Pakistan

CIA withdraws station chief from Pakistan after threats: Official

US intelligence officials say the CIA station chief was pulled out from Islamabad after his cover was blown.

Express/afp December 18, 2010

WASHINGTON: The Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) top spy in Pakistan, who helps oversee drone strikes against alleged militants, has been forced to leave the country amid threats to his life, a US intelligence official said on Friday.

The official did not provide further details about the abrupt departure of the Central Intelligence Agency's station chief. But the New York Times reported the spy was pulled out after his name -- classified as secret -- was revealed in a lawsuit by a Pakistani tribesman, Karim Khan, who alleges his son and brother were killed in a drone bombing raid.

The paper, citing unnamed US officials, also wrote that Pakistan's spy service, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), may have had a hand in exposing the CIA spy, possibly in retaliation for a legal suit in New York that implicated the ISI chief in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

"This exceptional officer -- who had already served beyond a regular tour -- is returning to the United States after the decision was made that terrorist threats against him in Pakistan were of such a serious nature that it would be imprudent not to act," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

The intelligence official indicated the threats would not affect the spy agency's bombing war against al Qaeda and Taliban figures in northwest Pakistan, which the US government avoids discussing openly. "The CIA's mission in Pakistan, including the agency's relentless fight against militants, continues unabated," the official said.

The United States has dramatically expanded bombing raids by robotic aircraft since the summer of 2008, with 117 strikes so far this year, double the number of attacks in 2009, according to the independent New America Foundation in Washington.

The CIA station chief's departure came as a barrage of US missiles killed over 50 suspected militants in Khyber Agency. The missile attack targeted compounds in the district, officials said. The episode coincided with renewed calls in Washington on Thursday for Pakistan to clamp down on Afghan Taliban militants exploiting havens along the country's western border with Afghanistan.

COMMENTS (18)

Ameer Hamza | 13 years ago | Reply This man, whoever he was - the CIA chief for drones, must be a very ridiculous person. If you are a soldier you must be a brave person. But he ain't brave and that's the case with most Americans now calling Pakistan their home. That is unfortunate. They've helped kill militants - trained by ISI and CIA - but they have also killed lots of Pakistanis as well.

maitre | 13 years ago | Reply Good news! Send all the Americans packing back home because they spy for U.S.A, India and Israel. They had never been trustworthy. They favour anti-islam elements against the Muslims in every part of the world. We should get rid of these 'cowards CIA men who kill innocent civilians with the drones attacks in order to push the country into a civil war. They tried to spy Iran and the Iranian authorities shot down the 'drone aircraft'. All their fake allegation charges against the ISI are baseless and drummed up by the Indian diplomatic mission across the world. Our government should never surrender to these mere cowardly allegations of CIA. Instead, be careful of American's double standard. Besides, what the America did after the fall of Kremlin regime and after defeating the Russians, they left us at the merci of 'Presler Amendments'. No more now!

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Maheen Kardar | 13 years ago | Reply @Sameer - You are correct beggars cannot be choosers - Pakistan is on its way to becoming a poor beggar state if the conditions and the mentality of its people do not improve. The amount of assistance from so-called Muslim states was minuscule compared to non-Muslim countries. If you insists that the Saudis helped after spotlit of the world revealed the help was pitiful and very slow and it amazes me that our dear Saudi brothers did want to not show off but yet they would like to show off the shopping malls, vacation spots and sky-scarpers they have built with blood-oil money using your brothers in slave-construction labor camps and giving the construction projects to American companies while speaking on either sides of their mouth. I guess under your guise the Pakistani media is in cahoots with the world as they reported very little activity on assistance from so-called Muslim states. Your assertion "our notion that Pakistanis in general want girl school to be destroyed is utterly baseless accusation without any evidence" if that is true why was the percentage of girls being schooled in the tribal areas of Pakistan decreasing and where was your rage when the Taliban was burning schools in the Swat & Waziristan- When the truth hurts the Pakistani mentality the home of my ancestors is dismissed as propaganda. Don't you think it is time to break the ties with some so-called Muslim brothers who are causing more harm to Pakistan and begin to investigate which relations of Muslim states actually helps the Pakistani people achieve the greatness that Mr.Jinnah dreamed for them?

