Tuesday, October 28 2008, Shawwal 28, 1429    

US replaces CIA Director in Pakistan

Akhtar Jamal

Islamabad—Apparently to build new cooperation and warmer relationship with the new Pakistani leadership CIA Chief Gen. Michael V. Hayden has replaced his Station Director in Pakistan with a more moderate and highly experienced official.

Diplomatic sources have confirmed that recently removed CIA Station Chief in Islamabad was considered closer to ex-President Pervez Musharraf and had been relying on pre-elections policies of Pakistan.

Some observers believe that it was CIA “mis-calculations” that widened the gap of misunderstanding here and led to some “mis-adventure” against Pakistan. Some of the moves such as ground attack was considered as “highly harmful” to the mutual interests of the two states.

The sources told this correspondent that newly appointed CIA Station Chief in Islamabad is expected to improve coordination with his Pakistani counterpart at a time when the two allies in war on terror have developed some mis-understanding on ways and means to counter terrorism and the extremism.

It is believed that the previous CIA chief in Pakistan has miscalculated “response to a ground attack on Pakistani territory on September 3 which resulted in the deaths of several civilians.

Pakistan took up the case at the highest level during President Asif Zardari’s meeting with President George Bush last month and again when National Security Advisor Mahmood Ali Durrani’s meet with US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley in Washington.

Following President Zardari’s meeting President Bush ordered immediate halt to any CIA-led ground operations against Pakistan but aerial attacks have continued since then. During the last two months CIA-operated UAVs have conducted at least 18 attacks inside Pakistan but managed to kill only few suspected terrorists and more civilians, sparking off a new tension between Islamabad and Washington.