U.S. Covert Operations Buildup in Pakistan Anger Citizens

Pakistan Bloggers Expose Blackwater and U.S Covert Ops in Pakistan

Pakistanis Angered over U.S. Security Forces Antics

University Town of Peshawar Center of Blackhawk Activies, U.S. to Employ 1,000 Marines to Guard U.S.’s Largest Embassy in Islamabad

If you asked the average American what they knew about the war on terror and the U.S. military and Pakistan, they might tell you that the U.S. military involvement is a “small one”, that the U.S. “involvement” is in the form of aid, or that the military is using drones to combat al-Qaeda based on reports by CNN and the MSM. While the MSM focuses on what the Obama administration plans to do in Afghanistan, Pakistan bloggers have exposed the buildup of U.S covert security forces in their country and the expansion of the U.S Embassy in Islamabad.

What most Americans seem to be unaware of is growing number of American military contractors in Pakistan such as Xe Services LLC, formerly Blackwater, and DynCorp, or the buildup of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad with reports that the embassy may eventually be “protected” by a contingent of a “1,000″ Marines. And, that Pakistanis are growing increasing worried and angered over several incidents of U.S. “nationals” who, caught with weapons, and wearing disguises, resisted arrest and were later released under suspicious circumstances.

On October 29, the PakObserver reported on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s meeting with journalists in Islamabad. The reporter who wrote the article claimed Clinton “avoided important questions” and gave “evasive answers” regarding the recent arrest and release of four U.S. nationals, disguised, and armed with weapons the night before on the streets of Islamabad.

More on the incident:

On October 28, the Daily Times reported that four Americans were arrested in Islamabad then released. The Americans dressed as Afghans while traveling in two vehicles. The four were carrying cameras and weapons and wouldn’t allow Islamabad police to search their vehicles after a routine traffic stop. The men resisted arrested. After senior police officials and US embassy staff arrived at the scene, the men were released. When contacted, the US Embassy claimed to have “no information” on the incident.

The site, UnitedForJustice, had more details as well as details about similar, prior incidents in Pakistan. Incidents which have caused “alarm” for the citizens of Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD – Once again, 4 American nationals were caught red-handed by Capital Police in the wee hours of Tuesday when they were carrying weapons publicly. However, they managed to secure release and continue their journey to a mysterious destination, sources informed.

According to details, police personnel deployed here at Nawaz Chowk, sector F-8, intercepted two suspicious vehicles in the wee hours of Tuesday. During the search, police recovered weapons from their custody. The riders of these vehicles were found, once again, to be American nationals.

To the surprise of many, the Americans were allowed to go along with their arms after an anonymous call that the officer in command at police picket received at the same time when preliminary investigation were being carried out from the foreigners. Though it is not clear who asked the police to let the Americans go, sources revealed that US Embassy officials came into action swiftly and got their nationals freed after contacting high-ups of Pakistan’s Interior Ministry.

When contacted, Foreign Office spokesman told TheNation that there existed no law in Pakistan that might allow any foreigner or diplomat, including Americans, to move on busy roads of capital with illegal arms.

Talking to TheNation, the Spokesperson of US Embassy Richard Snelsire said he was unaware about the incident.

More:

Following Tuesday’s incident, a wave of anger, fear and uncertainty has been felt across the federal capital. It was not the first incident of such kind in the Federal Capital wherein foreigners were nabbed by police for keeping illegal arms. It has been observed that in a number of incidents police intercepted foreigners including American diplomats cruising busy roads of Islamabad carrying sophisticated arms and let them free after interception of ‘hidden hands’.

Pashtun natives

The article described other incidents, including the June 23, 2009 incident where three American diplomats, disguised as pakhtoons, were intercepted carrying machine guns and pistols:

On June 23, 2009, a police team deployed at Khyber Chowk, G-9/4, intercepted a vehicle. The team found three American diplomats – Jeffery, Jeffdic and James Bill Koeen and driver Charlie Benzic – belonging to the regional security section of the US Embassy, in the guise of pakhtoons wearing Shalwar Kameez.

