US Embassy Personnel Caught Spying On Kahuta
29-01-11
Pakistani authorities have enough evidence that implicates US diplomats and trainers in spying on Kahuta, one of the prime nuclear facilities in the country.
What is stunning for most Pakistanis is that elements in the elected government, and especially the Interior Ministry, appear to be facilitating the Americans despite protests from police and intelligence officials.
The issue brings into question, once again, the role of Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik. A trail of internal ministry documents sharply bring Mr. Malik’s role into focus, especially in a case where his ministry appears to have permitted US defense contractors to conduct suspicious activities on Pakistani soil without informing Pakistani intelligence agencies. Those activities have included allowing at least one US defense contractor to conduct a large scale recruitment of retired Pakistani military officers.
In a report titled, US Spying on Kahuta Since 2003, Pakistan’s The Nation newspaper revealed the following on Oct. 23:
“Despite the fact that Americans have been permanently housed near Pakistani nuclear installations at Kahuta since 2003 in the guise of imparting training at the Police College Sihala, neither the military nor the PPP regime has dared to dislodge them. According to reliable sources, the PPP government paid no attention at all to the hue and cry raised by senior police officials against the dubious movements and installation of the American trainers. It has been learnt that some senior police officials have been continuously raising questions about the quality of training courses being offered by the Americans to the senior police recruits. These officials say that Pakistani police trainers could impart much better training than that the Americans. But the government turned a deaf ear to all these concerns of senior police officials and made no efforts to close the American training base allegedly involved in monitoring Pakistani nuclear activities.
Several senior police officials are asking, on condition of anonymity, that even if this training by the Americans was necessary, why had this very sensitive area been chosen and why this training has continued, risking the secrecy and sensitivity of nuclear installations of Pakistan. They were of the view that the Americans had no interest in the area except the intention to monitor the activities at the Khan Research Lab in Kahuta.”
The Commandant Police Training College Sihala, Mr. Nasir Khan Durrani, wrote a letter on Aug. 15 to senior Pakistani police officers drawing their attention to the suspicious activities of American ‘trainers’ at Sihala. Mr. Durrani is widely respected within the officer corps of Pakistan’s police service. Some of his ideas, like Rescue 15, were implemented nationwide.
Durrani’s letter was not without basis. In his report, titled, Agency wants survey of site to assess equipment, Mr. Ansar Abbasi, editor investigations at The News International, revealed that there was some evidence that radiation measurement equipment has been installed by the Americans at the training facility. He reported that US diplomats have been caught making frequent visits to the facility, attempting at one point to get into the high security perimeter around Kahuta. Amazingly, someone from FIA, the interior minister’s former employer and a lead civilian spy agency, helped release the arrested American diplomats.
An excerpt from Mr. Abbasi’s report:
“Pakistani authorities suspect that Americans involved in training of the Punjab Police at the Sihala Police College may have been involved in espionage near the Kahuta nuclear site located close by. However, US diplomats strongly deny this.
A credible government source said at least one Pakistani security agency has clearly indicated in its report submitted to the government that the Americans might have installed radiation detection devices at their Anti-Terrorism Assistance Programme (ATAP) camp situated in the college to monitor activities in the Kahuta nuclear site.
“Concerned authorities may be asked for a joint survey of the ATAP Camp by incorporating technical experts to assess if any interception equipment to detect radioactive rays has been installed or not,” the report said.
The report also revealed that following US pressure, the Ministry of Interior vide its letter number 1/41/2003-Police dated June 29 also granted a no objection certificate (NoC) for import of explosive material by the office of the ATAP.
Like the case of Inter-Risk, now banned, the Interior Ministry issued the NoC for the import of explosives without getting any security clearance from the intelligence agencies.
Interestingly, initially the Interior Ministry decided to issue the NoC but it was subject to clearance by two intelligence agencies — the ISI and the IB — which sought clarification about the quantity and type of explosive and detail of courses.
Consequently, the Sihala College administration was approached, which sought details from the ATAP camp. But instead of providing the details, Robert A Clark and Bob of the ATAP Camp contacted the US embassy, which used its influence and managed to get the NoC bypassing the rules.
The ATAP base camp is located just nine kilometres away from the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and housed within the premises of the Sihala college but even the commandant of the college is not allowed to go there. Of late, the US embassy wanted additional space apparently for training purposes but the Punjab government refused to oblige the Americans.
Top authorities in the Punjab government also confirmed to The News that US Ambassador Anne Patterson not only personally met Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif but also wrote to him requesting for additional space at the Sihala college.