Sameer | 13 years ago | Reply @ Maheen Palestinian does not have their own state; so how they can help us, and you know American are mainly responsible for it. As for Yemen, it is very poor country and I do not think you should expect a very poor country to help us in the crisis. Saudi Arabia did help and they also send their soldier to help people in flood. I think you do not know about it because Saudi did not show off while they were helping. If you had a look at Hoolbrooke statement during the time of flood, you would have noticed American were so desperate to show everyone that they were helping Pakistan. That is their mentality. I do not like people who on one hand send helicopter to help flood victim and then on other hand, send troops or drone across border to kill our Frontier guard and our people respectively. Your notion that Pakistanis in general want girl school to be destroyed is utterly baseless accusation without any evidence. This kind of propoganda comes from your country USA.

Maheen Kardar | 13 years ago | Reply @adnanp ahmad - Your conspiracy theories would make a good film for the ever failing Lollywood! Do you actually believe that America cares about Pakistan and Afghanistan? Take Pakistan created with India while India boldly moves ahead in technology and economy and where we in Pakistan have equal or better talent are sinking and moving backwards with conspiracy theories blaming the rest of the world on our ills of poverty...illiteracy...corruption...murder ? While in Afghanistan was being ravaged by the Taliban the poverty...illiteracy were the worst in the world where was the rest of our nations of Muslim brotherhood to help them? The Taliban's main goal which is strongly supported by the Pakistani public is to destroy the institutions of learning for WOMEN it the old argument that an educated community can think for itself and that women are more interested in better economic conditions then in murder & mayhem. The totally false premise that the American economy is bases on two failing countries, do you all forget the loss of the number of lives of American men and women and in fact when we had the recent floods it was the American helicopters that reached the victims while our Pakistani government was in a state of paralysis? Where were our brothers in Iranian, Palestinian, Lebanese, Yemeni, Indonesia, Dubai, Saudi Arabia? We have short memories as we are a ungrateful society that would rather see our nation fail then admit our own mistakes that is wrecking our great nation.

adnanp ahmad | 13 years ago | Reply I think America does not want to leave from Pakistan and Afghanistan as his interest there and wished to fulfill all after then he will go. Another thing is that, as his economy base on the war against terrorism and doing to take in wide region; first he percept and then declare a war against that country and demolished all of the infrastructure and then he gives debt to the concerned country in the form of built infrastructure, and after this by accusing that there is not any thing to be there as he percept. There is no any body there in the world to query him about this kind of sport. Now he has been to become itself a terrorist country in the guise of the helper in the so-called war against terror. so what is your opinion

said nabi shah | 13 years ago | Reply enough is enough ,all the american will have to leave this pak land

Humanity | 13 years ago | Reply The collateral damage caused by the drone attacks and the so called 'freedom fighters' is abhorring and unacceptable. The US involvement in plundering resources of the world in disguise of bring democracy and the retaliation of the 'freedom fighters' by killing innocent women and children are equally shameless acts. It takes two to make war and it takes two to make peace. Unless and until, Pakistan puts the interest of its people ahead of the mullah-politician self interests, this blood shed is not likely to stop any time soon. The day Pakistan cleans up its own bloody mess and becomes a united nation seeking to progress and lift its masses from poverty, the foreign bullies will cower down. The real power lies with the people at the bottom of the so-called power pyramid. When people realize they hold their destinies in their hands, things will start to change. Until then, this wicked chess game will continue.

Agnostic Muslim | 13 years ago | Reply The US probably pulled him out because they were worried our judiciary would order his arrest and prosecution on the charges made by Karin Khan. The 'threats' are likely a cover-up excuse by the US.

