Pakistan’s notorious spy agency ISI paid a whopping USD 200,000 to the dreaded Haqqani Network for a suicide attack on a CIA camp in Afghanistan in 2009 that killed seven American agents and contractors and three others, according to a just declassified State Department cable.
The explosive information is contained in a series of State Department cables from January 11, 2010 and February 6, 2010 which has been obtained by the National Security Archive of the George Washington University under the Freedom of Information Act.
Significant portions of these cables have been redacted.
“During discussions at an unknown date between Haqqani, Salar and an unidentified ISI-D officer or Officers, Haqqani and Salar were provided USD 200,000 to enable the attack on Chapman,” says the cable dated February 6, 2010.
The cable shows Haqqani attacks are still provided by the Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Directorate, including USD 200,000 for the December 30, 2009, attack on the CIA facility at Camp Chapman, NSA said in a blog post.
“Haqqani provided the money to Salar who then communicated the planning details to Mullawi (Sakh). Sakh then contacted (Arghawan), Afghan Border Commander of the Khost Provincial Force. Arghawan was promised USD 100,000 by Salar for his assistance to enable a suicide mission by an unarmed Jordanian National,” the cable says.
“Following the attack, Salar was believed to have kept the 100,000 promised to Arghawan because Arghawan died during the suicide attack,” the cable said.
According to another cable of January 2010, “as of late December 2009, at the end of every month, senior Haqqani network leadership met with the ISI-D in Islamabad. The meetings were attended by Siraj Haqqani and Badruddin (Haqqani). ISI-D Col (Nasib) chaired the meetings. ISI-D Major (Daqud) and Sobedar (Zarim) were also in attendance.”
An unknown amount of funding was provided to the Haqqanis for use in unspecified operations during these meetings.
“There were two meetings between the ISI-D and the Haqqani network leadership in December 2009. The first discussed funding for operations in Khost province. These funds were later provided to tribal elders in Khost province for their support of the Haqqani network,” the cable said.
“The second meeting involved ISI-D direction to the Haqqani networks to expedite attack preparations and lethality in Afghanistan,” the cable said.
The Embassy of Pakistan in the US did not respond to a question on the allegations made against ISI in the US cable.
The Haqqani Network has carried out a number of kidnappings and attacks against US interests in Afghanistan, as well as Afghan government and civilian targets.
The group is also blamed for several deadly attacks against Indian interests in Afghanistan including the 2008 bombing of the Indian mission in Kabul that killed 58 people.
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