They offered additional training to the Punjab Police in the field of firearms and raids. “But we politely refused to offer any additional space,” the source confided to The News, admitting that serious questions are being raised about the presence and conduct of US trainers already present at the Sihala college. A senior spokesman for the Punjab, when approached, confirmed this.
Interestingly, in the last several months no training course for the police officials has been conducted by the ATAP at the college, but American’s presence is well pronounced. Commander of the police academy Nasir Khan Durrani also formally wrote to the top authorities in the Punjab to express his concerns over the activities of the ATAP officials.
Sources also said that US embassy officials were also found visiting the camp quite regularly. They revealed that two Americans working at the Sihala ATAP Camp along with four other Americans of the US embassy were intercepted near Kahuta in July 2009 by security officials of the KRL.
They were detained for 2-3 hours as they could not satisfy the KRL security personnel regarding their visit to the sensitive region.
However, a retired assistant director of the FIA, working with Americans at the ATAP Camp, was sent to take them back who, introducing himself as an FIA officer, freed the Americans and took them back to the camp. The sources disclosed that those Americans along with Pakistani staff riding on 4×4 vehicle, tried to trespass into the restricted area of Kahuta.
The Interior Ministry spokesman was not available to offer any comment on suspected spying of the country’s nuclear programme by Americans or to explain why the Interior Ministry issued an NoC to the Americans for the import of explosive material without getting clearance from security agencies.
The Interior Ministry spokesman, Rashid Mazari, never returns any call from The News. He was contacted by different staffers of The News Investigative Wing during recent weeks but he never responded.”
The suspicions of Mr. Durrani, Commandant Police Training College Sihala, turn out to be legitimate. Mr. Durrani might have expected to be rewarded for keeping a vigil on the country’s vital interests. To his surprise, instead of a citation, Mr. Durrani was reprimanded by the Federal Interior Ministry.
On Oct. 22, The Nation published a report whose title, Rehman Malik Defends US interests, warns Durrani, said it all.
“The Interior Ministry is browbeating the Commandant Police Training College Sihala as to why he has written a letter to the Punjab, Inspector General of Police (IGP), expressing his concerns over the presence of US security officials in the premises of the institute, the sources told TheNation.
Sources privy to the developments said that the Ministry was annoyed with Nasir Khan Durrani, Commandant Police Training College Sihala as to why he had written a letter to IGP seeking clarification from the Interior Ministry and Foreign Office about the terms and conditions of US security officials’ presence as well as the duration of their stay in the college premises.
The sources said that the Ministry had expressed its displeasure over the action of Commandant and in its reply to the IGP it was stated that the matter could have been discussed verbally and there was no need to write about it.
According to Ministry sources, the Interior Minister, Rehman Malik in his harsh reply to the IGP made it clear that US security officials would not be relocated from the centre and directed him to hush up the matter and stop propagating against it, otherwise Durrani would have to face the music.
The Ministry was also critical of leakage of such sensitive and confidential information to media and directed the IGP to keep secrecy of such sensitive matters in the larger interest of the state, the sources further disclosed.
Nasir Khan Durrani had written a letter to IGP on 15th of August that on the concurrence of Interior Ministry, US security officials were using the site which was part of the college and now it had become a “no go” area for the college administration.
In the letter, it was also said that high explosive material was stored within the premises of the site under the possession of US personnel, which was a security risk for the trainees of the college.
It is pertinent to mention here that Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL) are only a few kilometres away from the Sihala College and it is suspected that Americans had installed sensitive monitoring equipments to monitor the activities of KRL.
The spokesman and Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ministry were contacted for comments; the spokesman was not available for comments while PRO replied that he was admitted in the hospital and thus unable to comment on the issue.”
The US Embassy in Islamabad, under a new policy of aggressively countering what it alleges to be ‘anti-Americanism’, responded to these accusations but conveniently kept silent on the alarming incident of the arrest of US diplomats in July as they tried to survey the area around Kahuta.
Evidence is piling up that the present ‘elected’ government in Islamabad is racing against time to plant enough Americans inside Pakistan to counter the Pakistani military and the country’s strong intelligence setup. [See the video US Terror In Pakistan]
On Oct. 20, The Nation ran a story titled, Blackwater arms warehouse in Capital? . The report began as follows:
“Kestral Logistics, a warehouse located in the industrial area of Sector I-9/3, and involved in arms trading, is working as the subcontractor of US security company, Xe Worldwide (Blackwater), TheNation has learnt. The sources claimed that the company had arms deals with Blackwater and was importing heavy arms as well as ammunition for the US company for its ongoing illicit operations in Pakistan. The sources said that Kestral Logistics was also involved in importing sensitive monitoring instruments for Blackwater, which had been installed at Sihala by the said security company to monitor activities of Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), Kahuta, as well as to keep an eye on the nuclear assets of Pakistan.”
