New Delhi:
In the wake of David Coleman Headley's testimony to a US court over links between Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a fresh US cable released by WikiLeaks says India told the visiting US ambassador to Pakistan about the ISI-LeT connections as far back in 2005.
The cable says the then Deputy National Security Advisor Vijay Nambiar told the visiting diplomat that Pakistan is the epicentre of regional and global jihad and that there is proof of the ISI Director General meeting LeT commanders.
As per the cable, Mr Nambiar told the US envoy that there is proof of ISI teams visiting Bangladesh and ISI coordinating with jihadis there.
"Focusing on Bangladesh, Nambiar said India was particularly worried. India had started to detect the actual presence of Pakistani based terror groups there, in addition to groups in Bangladesh having linkages to Pakistan. India had evidence, he alleged, of ISI teams visiting to meet Bangladeshi DGFI counterparts and coordinate jihadis' activities."
The cable also goes on to say elements friendly to LeT are attempting to enter politics and that it rivals Al Qaida in threat. It also says that the LeT is training Afghan Taliban.
"Nambiar asserted that the LeT now rivals Al Qaeda, and India had evidence that the Director General of the ISI had met with LeT commanders" the cable said.