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| Book him Danish, Stupidity One |
This just in from Pakistan's Geo-TV, local court grants bail to FBI agent:
KARACHI: The District and Sessions Judge Malir granted bail to a US citizen who was arrested from the Jinnah International Airport on Monday for trying to board an Islamabad bound PIA flight with ammunition, knives.
Police office Rao Anwaar said the court had directed the man to submit a surety bond of one million rupee ($9,800) for his bail.
The police had detained the American on May 5 at an airport in Karachi after ammunition and three knives were seized from him.
A US law enforcement official identified the man as an FBI agent and said he was there as part of an anti-corruption operation.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has confirmed that the US citizen was an FBI agent who did not have diplomatic immunity.
To recap this story, it seems that an FBI agent was sent to Pakistan for a short TDY assignment, reportedly arriving in Karachi on 1 May. On Monday, 5 May, he attempted to board a flight from Karachi to Islamabad but was arrested when airport security screening found a full magazine of pistol ammunition and a knife in his carry-on bag. He was now been charged with violation of Pakistan's anti-terrorism laws. Police were quoted yesterday saying the agent had a "normal travel visa," and today the Pakistan FO confirmed that the guy does not have diplomatic immunity.
The part about his passport is still unclear to me. I hope he had an official or a diplomatic passport, because, well, just damn, I hope we aren't sending anyone to Pakistan on official USG business without that. As a mere TDY visitor, he would not have had diplomatic immunity regardless of the color of his passport. But surely he was not sent to Pakistan on official business with a blue tourist passport, was he? I fear he could have been.
There is the matter of the agent's carelessness in having ammo and a knife on him when going through airport screening. What was he thinking? But, leave that aside.
There is the other matter of him losing control of his laptop, phone, and other electronic devices, all of them no doubt used for official USG business, and all of them now being ransacked by Pakistani intelligence agencies. That's pretty bad.
Add to that the diplomatic embarrassment factor, and the additional scrutiny other USG travelers will now face in Pakistan. If I were planning to go there on official business right now, I wouldn't be too happy. I mean, I would be even more unhappy than I would normally be about going to Pakistan.
Hey, Mister Special Agent Forgetful, thanks for making Pakistan an even harder place for your fellow government employees.
62 comments:
Great post TSB! Probably some interesting conversations going on now between State and the FBI.
Ms Harpf will give reporters the same answer she gave when they asked her why the chicken crossed the road? (diplopundit): "I don't have anything on that. Check with Justice!" gwb
I gotta say this one stumps me. Incompetence at all levels would be my only guess.
James: Pretty much, yeah. Both on the part of this 32-year old agent, who for all I know might have been in a hostile foreign nation for the first time, and on the part of his supervisor, who should have confirmed that this guy understood he isn't in Kansas (or Miami) anymore before letting him go to Islamabad on his own.
GWB: The Spokeswoman might get a break on this one, since the Pakistanis don't seem to be upset - politically or diplomatically - about what is just a minor criminal matter. The FBI might have most of the explaining to do on this one, especially if they sent him to Pakistan with a tourist visa.
Frankly, just like the NYPD guy under arrest in India for a similar offense, this agent committed a crime in another country and deserves to be punished to the full extent of that foreign law he broke. Any outcome better than that will be due to the USG spending political capital on him, and I don't think we have any of that in Pakistan right now.
TSB: "Dude, it was just Pakistan!"
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2014-05-09/secret-back-story-russia-and-ukraine-americans-never-learned-school
TSB: Mostly there is nothing new in the above history recap.(nice to get all the lies in one place)
But when you consider the economic realities of the energy business (here:http://bit.ly/1m4juyN ) pushing Putin into a corner over Ukraine makes no sense. gwb
James: As in "forget it Jake, it's Chinatown?" You're right. That's what I'd answer if the media asked me what we should do about that FBI Agent in jail in Karachi.
