WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has decided to expand its cover intelligence operations abroad to fight militancy and weapon proliferation, “starting with the ‘establishment of phony businesses over “seas as cover, this fins been reported by the Washington Post, which quoted administration and Congressional sources This should explain the sudden rush of U.S investment in Pakistan while there is flight of capital out of Pakistan.

As the report tells us that all US military intelligence operations were merged into ‘one, called Defense Human Intelligence Service (DHS)”, The Pentagon then sent a request to the Congress to give authority to provide bonafides commercial cover,” So that DHS cover operatives could with stand lot ailed investigation by hostile foreign intelligence services as well as domestic scrutiny.

 In this regard, an advertisement of a ‘quarter page in The Washington Post during  Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s visit to the United Nations was intriguing It said, our decision to invest in Pakistan paid off.” The sloppy copy of the ad ‘Suggested that it was drafted overseas but it had an American business name with no address or phone number, Further investigations revealed that this was a “joint venture” between a Texas business and a ‘prominent PM politician’s daughter who ‘was a student at Harvard not too long ago. ‘The Post told The News that the advertisement and the cheque came from Pakistan. This doesn’t mean that the business is “phony. But it does make one curious about ‘The ‘no fingerprint” approach, If you have invested in Pakistan and if it has “paid of ‘why be so shy about it? Give your US and Pakistan addresses so other “investors” can learn from your” unique energy project in the country.

This is part of a different approach to intelligence gathering operations in the post-cold War. There seems to be a misunderstanding in Pakistan that “the Cold War has ended”. The fact is that the Cold War has not ended, The Cold War is an operation to ‘gain political and economic influence and stopping your enemy from gaining political and economic influence without using weapons, What has ended the full-scale competition in this field between the

‘United States and the Soviet Union been use the Soviet Union was put out of business without weapons through “cover operations” that included use of bust: nesses, Human Rights groups, cultural groups under a political agreement hailed ins detente.” The end of this competition only means that the full might of US resources will be turned towards the Third World with no one to protect them.

The 1996 Intelligence Authorization Bill has a “sub sot” provision giving three years to the US intelligence agencies to prove their effectiveness. The Pentagon wanted a permanent authority but the Congress declined.

The 1996 bill (which is in the House Senate Conference) also gives the President of the United States authority to suspend sanctions against any country where sanctions may be warranted under other laws such as the Pressler Amendment, The concern was that if such sanctions were applied, the affected country would become hostile and the lives of US covert operatives could be endangered. The cover given to the US president to use this is to say that a major “criminal investigation is going on” in the country being spared of sanctions. The president can delay sanctions for 120days without Congressional authority and after that he has to see it for further continuation.

The criminal investigation could be one like that of Ajmal Kansi, who allegedly killed two CIA employees near the agency’s headquarters. A Police sketch of the person, made with the help of eyewitnesses had no resemblance to Kansi. Even when the US commandos were “exercising” in Baluchistan, presumably to catch him, there was a small price on his head. ‘This has been increased to $2 million now.

Just around this time, “Prince” Mohammad Bin Hassan Mohammad shows up in Washington to discuss the “hopes of an independent Baluchistan. Don’t be fooled by his name. He is no ‘Arab. He is a Pakistani. Unfortunately, he didn’t invite this correspondent a lunch with journalists and ambassadors.” One newspaper columnist described him as a “prince of an ancient people scattered throughout the Persian Gulf. The prince says that “British colonial partition excluded Balochistan as an independent nation we want to promote their cause that they can achieve their rights.”

He also said that the “Balochi people are becoming a force to be reckoned with.” Was the recent armed conflict between Bugatti tribes a demonstration or test run for this? “This is our chance to do something  to show something,” he said and added that he had “hopes for independence,” It is easier to support independence for Baloch is if there could be a lot of “private investment” in a posterity of Balochistan.

“The prince” already has the services of ‘a Washington PR firm, There was Margaret Heckler, former cabinet member and Republican Congress woman from Massachusetts, But the most intriguing presence, if correctly reported, was that of Henry Smith, Director of International ‘Affairs at the Department of Education. He is a Clinton appointee, Why would a serving political appointee of the President attend the luncheon of a separatist leader from a country whose territorial integrity is recognized by the US and ties have “further strengthened” due  approval of release of $268 million in arms ‘and spare parts?

This “human intelligence” operation at this time has 1,000 employees, which include civilians. In order to have covered agents inside a county you have to keep ‘open the “doors” through which they enter.

This explains the revival of the US Pakistan Consultative Group even though there is going to be no military cooperation (although $368 million would keep the hope alive), This also explains the approval of military training program for Pakistani officers (even though they never get to see the US arms in future).

Newsweek of March 20, 1995 (in story on the murder of the US embassy employees) quoted Pakistani official saying that at the end of 193, the US Government provided a list of “bad elements in our secret services” and “we cleaned house and Washington is happy.”

Of course, one way to protect your covert operatives from foreign intelligence agencies is to have the government of that country clean house,” Newsweek quoted a senior administration official saying that since then (clean the house) “Benazir Bhutto has been doing all the right stuff.”

This brings us full circle to the arrest of 30 to more army officers on charges of “plotting to overthrow” both the military and civilian leadership.

Some reports say that they were carrying armaments for Kashmiri mujahedeen. ‘They were arrested on September 26 (although it was not disclosed at that time). On September 30, Daily Jang editions throughout the nation had a banner head ‘quoting responsible sources” that the United States had decided to play a direct role in the Kashmir dispute by making the Line of Control (LOC) a permanent international boundary.

The news said that three top US military officials had visited Pakistan and marked the LOC on four points for minor adjustments the Daily Jang also claimed that this would get official blessings after that meeting of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in Colombia and details will be discussed at the foreign secretary level, The news was not denied, The Bhutto Rao meeting did not take place which the’ responsible sources” who leaked the detailed news wanted.

This also explained why the US Chief of Naval Staff would go out of his way to meet the “head of government” of a land locked, helpless piece of land, namely Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, the Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. [(P.I. 11/10/95].

Article extracted from this publication >> November 17, 1995