You can run but you can’t hide: ISI to CIA. How many “Raymond Davis” does the CIA have in Islamabad. It seems the question is being answered by arresting them one at a time. When it comes to spies and mercenaries, Pakistan is the wrong place to be. The country is hunting down and arresting all those that are suspected in nefarious Anti-Pakistan activities. The furore over “Davis” has triggered a very serious crisis between the ISI and the CIA. The Guardian reports that “A senior ISI official told the Guardian that the CIA must “ensure there are no more Raymond Davises or his ilk” if it is to repair the tattered relationship of trust.” “They need to come clean, tell us who they are and what they are doing. They need to stop doing things behind our back,” he said. There are “two or three score” covert US operatives roaming Pakistan, “if not more”, he said. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against DeHaven in a police station under the Foreigners Act, officials said. He was detained in the posh University Town area of Peshawar Pakistani authorities have arrested a US government security contractor amid a worsening spy agency row between the countries Pakistani intelligence called on the Americans to “come clean” about its network of covert operatives in the country. Pakistan arrests US security contractor as rift with CIA deepens ISI tells American agency to unmask all its covert operatives after arrest of Aaron DeHaven in Peshawar, over visa expiry. “Treat us as allies, not as satellites,” said the official of the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI. “Respect, equality and trust are needed.” Pakistani intelligence officers were unwilling to have Mr. Davis released under almost any circumstances. The demand for the C.I.A. to acknowledge the number of contractors in Pakistan was driven by the suspicion that the American spy service had slipped many such secret operatives into Pakistan in the past six month. Sources NY Times. and Guardian.
The clampdown on American contractors by the Pakistani authorities appeared to be under way. Pakistan’s chief spy agency has demanded an accounting by the Central Intelligence Agency of all its contractors working in Pakistan. The new arrest came at the start of the murder trial of another American held in Pakistan, the CIA agent Raymond Davis. The Police in Peshawar at the instigation of the Intelligence Services has arrested Aaron DeHaven, another American contractor who recently worked for the US embassy in Islamabad. Mr. DeHaven’s visa had expired, and he has now over-stayed his welcome in Pakistan. On Tuesday, a Pakistani delegation led by General Ashfaq Kayani met the American Top Brass, led by Admiral Mike Mullen in Oman. During the high level meeting the US stressed that it “did not want the US-Pakistan relationship to go into a free-fall under media and domestic pressures”, according to an account of the meeting by General Jehangir Keramat published by Foreign Policy magazine. After the Mullen-Kayani meetings there was hope that the tiff had been resolved the issues, but this new development has poured water on those hopes and or agreements. The gig is over. Pakistan is not a Hunting Lodge for American. A regotiation has to be enacted. At a minimum, the ISI wants an accounting of all the contractors who work for the C.I.A. in roles that have not been defined to Pakistan, and a general rewriting of the rules of engagement by the C.I.A. in Pakistan DeHaven’s visa had expired on 23 October 2010. DeHaven was arrested from Jamrud Road and was taken by intelligence agencies to an undisclosed location for interrogation. Dehaven had been living, for the past three years, in Peshawar’s Falcon Colony, a gated community and one of the most secured residential areas in the city.
