Pakistani Spy Agency Released Insurgents

Pakistan’s intelligence agency released two Taliban leaders it had captured, even as it was working more closely with Americans to crack down on the insurgent group in recent months. The detention of Mullah Ghani Baradar was seen as a turning point in the cooperation of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency with the CIA, but now it seems any celebration of a new partnership may have come too soon. The releases were noticed by U.S. intelligence but not made public, and they indicate the ISI is working with the Afghan Taliban, The Washington Post reports. The names of the men have not been released but were high-ranking. Baradar’s arrest was "positive, any way you slice it," an official said. "But it doesn't mean they've cut ties at every level to each and every group." The U.S. sees Pakistan as maintaining a hedging strategy, keeping relationships with many groups even as it seeks to eliminate the Pakistani wing of the Taliban, and seeking to be able to support whatever group can take Kabul if or when the U.S. leaves Afghanistan. Pakistan denied the ISI released any Taliban leaders.