Kestral is run by a former Pakistani military officer. Another officer was arrested last month and his license cancelled after his security firm imported illegal weapons into the country with the help of the US Embassy in Islamabad.
The US public opinion is told that anti-Americanism is on the rise in Pakistan but US government officials and the US media keeps mum on these suspicious activities inside Pakistan that are feeding the sudden rise in opposition to American presence.
No one is demanding severing ties with Washington. We need them and they need us. The question is: Why can’t Pakistan conduct its business with the United States on the basis of respect, non-interference, and mutual benefit. That is much better than the client-state model that former president Musharraf and the current pro-American Pakistani democrats are pursuing.
Short URL: http://www.daily.pk/?p=22491
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Gilani is real b****** and making money with both hands
Gilani is real b***** and making money with both hands
PM Okayed influx of US officials without clearance
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By MAK Lodhi |
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LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had authorised the Pakistan Ambassador in Washington to issue visas to US citizens without clearance by security agencies in Pakistan and more than 500 such visas were issued in three days, documents with The News reveal.
There has been a large influx of visiting US officials to Pakistan since July last year after the Government of Pakistan allowed its ambassador to the US to issue visas, bypassing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The strength of the US Mission in Islamabad has also not only swollen from 280 to about 1,000, including CIA personnel, without any agreement between the two governments nor has the US Embassy provided a list of its officials to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is a common protocol worldwide.
According to a document of the Ministry of Interior that the News has procured as a part of its investigation: “The Prime Minister has been pleased to direct that the Ambassador in Washington will be empowered, with immediate effect, to issue visas valid up to one year without the Embassy having to refer the aforementioned visa applications to the concerned authorities in Pakistan.” The letter further says, “The Pakistan Embassy in US would issue these visas under intimation to the Prime Minister’s office in Islamabad.”
Within three days of issuance of this letter, Pakistan’s ambassador in the US issued visas to 500 US officials. Why he was in such a rush has not been explained but sources in the FM say the practice has continued.
The News has procured the list of 436 US officials, who were issued visas in July, 2010. The purpose of visits is shown to be “official business”, “assignment”, “NGO Duty”, “USAID”, “US Army assignment” and “Dyncorps”. It is worth mentioning that due to various security and travel advisories issued by the US State Department, hardly any US businessman or common citizen has visited Pakistan in recent months. For any business deals, Pakistani counterparts are invited to the UAE or other countries in case a meeting is desired by US nationals. The PM’s letter empowering the ambassador flouted the visa policy formulated only months before its issuance. The US Embassy in Islamabad is already undergoing large scale expansion. Well-placed sources in Islamabad have said that the Capital Development Authority has sold 8.2 acres of land (164 kanals) at the rate of US$500 per square yard without bringing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the loop.
The US Embassy is already occupying a vast area of 31.9 acres in Diplomatic Enclave. Initially, in March 2009, the US Embassy tried to acquire 18.5 acres of additional land at nominal rates by directly negotiating with the CDA and without the concurrence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Out of this land, 10 acres of land was located outside the Diplomatic Enclave. It was actually in the green belt and the CDA had offered that land on lease at the rate of Rs 15,000 per square yard. On the observation and interference of the concerned authorities, however, the allocation of 18.5 acres of land to US Embassy was stopped and only 8.5 acres of land at the rate of US$1,000 per square yard was offered.
In October, 2010, the US Embassy again approached Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CDA for the allotment of 8.2 acres of land at the rate of US$500 per square yard.
According to sources, the CDA has accepted the request without bringing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on board. Some of the government officials are also said to be assisting the US in furthering its agenda of expansion by bypassing routine channels. It remains a million dollar question as to why the US Embassy is undergoing such a large expansion without following normal diplomatic protocols.
According to sources, the US Embassy has already undertaken massive construction and it has plans to enhance its control of Diplomatic Enclave. It has already funded building three gates and wants to appoint guards from a security agency. Security cameras and vehicle scanners are also being installed at the gates besides setting up five check posts on the road leading to US Embassy. Sources said 500 foreigners are also likely to come to Pakistan in the garb of labourers.
In Karachi, a huge fortress-like complex on 20.5 acres of land with latest facilities has been constructed for the US Consulate General. It is said that the place will be used as US base for activities in Sindh and Balochistan. According to sources, the US is acquiring land at Gwadar, Quetta and Multan for establishing its consulates.
