CIA seeking wider role in Pakistan

The Nation of Pakistan
Published: October 24, 2010 NEW YORK – The United States is pressuring Pakistan to allow more CIA officers into the country to expand US secret operations aimed at eliminating militant havens near the Afghan border, a prominent American newspaper reported Saturday. “The US asked Pakistan in recent weeks to allow additional Central Intelligence Agency officers and special operations military trainers to enter the country as part of Washington’s efforts to intensify pressure on militants,” The Wall Street Journal said, citing unnamed senior US officials. The newspaper, however, said that Islamabad hasn’t yet approved the US demand. A senior Pakistani official said that relations with the CIA remain strong but Islamabad continues to oppose a large increase in the number of American personnel on the ground, according to The Journal. The newspaper also added that the United States has recently increased the number of CIA officers in Pakistan. “The number of CIA personnel in Pakistan has grown substantially in recent years. The exact number is highly classified,” it said, adding that currently there are about 900 US military personnel in Pakistan, 600 of which are providing flood relief and 150 of which are assigned to the training mission. US-led foreign forces have carried out a record number of airstrikes and drone attacks in Pakistan this year in violation of international law. …