The police recovered four M-4 machineguns and four 9mm pistols from their possession after checking the vehicle. Before the police could lodge complaint against them, the diplomats were allowed to go after the intervention of US Embassy and Interior Ministry.

Also referred as pashtuns, natives typically dwell in an area that stretches from southeastern Afghanistan to northwestern Pakistan.

In another incident in August, a Pakistan local was detained by two U.S Nationals by the Marriot Hotel where they were joined by U.S Embassy Officials who then “questioned” the Pakistani for a period of “30 minutes”:

“On August 26, 2009, two US nationals stopped Mohsin Bukhari, owner of a petrol pump situated in F-6 at Agha Khan Road near Marriott Hotel. To the surprise of Mohsin, US officials took him to his petrol pump where three more investigators from US Embassy joined them. After questioning him for 30 minuets, the US team set him free.

On August 31, Haqeeqat.org published a report on “US Hummers and Undercover American Soldiers Swarm Islamabad Upon PPP’s Invite”.

From Haqeeqat:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Undercover armed Americans are swarming the Pakistani capital in the latest sign that the elected government has allowed Washington to dispatch what is believed to be a large number of American special operations agents and contractual security guards, including the infamous Blackwater (learn more on Blackwater in Pakistan) private militia.

This comes at a time when whistleblowers within the government and the military are reporting the arrival of a large number of US Marines in Pakistan. Some reports put the figure at 1,000 US soldiers, much of whom are thought to be arriving as part of the massive expansion of the US Embassy and four consulates across the country. While the US embassy continues to deny this, new buildings are under construction to house security teams. The expanded US embassy is supposed to become the largest US embassy in the world.

On October 8, the site Pro-Pakistan.com published American Terrorism Den Exposed in Islamabad Vicinity. The report was on the arrest of a Pakistani security firm owner, Capt. Ali Zaidi, who was partners with the U.S defense contract firm DynCorp., and the discovery of an “Auto Repair Workshop” that was allegedly used by Americans to secretly train Pakistanis for covert military actions.

From Pro-Pakistan:

It is claimed that the structure had something to do with the US defense contractor DynCorp. The US ambassador sought a special permission from the Interior Ministry to allow this company to provide ’security services’ anywhere in Pakistan. The owner of a Pakistani security firm, retired Capt. Ali Zaidi, who is a partner of DynCorp, was arrested this week after a huge cache of illegal weapons were found stashed in his offices in the heart of the high-security zone in the federal capital. Mr. Zaidi and the American security firm were reportedly recruiting retired Pakistani military officers to work for the US military, in what is tantamount to creating an indirect US military presence inside Pakistan.

Pakistani bloggers were responsible for exposing Blackwater’s presence in Pakistan.

From PakistanDesk:

Let’s throw some light on the Blackwater presence in Pakistan, the claim which the government is bent upon proving “wrong”. Although there is a complete state of [official] denial of Blackwater threat, a recent development is ample proof for its presence in Pakistan. Blackwater is reportedly recruiting agents fluent in Urdu & Punjabi for Pakistan. Where will be the agents being fluent in URDU and PUNJABI posted if not Pakistan? Surely Pakistan, the Punjab and remaining Pakistan expect NWFP for which it has already hired Pashto speaking agents.

In a new development Blackwater has reached Karachi and got 11 Bungalows on rent in the posh areas of DHA (7) and Gulshan-e-Iqbal (4). In order to start its work in Karachi, Blackwater has hired two dozen Pakistanis; most of them retired officials of Law enforcing agencies. One of the 11 bungalows situated in Khayaban-e-Shamsheer area of Defence is believed to be its Headquarter.

