A top United States military official on Tuesday said that Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), had links with "terrorist groups."
Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while addressing the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, "It is clear to me that the ISI has connections with terrorist groups," according to The Hill.
During the Committee meeting, the US Defence Secretary James Mattis also brought up Pakistan's ISI saying, "We've seen the government of Pakistan come down on terrorists, when the ISI appears to run its own policy," according to Russia Today reports.
Mattis, however, also said that the US should attempt to work with Pakistan in Afghanistan one more time. Mattis added that if their efforts fail this time then US President Donald Trump can take the necessary steps required to address Islamabad's alleged support for terrorist organisations.
Mattis has also acknowledged that global terrorism poses a threat to the world and hit out at the countries that harbour terrorists, including Pakistan, saying that there will be "no tolerance of terrorist safe havens."
Mattis, in a veiled attack on Pakistan during his visit to India last week, had said, "There can be no tolerance of terror safe havens as global leaders India and the United States resolve to work together to eradicate this scourge."
India and the international community have criticised Pakistan for harbouring and providing a safe haven to terrorist organisations like Taliban. Islamabad had also harboured slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