DeHaven runs a company like Haperion. Like “Raymond” he is also involved in “Security”. It is named Catalyst Services which, according to its website, is staffed by mercenaries, retired military and defense department personnel who claim to have “played some role in major world events” including the collapse of the Soviet Union. In essence these soldiers for hire have led missions to Somalia etc. The services offered include “full-service secure residences”, protective surveillance and armed security–all “euphemisms for spy and mercenary services. DeHaven in various reports have been described as a “small, slightly-built man, who wore glasses and had broad knowledge of Pakistani politics“. IN effect he is a clone of “Raymond Davis”. DeHaven spoke Pushto fluently, and claimed that he had lived in Kandahar, Afghanistan, for one year, was married to a Pakistani woman along the border with Afghanistan. According to the Guardian “DeHaven said that he moved his base from Peshawar to Islamabad last year over suspicions that he worked for Blackwater, the controversial US military contracting firm. His business partner is listed on company documents as Hunter Obrikat with an address in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Guardian was unable to contact either men at listed numbers in Pakistan, Afghanistan, the US and Dubai.” The Guardian report said that the “US embassy spokeswoman Courtney Beale said DeHaven was “not a direct employee of the US government” but added that details could not be confirmed until a consular officer had met him”. It is obvious that these unsavory characters are not longer welcome in Pakistan. One would have imagined that after the “Raymond Davis” affair they would have quietly made their exit. Obviously DeHaven could not leave because his expired visa would have raised a red flag. Not much is known about DeHaven. His front describes him as part of a firm, which also has offices in Afghanistan and Dubai. Like “Raymond Davis” the DeHaven firm is also made up of soldiers for hire, retired US military and defense personnel who talk about experience in the “global war on terror”. It is obvious that the DeHaven arrest was linked to escalating tensions between the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), triggered by the trial of Davis, who appeared in handcuffs at a brief court hearing in a Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail. He said, “Satellite phones, SIMs, and other items recovered from Davis clearly suggest that he has been directing the drones.” Former Chief of Army Staff Gen. Aslam Beg in a TV interview said, ”Unauthorized visas were given to at least 3,000 CIA contractors by Ambassador Hussain Haqqani from Washington and Rehman Malik from Dubai. Beg alleged, ”Most of terrorist activities inside Pakistan were supervised by Davis.” Local TV Channels, Geo and ARY.
Trial proceedings were against “Raymond Davis” were initiated by the District and Sessions Court in Kot Lakhpat Jail Friday before Additional District and Sessions Court Judge Muhammad Yousuf Aujla. Davis is accused of killing two youths , Faizan and Faheem, at Qartaba Chowk on Jan. 27. At the 20-minute court hearing on Friday, Mr. Davis told the judge he would not take part in the proceedings. On the advice of the US Embassy the the former special forces soldier, who was sold by the CIA refused to sign a charge-sheet presented to him by the prosecution, for the murder of two men in the heart of Lahore on January 27. “Davis” retracted his old claim that he was a “contractor” (caught on tape) and instead said that he had diplomatic immunity – a claim blown to bits by newspapers like the Guardian and also by US officials. The hearing in Kot Lakhpat jail was held “in camera”, with press and the public excluded. Pakistani has taken unusual measures to ensure “Davis’s” security amid stories that the US had planned to extricate him by force. The CIA restarted its drone campaign in the tribal belt last Monday, further escalating tensions. The DeHaven arrest may have been in retaliation for the drone bombing escalation. This cycle of retributions and counter-measures will exacerbate the situation and take it to the point of no return. It is expected that dozens if not scores of these contractors will be arrested in the next few weeks. There are press reports that the CIA is contemplating on a tit-for-tat trapping or targeting Pakistani counterparts serving as diplomats abroad. Easy prey of this revenge design of the Americans could be Pakistani intelligence staff serving abroad chiefly in US, Europe, and Afghanistan.” If this happens there would be retaliation and outing of other CIA spies in the Middle East and other places. Human Intel is one of the big weaknesses of the CIA. A few agents outed would destroy its efficacy.
