CIA Station Chief in Algeria Accused of Rapes

[Sigaba]

Source is here.

Exclusive: CIA Station Chief in Algeria Accused of Rapes
"Ugly American"? Spy Boss Allegedly Drugged Muslim Women, Made Secret Sex Videos
By BRIAN ROSS, KATE McCARTHY, and ANGELA M. HILL

January 28, 2009—

The CIA's station chief at its sensitive post in Algeria is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly raping at least two Muslim women who claim he laced their drinks with a knock-out drug, U.S. law enforcement sources tell ABC News.

Officials say the 41-year old CIA officer, a convert to Islam, was ordered home by the U.S. Ambassador, David Pearce, in October after the women came forward with their rape allegations in September.

[Deleted: plug for ABC's nightly news program with that stalwart bastion of professional journalistic disinterestedness, Charlie Gibson.]

The discovery of more than a dozen videotapes showing the CIA officer engaged in sex acts with other women has led the Justice Department to broaden its investigation to include at least one other Arab country, Egypt, where the CIA officer had been posted earlier in his career, according to law enforcement officials.

The U.S. State Department referred questions to the Department of Justice, which declined to comment.

"It has the potential to be quite explosive if it's not handled well by the United States government," said Isobel Coleman, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who specializes in women's issues in the Middle East.

"This isn't the type of thing that's going to be easily pushed under the carpet," she said.

The CIA refused to acknowledge the investigation or provide the name of the Algiers station chief, but the CIA Director of Public Affairs, Mark Mansfield, said, "I can assure you that the Agency would take seriously, and follow up on, any allegations of impropriety."

It can be a crime for government officials to reveal the identity of a current covert intelligence officer, and CIA officials would not comment the status of the person under investigation.

One of the alleged victims reportedly said she met the CIA officer at a bar in the U.S. embassy and then was taken to his official station chief residence where she said the sexual assault took place.

The second alleged victim reportedly told U.S. prosecutors that, in a separate incident, she also was drugged at the American's official residence before being sexually assaulted.

Officials Say One of the Alleged Victims is Seen On Tape

Both women have reportedly given sworn statements to federal prosecutors sent from Washington to prepare a possible criminal case against the CIA officer.

Following the initial complaints, U.S. officials say they obtained a warrant from a federal judge in Washington, D.C. in October to search the station chief's CIA-provided residence in Algiers and turned up the videos that appear to have been secretly recorded and show, they say, the CIA officer engaged in sexual acts.

Officials say one of the alleged victims is seen on tape, in a "semi-conscious state."

The time-stamped date on other tapes led prosecutors to broaden the investigation to Egypt because the date matched a time when CIA officer was in Cairo, officials said.

Pills found in the CIA residence were sent to the FBI crime laboratory for testing, according to officials involved in the case.

"Drugs commonly referred to as date rape drugs are difficult to detect because the body rapidly metabolizes them," said former FBI agent Brad Garrett, an ABC News consultant. "Many times women are not aware they were even assaulted until the next day," he said.

A third woman, a friend of one of the alleged victims, reportedly provided a cell phone video that showed her friend having a drink and dancing inside the CIA station chief's residence in Algiers, which officials told ABC News provided corroboration the CIA officer had indeed brought the woman to his residence.

The officer in charge of the CIA station in Algiers plays an important role in working with the Algerian intelligence services to combat an active al Qaeda wing responsible for a wave of bombings in Algeria.

In the most serious incident, 48 people were killed in a bombing in August, 2008 in Algiers, blamed on the al Qaeda group.

The Algerian ambassador to the United Nations, Mourad Benmehid, said his government had not been notified by the U.S. of the rape allegations or the criminal investigation.

Repeated messages left for the CIA officer with his parents and his sister were not returned.

No Charges Have Been Filed

No charges have been filed but officials said a grand jury was likely to consider an indictment on sexual assault charges as early as next month.

"This will be seen as the typical ugly American," said former CIA officer Bob Baer, reacting to the ABC News report. "My question is how the CIA would not have picked up on this in their own regular reviews of CIA officers overseas," Baer said.

"From a national security standpoint," said Baer, the alleged rapes would be "not only wrong but could open him up to potential blackmail and that's something the CIA should have picked up on," said Baer. "This is indicative of personnel problems of all sorts that run through the agency," he said.

"Rape is ugly in any context," said Coleman who praised the bravery of the alleged Algerian victims in going to authorities. "Rape is viewed as very shameful to women, and I think this is an opportunity for the US to show how seriously it takes the issue of rape," she said.

[SF-TX]

Other than to instigate Muslims, what is the point in listing the religion of the alleged victims? Counter that with reporting of incidents of violence committed by Muslims. The MSM will rarely identify them as Muslim, and if they do, we are typically counseled that religion had nothing to to do with the incident.

...The CIA's station chief at its sensitive post in Algeria is under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department for allegedly raping at least two Muslim women who claim he laced their drinks with a knock-out drug, U.S. law enforcement sources tell ABC News.

