India not surprised at US discovery of ISI links with terror

India today said it was not surprised that the US has now discovered Pakistan's intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence's (ISI) links with terror outfits including the Haqqani group, saying this was always known.

"We are not surprised that the US lately discovered ISI's link with a number of other terrorist groups. We always know that ISI has links with terrorist groups," Chidambaram said on the latest US assessment that the ISI had links with Haqqani network in Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

The relations between US and Pakistan has come under strain recently after the US military and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) said that Haqqani network is closely linked to and sometimes acts as an agent for Pakistan's ISI.

Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, publicly accused the ISI of colluding with the Haqqani network in the September 13 attack on the American Embassy in Kabul.

On underworld don Dawood Ibrahim wanted in India, Chidambaram said there was very little that this country can do to counter Pakistan's denial about presence of the global terrorist there.   

Chidambaram was replying to a question from a reporter who said that Anees Ibrahim, brother of Dawood, mastermind of 1993 Mumbai serial blast, had called some television channels claiming that his nephew was married recently.

"This is not new either. I think we know more than what Dawood Ibrahim's brother told you. We know where he is but surely no one is allowing, no one will allow me to go to the place and point out his house," Chidambaram said after his monthly briefing about performance of his ministry for the month of September.

He said the matter had been raised with Pakistan many a time. "We have raised it with Pakistan. I have raised it with my counterparts. They are in a flat denial. They deny that Dawood Ibrahim is in Pakistan.

"What is there we can do from India except some day or the other that it will be exposed as a lie," he said.

Dawood, 55, escaped from India immediately after the 1993 blasts. India has secured an Interpol Red Corner warrant against him.

According to the US, Dawood maintained close links with al-Qaeda and as a consequence, he was declared a "global terrorist" in 2003.