Former NSA James Logan Jones confirms his role in Pakistan memo row

James Logan Jones, former United States National Security Adviser (NSA) and a retired US Marine Corps General, has confirmed that he had acted as a mediator between Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz and the former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, to hand over a secret memorandum from a Pakistani diplomat to the latter.

General Jones confirmed his role via an email, but tried to clarify that he was not a serving government official or associated with the United States administration in any way when he passed on the memo from Ijaz to Mullen.

"I was not in government on May 10 when I forwarded the message to Admiral Mullen on May 10," The News quoted General Jones, as saying.  

On being asked by a journalist to confirm or deny his claims, General Jones' replied via email again that: "No secret here. Have confirmed my role as conduit with FT (The Financial Times) four days ago. I was not in government on May 10 when I forwarded the message to Admiral Mullen on May 10. Cheers, Jim Jones."

General Jones has served as Commander of the United States European Command and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe from 2003 to 2006, and as the 32nd Commandant of the Marine Corps from July 1999 to January 2003.

Jones retired from the Marine Corps on February 1, 2007, after 40 years of service. He later served as the US National Security Advisor from January 2009 till November 2010.