Officials say the 41-year old CIA officer, a convert to Islam, was ordered home by the U.S. Ambassador, David Pearce, in October after the women came forward with their rape allegations in September....

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=6750266&page=1

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by SF-TX

Other than to instigate Muslims, what is the point in listing the religion of the alleged victims? Counter that with reporting of incidents of violence committed by Muslims. The MSM will rarely identify them as Muslim, and if they do, we are typically counseled that religion had nothing to to do with the incident.

Sensationalism.

Hey, I thought Neon Leon was going to straighten out the Agency?

How can they make this President Bush's fault?

TR

[SF_BHT]

Hell he was a convert I guess they trained him well. Guess they do not care if they defile Muslims or non musliums.......

Religion of Peace.....Haaaaaaaa

I am suprised they reported that he was a convert. Would have gotten more press if he was not.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by SF-TX

Other than to instigate Muslims, what is the point in listing the religion of the alleged victims? Counter that with reporting of incidents of violence committed by Muslims. The MSM will rarely identify them as Muslim, and if they do, we are typically counseled that religion had nothing to to do with the incident.

Along your line of inquiry, what is the point of stating that alleged perpetrator is "a convert to Islam"? Maybe I'm reading too much between the lines, but it strikes me as a swipe at other types of converts: specifically Bush the Younger who switched denominations.

[Pete]

This does show the difference between the US and Muslim countries.

The US will go after the guy. The others would go after the females because it was their fault.

[rubberneck]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

How can they make this President Bush's fault?

TR

That's easy. It is because Bush administration did away with sexual harassment workshops for CIA station chiefs in favor of an advanced torturing techniques seminar. Do I win a prize?

[Bill Harsey]

"U.S. law enforcement sources" felt some overwhelming obligation to go tell ABC news before charges have been filed and from what I read, a grand jury has not yet either seen or ruled on the evidence?

something doesn't smell right.

[Defender968]

First off screw the MSM for posting this, especially with all of their slant. Second I know this guy gets the presumption of innocence, however if the allegations are there by multiple women and he got recalled then the odds are there is something to it, even if he is innocent of the rapes the mere perception of impropriety especially this type hurts our entire nation. Even if he didn’t rape them he should get shit-canned out of the Agency as clearly he’s not very good at being a spook and is real bad at foreign relations. If he is guilty I hope he rots in an Algerian prison for the rest of his natural life.

[AngelsSix]

Blackmail? Sounds like the guy had a fetish and got caught, plain and simple, but I wouldn't put the idea that some loser was trying to extort him. Still doesn't make the actions on his part proper by any means. I saw more than a few Joe's enjoying the local company in the sandbox when they thought no one was looking. The girls didn't look drugged to me.

[afchic]

Exclusive: CIA Station Chief in Algeria Accused of Rapes
"Ugly American"? Spy Boss Allegedly Drugged Muslim Women, Made Secret Sex Videos
By BRIAN ROSS, KATE McCARTHY, and ANGELA M. HILL

Why does the MSM continually misuse this term? If any of them had ever actually read the book "Ugly American" they would know that it is not a pegorative term. Every time they use it in the manner they do reminds me of what a bunch of complete and total morons they are.

[Kyobanim]

reminds me of what a bunch of complete and total morons they are.

You need reminded?

[afchic]

Originally Posted by Kyobanim

You need reminded?

Its always good to be reminded. Remember, I am blonde, and sometimes I forget the important stuff!!!

[Saoirse]

Did anyone catch the recruiting commercials for the CIA? I have seen them aired on Fox News many times. I hope they aren't dropping their standards like the US military did, otherwise this is going to become commonplace. <rolling my eyes> I don't need to paint the picture.

[Peregrino]

Originally Posted by Bill Harsey

"U.S. law enforcement sources" felt some overwhelming obligation to go tell ABC news before charges have been filed and from what I read, a grand jury has not yet either seen or ruled on the evidence?

something doesn't smell right.

Bill - I'm with you; something doesn't smell right. Not to denigrate the human cost to the victims if it's all true; but I hope somebody's looking at the larger picture. Aspects of this remind me of other partisan scandals. I hope a competent (you know - impartial and thorough not that that's very likely) investigation produces tangible results; i.e., assignment of responsibility and punishment of the guilty. On the other hand we need to remain objective until the facts are determined. HUMINT can be dirty business; a "Duke Lacross Case" serves our enemies as well as any real incident. A stupid agent (with a proclivity towards "kink"), a competent adversary, a simple "honey trap", and a complicit media are all it takes to destroy years of work (or just impede access for years). If the charges are true, the individuals responsible for vetting/monitoring the accused and anybody involved in damage control should be fired - with prejudice. The potential damage to foreign policy/national image and the national security implications are significant. Talk about second and third order effects; CIA, DOS, and anybody else responsible for sensetive operations will be feeling this one for a long time.