Niaz | 13 years ago | Reply in return they bombed and killed 54 people yesterday.

salman sharif | 13 years ago | Reply Now it is starting to come back from Pakistan and Afghanistan ...soon INSHALLAH all soldiers and CIA agents will go back.and our country will clean from terrorists INSHALLAH

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply It is beyond disgraceful for a nuclear armed nation of 200 million people to be subjected to daily mass murder by American cowards and their corrupt puppet government which is supporting this genocide of Pakistani poor civilians on a daily basis. Now the US has increased the daily tally of dead Pakistanis to drones to over 70 killed in Khyber. Not even the most shameless, dishonoured and corrupt nation could turn a blind eye to such repugnant mass murder of innocent poor civilians. It is only a matter of time when the public anger will boil over into the streets and no amount of US thuggery and brutality would be able to control it. The people in Pakistan and the region are fed up of US lies, atrocities and Islamophbia cloaked by the Zionist "war on terror". The real terrorists are ones killing Pakistani, Afghan, Iranian, Palestinian, Lebanese and Yemeni civilians, women and children by drones while sitting in comfortable offices in Nevada. US has given a new meaning to the word COWARDICE.

Tilsim | 13 years ago | Reply @ Nazir Habib Yes these are FREEDOM FIGHTERS who blow up the father who supports his 7 children, the mother who went to Kisa Khawani, Peepal Mandi, Moon market to buy some bread, the child who was heading out to school and the policeman who survives on meagre wages. These are FREEDOM FIGHTERS who 'glorify' the name of Islam by throwing acid into the face of young girls or cutting their noses off. These are the FREEDOM FIGHTERS who 'respect' women by lashing them in front of hundreds of men. These are the FREEDOM FIGHTERS who welcome killers from around the world to plot the blowing up of innocents in far flung corners of the globe. These are the FREEDOM FIGHTERS who are killing our soldiers, politicians and journalists to take over the PAKISTANI STATE. These are the FREEDOM FIGHTERS who can decide who is a muslim or a non-muslim and then send young brainwashed boys and girls to blow themselves up in crowds for the FREEDOM OF ISLAM. What glorious FREEDOM they are fighting for!

Asad ullah | 13 years ago | Reply Dear Nazeer Habib and G Khan These freedom fighters of yours killed around 5000 Pakistanis in the last 2 years and blew up over 150 schools. I know many of those killed. They were as little as 1 year old. STOP supporting the murder of Pakistanis in the name of whatever misguided understanding of freedom you have. Yes CIA should not be here and in Afghanistan. But first look inside your own Graiban brother. Why are you supporting killing of my brothers and children

Nazir Habib | 13 years ago | Reply Terrorists? Militants? These words have no definition and applicability in practical terms. Theoretically yes, where the lexicons are referred to in schools and colleges. These are FREEDOM FIGHTERS. The corallary of the war in Afghanistan is well known to all and sundry and the CIA is known for its intrigue, conspiracy and disgust and its cold blooded mercenarial murder of innocent civilians. This blogger congratulates Karim Khan and his attorney for setting the ball rolling. Salams and best wishes.

Maheen Kardar | 13 years ago | Reply It is indeed a sad moment that the Americans have spent so much in cost and human life to lift Pakistan from a never ending abyss of violence and terrorist acts. While there is a huge faction that are deep in the conspiracy pit that terrorism and violence does not exist in Pakistan was it not for those terrible foreign entities that want to violate the sovereign state of affairs in Pakistan. There for the droves are a welcome method to rid the country of these terror leeches so there is innocent life that is lost in co-lateral damage but that is the result of the people of Pakistan in affective operation to rid themselves of this cancer. If Pakistani people with the Army & ISI wwould flush these terror rats down the drain there would no need for drones to be utilized, now the CIA has to remove its most influential man who helped the Pakistani government get rid of the Taliban element in a humane way at lower cost in human casualty.

Ahsanullah Mehsud | 13 years ago | Reply supreme court must have not allow him to fly as he has been charged for murder of civilians and the case is already in court.

G.Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Look at Mr Brave!!!!! Who was directing drones... When it came to knowing his ID because a Tribal has filed a Law suit Against him he is on the run now from Pakistan. He should have stayed and explained why is he doing Terror in Pakistan. We have no shortage of cowards though.

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