TSB: Well, spy cameras and assorted gadgets? Working at the office of the defense attache? Maybe we should be'skeptical' of the initial reports about anti-corruption assistance? Sure reminds me of Ray Davis. gwb
http://www.dawn.com/news/1105218/
GWB: I haven't seen what he was carrying, but I expect the 'spy gadgets' are pretty much what I'd have, too: a BlackBerry, an iPhone, a camera, a thumb drive, a Swiss Army knife and a Leatherman, etc. Like pornography, the Pakistani media can't define it but they know it when they se it.
GWB: I haven't seen what he was carrying, but I expect the 'spy gadgets' are pretty much what I'd have, too: a BlackBerry, an iPhone, a camera, a thumb drive, a Swiss Army knife and a Leatherman, etc. Like pornography, the Pakistani media can't define it but they know it when they se it.
GWB: I haven't seen what he was carrying, but I expect the 'spy gadgets' are pretty much what I'd have, too: a BlackBerry, an iPhone, a camera, a thumb drive, a Swiss Army knife and a Leatherman, etc. Like pornography, the Pakistani media can't define it but they know it when they se it.
TSB: @StateDept @FLOTUS blah, blah, blah
You have to go with whatever you have. Currently, the US sees no military solution to any of the big problems that we previously created with our military. That leaves crisis diplomacy which also has been a disaster. We aren't sure who has been running that and but the White House is a top suspect. That's why we had to bring in @flotus. She has a great smile, fantastic color coordination and keeps things simple. The kids love her! gwb
TSB: I'm sure it will all come out in court on the 19th when the Judge asks him what he was doing for the defense attache with all those "gadgets". I wonder if he could be accused of, well, spying? We might have to send Susan Rice in like they did with Netanyahu.This is the kind of Court TV I would like to see. gwb
http://www.rt.com/news/158212-academi-blackwater-ukraine-military/
All the good stuff from Ukraine is coming from European sources. That would be somethin if they capture some Blackwater guys. gwb
TSB GWB: Very disturbing news out of Nigeria!
http://neveryetmelted.com/2014/05/11/procul-harum-blamed-for-kidnapping-schoolgirls/
GWB: On those Blackwater photos, I think you'll find they were taken in New Orleans after Katrina, and not in Ukraine.
Well, I hope FLOTUS can work her twitter magic on Boko Harram. After that, maybe we can get her on the Karachi FBI case.
GWB: On those Blackwater photos, I think you'll find they were taken in New Orleans after Katrina, and not in Ukraine.
Well, I hope FLOTUS can work her twitter magic on Boko Harram. After that, maybe we can get her on the Karachi FBI case.
The Farce Is Complete: Joe Biden's Son Joins Board Of Largest Ukraine Gas Producer:
TSB: Meet the new oligarchs of Ukraine! Good to know Joe Biden's son was able to find work in Ukraine. He vows to bring good corporate governance and transparency and great connections to that troubled 'democracy'. gwb
ps: I was hoping to see John Kerry meeting with Boko Haram for negotiations.
TSB: You've developed quite a stutter. I must admit the punctuation and spelling are still of a high quality, but still a doctors visit may be in order.
James, at the pistol range they call that a double tap.
GWB, was that Beau Biden who's in the oil business now? I thought he was still a Delaware politician.
GWB: Give me the link on the Biden deal, please. Curiosity is killing me.
TSB:"a double tap" Going Mossad on me!
James: He either dropped some fudge on the new iphone while laughing at one of your comments or it's early Parkinsons. Next thing we know he will start wandering off while on foreign visits. TSB: it's R. Hunter Biden (wall street lobbying and head of the World Hunger Program) gwb
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-13/farce-complete-joe-bidens-son-joins-board-largest-ukraine-gas-producer
James: TSB might have been trying to do a "Fandango" while posting. I had to research that. He's always trying something new or old. gwb
a lively Spanish or Spanish-American dance in triple time, performed by a man and woman playing castanets.
TSB: Lawrence Wilkerson has always said it best since he wrote Colin Powell's "weapons of mass destruction speech" before the UN.
gwb (The cat still has Colin's tongue however.)
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2014-05-13/colonel-wilkerson-oligarchy-controls-us-war-making
I always had a hard time tuning my castanets, tin ear you know always too flat.