More on the buildup of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad from Pro-Pakistan:

The US in the process is ready to spend about $1 billion for the upgradation of their Islamabad presence, including an expenditure of $405 million for the reconstruction and refurbishment of the main embassy building; $111 million for a new complex for accommodating 330 personnel; and $197 million for constructing about 250 housing units. For this purpose the American embassy has acquired about 18 acres of land for a meagre Rs1 billion, courtesy of the Capital Development Authority. The CDA had recently, in another transaction, sold just six acres of land for Rs6 billion. A Turkish firm has already built a 153-room compound for the embassy.

The upcoming fortress-like embassy is meant for accommodating close to 1,000 additional personnel being sent to Islamabad as part of the US administration’s decision to increase its staff in Pakistan. The new staffers would augment the 750-strong American contingent already based in Pakistan against a sanctioned strength of 350.

What appears to be more alarming is that this staff surge would include 350 marines.Additionally, the Americans are pressuring Islamabad to allow the import of hundreds of Dyncorp Armoured Personnel Carriers.

From Pakastanic.com:

One thousand US Marines will be coming to Pakistan and will be deployed at US Mission in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesman, Abdul Basit Khan told media in a press briefing on 5th August, 2009 at Press Club, Karachi while replying to a query about increase in the strength of the US personnel at Islamabad Mission. Remember that US is going to establish world’s biggest mission in Islamabad in near future and marines are coming to protect the Islamabad mission.

“Micro-managing Pakistan”

Pro-Pakistan has more on what some in Pakistan consider the U.S.’ attempt to “micro-manage” Pakistan:

Are these arrangements being made just to cater for the enhanced security needs of the American embassy and their diplomats based here, or are they aimed at micromanaging Pakistan? This is just one question nagging Pakistani officials as they warily scan the developments and insist that there is something more than what meets the eye. Some of these reservations were expressed by former foreign secretary Shamshad Ahmed Khan. He told Dawn recently that indications were very clear that America wanted to ‘remote-control’ the region from Islamabad.

‘The US is eying a long-term presence in the region to protect its interests and Islamabad is an ideal place for that purpose technologically, diplomatically and personnel-wise.’ Another former diplomat said he saw no justification for such a huge US presence in Islamabad. ‘Clearly these are people who would be coming under cover of diplomatic assignments for covert operations that would be detrimental for Pakistan’s security interests.’

There’s more. In the University town of Peshawar, which recently was hit by a car bomb that claimed over a 100 lives, Monstersandcritics.com published a piece on the “fear” being spread by the presence of “US Blackwater-XE:

Peshawar – Fear is spreading across University Town, an upmarket residential area in Pakistan’s north-western city of Peshawar, due to the overt presence of the controversial US private security contractor Blackwater.

Sporting the customary dark glasses and carrying assault rifles, the mercenaries zoom around the neighbourhood in their black-coloured armoured Chevy Suburbans, and shout at motorists when occasionally stranded in a traffic jam.

The residents are mainly concerned about Blackwater’s reputation as a ruthless, unbridled private army whose employees face multiple charges of murder, child prostitution and weapons smuggling in Iraq.

The article is extremely interesting as it cites the “rude” behavior of the “private army”, just “who” Blackwater is “protecting”, and why the government of Pakistan has asked local provinces to “keep an eye” on the company. Pro-Pakistan has more on the “antics” of Blackwater in Peshawar and the June 9 bombing of the Peshawar PC Hotel which they claim is linked to the activities of the “Blackwater agents”.

On October 9, President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize based in part upon this statement of the Nobel Peace prize committee:

“His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population,” the committee said of Obama.”

We wondered how the U.S.’s covert activities in Pakistan could be construed as “diplomatic” and whether these are the types of “values” and “attitudes” the Nobel Peace prize committee believes are “shared by the majority of the world”?

By LBG

Image – Blackwater

Images – Pashtuns

Tags: Afghanistan, Blackwater, bloggers, covert operations, Obama, Pakistan, U.S. Embassy