The clampdown on American contractors by the Pakistani authorities appeared to be under way. Pakistan’s chief spy agency has demanded an accounting by the Central Intelligence Agency of all its contractors working in Pakistan. The new arrest came at the start of the murder trial of another American held in Pakistan, the CIA agent Raymond Davis. The Police in Peshawar at the instigation of the Intelligence Services has arrested Aaron DeHaven, another American contractor who recently worked for the US embassy in Islamabad. Mr. DeHaven’s visa had expired, and he has now over-stayed his welcome in Pakistan. On Tuesday, a Pakistani delegation led by General Ashfaq Kayani met the American Top Brass, led by Admiral Mike Mullen in Oman. During the high level meeting the US stressed that it “did not want the US-Pakistan relationship to go into a free-fall under media and domestic pressures”, according to an account of the meeting by General Jehangir Keramat published by Foreign Policy magazine. After the Mullen-Kayani meetings there was hope that the tiff had been resolved the issues, but this new development has poured water on those hopes and or agreements. The gig is over. Pakistan is not a Hunting Lodge for American. A regotiation has to be enacted. At a minimum, the ISI wants an accounting of all the contractors who work for the C.I.A. in roles that have not been defined to Pakistan, and a general rewriting of the rules of engagement by the C.I.A. in Pakistan
DeHaven runs a company like Haperion. Like “Raymond” he is also involved in “Security”. It is named Catalyst Services which, according to its website, is staffed by mercenaries, retired military and defense department personnel who claim to have “played some role in major world events” including the collapse of the Soviet Union. In essence these soldiers for hire have led missions to Somalia etc. The services offered include “full-service secure residences”, protective surveillance and armed security–all “euphemisms for spy and mercenary services. DeHaven in various reports have been described as a “small, slightly-built man, who wore glasses and had broad knowledge of Pakistani politics“. IN effect he is a clone of “Raymond Davis”. DeHaven spoke Pushto fluently, and claimed that he had lived in Kandahar, Afghanistan, for one year, was married to a Pakistani woman along the border with Afghanistan. According to the Guardian “DeHaven said that he moved his base from Peshawar to Islamabad last year over suspicions that he worked for Blackwater, the controversial US military contracting firm. His business partner is listed on company documents as Hunter Obrikat with an address in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Guardian was unable to contact either men at listed numbers in Pakistan, Afghanistan, the US and Dubai.” The Guardian report said that the “US embassy spokeswoman Courtney Beale said DeHaven was “not a direct employee of the US government” but added that details could not be confirmed until a consular officer had met him”. It is obvious that these unsavory characters are not longer welcome in Pakistan. One would have imagined that after the “Raymond Davis” affair they would have quietly made their exit. Obviously DeHaven could not leave because his expired visa would have raised a red flag. Not much is known about DeHaven. His front describes him as part of a firm, which also has offices in Afghanistan and Dubai. Like “Raymond Davis” the DeHaven firm is also made up of soldiers for hire, retired US military and defense personnel who talk about experience in the “global war on terror”. It is obvious that the DeHaven arrest was linked to escalating tensions between the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), triggered by the trial of Davis, who appeared in handcuffs at a brief court hearing in a Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.
Trial proceedings were against “Raymond Davis” were initiated by the District and Sessions Court in Kot Lakhpat Jail Friday before Additional District and Sessions Court Judge Muhammad Yousuf Aujla. Davis is accused of killing two youths , Faizan and Faheem, at Qartaba Chowk on Jan. 27. At the 20-minute court hearing on Friday, Mr. Davis told the judge he would not take part in the proceedings. On the advice of the US Embassy the the former special forces soldier, who was sold by the CIA refused to sign a charge-sheet presented to him by the prosecution, for the murder of two men in the heart of Lahore on January 27. “Davis” retracted his old claim that he was a “contractor” (caught on tape) and instead said that he had diplomatic immunity – a claim blown to bits by newspapers like the Guardian and also by US officials. The hearing in Kot Lakhpat jail was held “in camera”, with press and the public excluded. Pakistani has taken unusual measures to ensure “Davis’s” security amid stories that the US had planned to extricate him by force. The CIA restarted its drone campaign in the tribal belt last Monday, further escalating tensions. The DeHaven arrest may have been in retaliation for the drone bombing escalation. This cycle of retributions and counter-measures will exacerbate the situation and take it to the point of no return. It is expected that dozens if not scores of these contractors will be arrested in the next few weeks. There are press reports that the CIA is contemplating on a tit-for-tat trapping or targeting Pakistani counterparts serving as diplomats abroad. Easy prey of this revenge design of the Americans could be Pakistani intelligence staff serving abroad chiefly in US, Europe, and Afghanistan.” If this happens there would be retaliation and outing of other CIA spies in the Middle East and other places. Human Intel is one of the big weaknesses of the CIA. A few agents outed would destroy its efficacy.
No comments:
Post a Comment