When asked to comment on this report, the US Embassy, through its spokesperson Courtney A Kramer in her written response said: “The United States government complies with all relevant Pakistani visa laws. The US Embassy in Islamabad has increased its personnel and will be building new facilities in recognition of the importance of the bilateral relationship between the US and Pakistan. This expansion manifests the commitment of the United States to a comprehensive and sustained partnership with the people and Government of Pakistan. Increased personnel and the new building will assist the US government to better meet demand for consular services and increase civilian assistance to Pakistan. “The United States government has consulted with the Government of Pakistan and followed all normal diplomatic protocols during the development of the project. The new Embassy construction project will replace all existing facilities and infrastructure in the same location as the current Embassy. Upon completion of the project, the Embassy will have attractive, functional, and secure facilities for Embassy employees and for private U.S., Pakistani, and third country citizens who use Embassy services, including visa applicants. The project will provide construction and related jobs for thousands of Pakistani workers. When the new Embassy construction is opened, the Islamabad police will continue to control and supervise the gate to the diplomatic enclave.
“On January 21, the US Consulate General in Karachi moved to a new location which will allow us to expand consular services to the public. This project had been planned for years. The US government is not in the process of acquiring land to establish additional consulates.”
A spokesman for the Pakistan Embassy in Washington had this to say in response to the report sent to Ambassador Husain Haqqani: “The Embassy of Pakistan in the United States issues visas to US government personnel in accordance with policies and guidelines from Islamabad. Neither the ambassador nor any of the consular officials approve visas arbitrarily. “The expansion of the US Embassy in Islamabad is the result of the expansion of US aid and other activities duly authorised by the Pakistani government. Moreover, the total number of American diplomats and officials in Pakistan is inflated by the fact that most US diplomats and officials serve only short stints in Pakistan and there is huge turnover.
“All official or diplomatic visas issued by the Pakistan Embassy, Washington, have been subject to due process involving the Ministry of Interior, intelligence agencies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visas issued in July 2010 included the large number of persons accompanying Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during her visit to Pakistan.
“Several visas applications had been pending for up to five months before then and these pending applications were cleared just ahead of the Secretary of State’s visit. It is sad that some people continue to sensationalise issuance of visas between two friendly countries, completely ignoring the fact that almost one million persons of Pakistani origin live and work in the United States and several hundred visit the US on diplomatic, official and business visas.” |
http://old.thenews.com.pk/02-02-2011/ethenews/e-29027.htm
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Sunni under tyranny by U.S. backed puppets in Iraq
Sunni under tyranny by U.S. backed puppets in Iraq
Report Says Secret Jails, Run by Iraq, Stay Open
By MICHAEL S. SCHMIDT
Published: February 1, 2011
BAGHDAD — Iraqi security forces controlled directly by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki continue to hold and to torture detainees in secret jails despite his vows last year to end such practices, according to a statement from Human Rights Watch released Tuesday.
The statement renewed longstanding criticism of Mr. Maliki that he has violated the Constitution by having some security forces in charge of pursuing terrorists report directly to his office. About 280 detainees are being held at Camp Justice, a military base in northern Baghdad, with no access to lawyers or their families, according to the report. They are being held by brigades that are supposed to report to the Defense Ministry, it said.
Kamil al-Dolaimi, a member of Parliament who represents the Sunni-dominated Iraqiya Party, said that the families of the detainees should present the evidence of torture to Parliament.
“The Parliament is now 10 times stronger than the recent one and it became the highest legislative authority,” Mr. Dolaimi said. “So we urge detainees’ families to show evidence if such information is true. Not Maliki or anyone else has the authority to play with the people’s fate.”
The Human Rights Watch statement said that the detainees were transferred to Camp Justice from Camp Honor, a military base in the Green Zone in the center of Baghdad, just days before international inspectors were supposed to examine conditions at Camp Honor. Detainees there had been held for months without being charged and were tortured.
The brigades, along with a counterterrorism group that also reports to Mr. Maliki’s office, routinely conduct operations and make mass arrests without notifying the security ministries, the report said.
Mr. Maliki created the brigades in 2008, and they have been a longstanding issue with Sunnis and others who have accused Mr. Maliki, a Shiite, of using the security forces as his personal militia. Those fears have been stoked by the fact that many detainees who have been held by the forces he commanded appear to be Sunnis.
A high-ranking Interior Ministry official was quoted in the report as saying that these brigades and counterterrorism groups “create confusion and a dangerous atmosphere where special units who have a separate authority storm in and take people.”
Human Rights Watch called on Mr. Maliki to honor his pledge to close the jails and transfer authority to the Minister of Justice.
“Revelations of secret jails in the heart of Baghdad completely undermine the Iraqi government’s promises to respect the rule of law,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director for Human Rights Watch.
Omar al-Jawoshy contributed reporting.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/02/world/middleeast/02iraq.html?_r=2&ref=world