James: You should probably try the "Zills" Don't do the harsh clacker sound though. That's how I wrecked my left ear. See if you can get TSB to bring some back next time he's in Morocco. gwb
Zills can be played in several ways, to produce either ringing tones or a harsh "clack" sound.
TSB; James: Oh! The Kerry family is in on the Ukraine gas deal too!!
http://news.yahoo.com/why-did-a-energy-firm-prospecting-for-gas-in-ukraine-hire-joe-biden-s-son-195339212.html
And in case you middle class tax payers who is funding the Kiev bailout...It's You!! But don't worry, the neo-nazis are good for it! gwb
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-14/ukraine-just-issued-1-billion-bonds-backed-us-taxpayer
There is no pretense anymore.
TSB: Only 2 wks til Bilderburg meets in Ireland and this chap points out that the former Nazi's now run NATO as well as the British defense industry...leaving us serfs with only a skeleton to call a democracy on both sides of the Atlantic. (Mi5 won't even talk to the Parliament just like NSA laughs at the concept of oversight.) I'm checking my sources now for a guest list. gwb
http://rt.com/op-edge/159384-uk-budget-defense-bilderberg/
TSB: Gen. Hitfar is on the offensive
in Benghazi with the government denouncing the offensive as a criminal act! gwb
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/16/heavy-fighting-libya-troops-storm-militias-benghazi
TSB: Have you noticed how the pay wall at NYT seems to have an On/Off
switch? Today it was Off so I caught this great Dowd dish on Condi Rice selling her soul for sucess. gwb
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/opinion/sunday/dowd-condis-lesson.html?hp&rref=opinion&_r=0
GWB: The NYT pay wall is less than 100 percent, and they let you access some things freely, but I've never been clear about the rules.
I think MoDo is going overboard on the Condi thing. Everything she says of Rice could be said of Hillary as well (minus the good things like Russian expertise, piano and ice skating prowess, and fashion sense), since Hillary was beating the drums for Iraq and benefitted politically from her hawkish positions at the time. Unlike Rice, Hillary voted for the Iraq war resolution, so she bears direct responsibility for it.
What do you bet the same college students who wouldn't let Rice be a commencement speaker will be delighted to have Hillary campaign on their campus?
All true TSB! I just have a weakness for Dowd ripping anyone with Shakespeare. gwb
TSB: Just was reminded the (ret.) Gen Hafta was your N.Virginia neighbor for 20 yrs so maybe he is still 'our man in Libya'?
Can anyone tell me why Korean reunification and removal of US troops doesn't make sense? (since S. Korea favors it) The Chi-coms called our bluff with that oil rig and we folded. Of course Japan could never compete with cheap Korean labor but it would be nice to have one less country with Nukes aimed at my house. gwb
TSB: Speaking of 'BACKPEDALING', Kerry's dignity is being affronted once again! State was for it before they were against it! 'Classic Kerry' gwb
http://rt.com/usa/159328-kerry-benghazi-second-subpoena/
They're getting closer and some people are getting jumpy.
TSB: It isn't just forgetful FBI agents who make life tough for dedicated STATE employees in the provinces. I wonder who would have the power to take a big whack out of the CIA budget? gwb
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-05-20/us-govt-admits-using-fake-vaccination-programs-gather-intelligence-swears-it-wont-do
GWB: This immunization controversy isn't a new thing. Back in the 1960s the intelligence community had to swear off using journalism for cover overseas, and they were always banned from using Peace Corps volunteers. Well, NIMBYism aside, they have to pretend to be somebody they aren't, don't they?
GWB: To quote The Covert Comic, it's better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you are not. Which amounts to the same thing for a CIA guy under State Department cover.
TSB: And the Church committee hearings.
TSB;James: My senator took to the floor to promote the vital issue of people being offended by the name of a football team but she doesn't give a whit about the constitution or the Snowden revelations. gwb
“There is no distinctly American criminal class - except Congress.”
