As
the U.S.-Pak diplomatic standoff over the arrest of CIA agent Raymond Davis for
double murder persists, another U.S. national has been arrested in Pakistan for
his alleged illegal stay in the country following the expiry of his visa.
Aaron
Mark DeHaven was arrested by security agencies in Peshawar on February 25 and
booked under the Foreigners Act on charges of illegally residing in Pakistan
after his visa expired in October last year.
The
incidents unfolding over the past month have prompted Press TV's U.S. Desk to
take a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes between the two countries'
spy agencies.
Highlights
The
U.S.' secret agency the CIA is waging a highly dangerous game to destabilize
Pakistan.
CIA's
covert war has various aspects including targeted assassinations, "snatch and
grabs" of high-value targets, gathering intelligence and helping direct a secret
U.S. military drone bombing campaign that runs parallel to the well-documented
CIA predator strikes.
The
CIA has long used intelligence from the ISI to help identify targets for drone
strikes in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, but now, as officials on both
sides say, it operates largely autonomously, especially since it has been
concentrating its
fire on the Haqqani militant network in the North Waziristan region.
The
United States recently warned Pakistan that once beyond a tipping point, the
standoff between the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pakistani
Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) would be taken over by political forces that
cannot be controlled.
Faced
with pointed questions from lawmakers about strained ties with Pakistan, CIA
Director Leon Panetta acknowledged earlier in February that relations between
both nations' intelligence agencies were "one of the most complicated" he had
ever seen.
CIA-ISI
relations turn sour
The
United States claims that counter-terrorism efforts by the CIA in Pakistan's
tribal region are apparently being hampered by the country's premier spy agency
Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which seems to be covertly helping the
Haqqani network
escape CIA's drone strikes.
The
CIA has long used intelligence from the ISI to help identify targets for drone
strikes in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, but now, as officials on both
sides say, it operates largely autonomously, especially since it has been
concentrating its
fire on the Haqqani militant network in the North Waziristan region.
Faced
with pointed questions from lawmakers about strained ties with Pakistan, CIA
Director Leon Panetta acknowledged earlier in February that relations between
both nations' intelligence agencies were "one of the most complicated" he had
ever seen.
While
the ISI continued to help America target al Qaeda leaders in the tribal areas,
Panetta said that its policies in other areas were in direct conflict with the
U.S., stoking frequent tensions.
The
ISI has long nurtured ties with the Haqqani network, which it sees as a
strategic asset that can help Islamabad fend off Indian influences in
neighboring Afghanistan.
In
contrast, Washington sees the Haqqanis, who have been responsible for
spectacular attacks in Kabul, as the biggest single threat to Western and Afghan
forces, particularly in eastern Afghanistan. Thaindian
The
United States recently warned Pakistan that once beyond a tipping point, the
standoff between the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pakistani
Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) would be taken over by political forces that
cannot be controlled.
A
host of top American military officials, including Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen and ISAF commander General David Petraeus, held a
secret day-long meeting with Pakistan's top military officers, including Chief
of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani, in Oman on February 22, 2011 to plot
a course out of the diplomatic crisis that threatens the U.S.-Pakistan
relationship.
The
meeting covered various aspects of the U.S.-Pak relationship, but a large
portion was dedicated to the diplomatic crisis surrounding Raymond Davis, the
CIA contractor who was arrested for shooting dead two Pakistani men last month
in Lahore.
But
once the Davis case is resolved, there is still much work to be done in
repairing the CIA-ISI relationship. The ISI is widely suspected of airing its
anger with the CIA in both the Pakistani and U.S. media for being treated "like
their lackeys."
"It's
a vicious circle. Davis was in Pakistan because Pakistan can't be trusted. But
Davis getting caught has increased the mistrust," a senior Pakistani official
said. News.oneindia
CIA's
covert operations in Pakistan
At
a time when Pakistan has once again become a frontline state and is rendering
enormous financial and human sacrifices in the U.S.' war on terror, it is a
highly unfortunate but undeniable reality that the U.S.' secret agency the CIA
is waging a highly dangerous game to destabilize Pakistan. The Faultlines
CIA's
covert war has various aspects including targeted assassinations, "snatch and
grabs" of high-value targets, gathering intelligence and helping direct a secret
U.S. military drone bombing campaign that runs parallel to the well-documented
CIA predator strikes.
However,
the worst and most damaging from Pakistan's point of view has been CIA's role in
supporting anti-Pakistan elements fighting against Pakistani security forces in
tribal areas. The Nation
There
have been indications that the anti-Pakistan Taliban have been receiving support
from the U.S. forces in Afghanistan and also from the Afghan Authorities. Daily
Times
Blackwater
(Xe) a proxy for CIA in Pakistan
The
CIA has been conducting its covert war in Pakistan through various proxies
mainly the Balckwater or Xe Services. Although initially U.S. Ambassador to
Pakistan and the Pakistani officials were adamant in their denial of the
presence of Blackwater
in the country, all of them had to suffer humiliation when the presence
of Balckwater in Pakistan was confirmed by none other than the U.S. Defense
Secretary Robert Gates.
In
an interview with the Pakistani TV station, Express TV, in January 2010, Defense
Secretary Robert Gates confirmed that the private security firms Blackwater and
DynCorp were operating inside Pakistan. The Nation
The
controversy over Blackwater stems mainly from its work in Iraq and Afghanistan
that raised questions about the U.S. use of private contractors in war zones.
Guardian
Blackwater
is a particularly emotive issue in Pakistan, where the company's name, along
with the drone strikes, have become lightning rods for anti-American
sentiment.
The
Guardian on December 11, 2009, quoted an unnamed ex U.S. official as saying that
Blackwater was operating at a secret CIA air base, Shamsi Air Base in
Baluchistan which is a key element in the CIA coordinated missile strikes.
Guardian
HJ/SM/DB
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