Pakistan Withdraws Intel Offer to India

Amid bi-lateral tensions, Pakistan has withdrawn its offer to send an ISI top official to assist India in its terror investigation. President Asif Ali Zardari attributed the reversal to a miscommunication with Indian government officials.

The offer for intelligence cooperation between the two nuclear neighbors has been seen largely as a symbolic gesture; an attempt at easing already strained tensions. However,the Pakistani ISI, Inter-Services-Intelligence, has had a long standing reputation for working with and supporting militant-terrorist organizations.

A group, known as the Deccan Mujaheddin, has claimed responsibility for the attack. But, due to the sophistication and logistics required, most experts are looking at the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, which maintains ties to al-Qaeda.

There are concerns that any involvement by Pakistani terrorist based groups could worsen the relationship between New Delhi and Islamabad. Pakistan and India already have a very strained relationship, the two countries have fought three wars since 1947 over the disputed province of Kashmir.

Washington Times-Lisa Curtis, a South Asia analyst and senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said the strikes could heighten tensions between India and Pakistan, "especially if investigations show that the attackers received training, finances or logistical support from Pakistan-based terror groups."

While there is ample evidence suggesting the violence originated from a Pakistani based terrorist network. There is no information affirming the government of Pakistan had any direct involvement in the Mumbai attacks.