CIA pumps money, sends operatives into war zone

New Delhi, Oct 14: Armed with a virtual blank cheque from the Bush Administration, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has started pouring in operatives and money into and around Afghanistan and decided to pay a hefty sum to anyone who helps the agency capture or eliminate terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, a US newspaper has reported.

“Scores of intelligence officers and analysts, apparently including some recalled from retirement, are being dispatched to outposts in Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and elsewhere,” the Los Angeles Times said.

“Such a ‘surge’ is necessary because the CIA largely dismantled its local networks and operations in Afghanistan after the retreat of Soviet military forces from the country in 1989, and the collapse of communism soon after,” the report said. In CIA parlance, rapid mobilisation of all resources including humans is called ’surge’.

Although the official US policy has barred assassinations since 1976, the newspaper quoted a senior intelligence official as saying “I’m sure if someone were to deliver to us evidence of his timely demise, we’D Find a way to demonstrate our gratitude.”

The official said the agency “has spread the word that it will reward anyone who helps eliminate bin Laden”, the Prime suspect in the September 11 terrorist strikes. The newspaper quoted representative Porter J Gross of the House Intelligence Committee as saying that the assassination policy has not been abandoned and the first aim of the US would be to capture bin Laden.

But he said different standards apply during wartime. “In a state of war, you don’t go out and assassinate people. You take them
out.”

— Reuters