TSB; James: Speaking of carelessness, the CIA chief in Kabul would probably rather be called for jury duty than this: gwb
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/white-house-mistakenly-identifies-cia-chief-in-afghanistan/2014/05/25/ac8e80cc-e444-11e3-8f90-73e071f3d637_story.html
GWB: In the White House's defense, they DID promise to be the most transparent administration in history.
I have no doubt it was deliberate. Why, don't know, maybe a warning shot for the Ben Ghazi hearings.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2014/05/26/greenwalds_finale_naming_victims_of_surveillance_122747.html
TSB;James: I'm curious to see how Greenwald handles this list of American NSA targets to achieve maximum effect. I would think it would be great to include responses from those targeted. Bet 5 pesos Ron Paul made the list plus anyone critical of the fed or the banksters...plus anyone on an oversight committee. gwb
GWB: It'll be who is not on it that will be more illustrative.
James: This could be big enough to get Batman and Robin on all the Sunday shows! gwb
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10868673/Bowe-Bergdahl-a-darker-story-behind-the-release-of-Americas-last-prisoner-of-war.html
TSB: Bergdahl is going to be a problem for the corporate media because he felt the same way as lots of the soldiers I met; namely that we were treating the Afghan people like inhuman crap. So he learned Pashto and Urdu and urged the Taliban to celebrate Christmas and Easter? The guy is a radical!!
Way to go Bowe!! Welcome Home! gwb
Speaking of going places..
Bring Your Own Guillotine: Anti-Monarchy Protests Break Out Across Spain! How long til we get those here? Quite the ruckus over there but a little to sensitive to report on here.
gwb
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-02/bring-your-own-guillotine-anti-monarchy-protests-break-out-across-spain
GWB: As monarchs go, I always thought the Spanish one was pretty innocuous. Kinda sorry to see him go when there are so many others more deserving of a republican overthrow.
TSB: At about $10 million a year they are running that monarchy on a shoestring. That's about what we pay for a 2 week vacation for our royal couple. gwb
Only 10 million??? How do they eat on that lousy stipend, and can they afford clothes?
TSB: A lot of that Juan Carlos stuff is off the rack. It's a lot cheaper than the ancestors's stuff and I think they all needed 3 or 4 horses and a bunch of hardware. gwb
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mens-Evil-Viking-Barbarian-Visigoth-Cosplay-Halloween-Costume-/380639728305?pt=US_Costumes&var=&hash=item589fe552b1
There's a good read on Juan Carlos over at The Diplomad 2.0.
Thanks James! That is good one. I can't tell whether the Carloses are popular or unpopular these days but unemployment is 27% and many of the talented unemployed have moved to Mexico. (Portugese too!) gwb
http://rt.com/in-motion/164820-pakistan-taliban-attack-airport/
TSB: Are they training for a fast run to Karachi airport to rescue
Sec. Kerry from the Taliban? gwb
GWB: I think Kerry is clear of Karachi, however, it pays to remember that airports can be dangerous places. Don't twaddle over a masala chai in the airport lounge should you ever visit Karachi. Better yet, just stay away from Karachi.
TSB: Had to look up twaddle. I love to dawdle while I twaddle over a cup of coffee. I couldn't believe when I saw Karachi averages 44,000 a day in passenger traffic. It's amazing what you can do with 13 guys,uniforms, weapons and a plan. gwb
Dawdle! Not Twaddle, sorry. (But avoid twaddle, as well.)
Karachi is a major city, population easily 20 million, with a big airport. The attack focused on a little-used terminal which I think was less well defended then the main parts of the airport.
1540–50; variant of twattle, blend of twiddle and tattle
Twaddle is a great word TSB! Thanks for trying to bring it back!! gwb
"The attack focused on a little-used terminal which I think was less well defended then the main parts of the airport." Bad guys don't care, all they want is the words Karachi Airport in the headlines and no dilly dallying about it.
James: Let's not haggle over words.
It's dawdle and that's that!
The White House has decided the prisoner swap was Hagel's fault cause it's not polling well ... and as 5 US soldiers die fighting for Zabul John Kerry says our combat operations in Afghanistan are
OVER! Time to pivot to Iraq? gwb
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