an unidentified US official as saying.

One big problem is the tensions between the ruling PPP and the Pakistani military, it said.

In a manoeuvre attributed to Zardari, Newsweek said, the government tried to wrest control of ISI by placing it under the control of Rehman Malik, a Zardari associate who is de facto Interior Minister.

That was a “rookie move” that backfired, Newsweek said quoting the official. The move happened just as Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani left for Washington to meet President George Bush.

Before making its move against the ISI, US and Pakistani officials were quoted as saying, the civilian government failed to consult with some top military brass, including President Pervez Musharraf, who until recently was the Army chief of staff.

The report quoted another senior Pakistani government official as blaming the fumble on Malik, saying he “mis-worded” the announcement to make it seem as if the Interior Ministry was taking over the entire ISI, when in fact it is only seeking control of “domestic operations”.

Malik’s gambit, the report says, followed a series of visits to Pakistan by CIA and other senior US officials, who complain the ISI is still riddled with Islamist sympathisers.

In fact, US officials believe the ISI provided support to the perpetrators of the fatal July 7 bombing of the Indian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.