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Spywars

Spywars
Author:RaviShankar
PublishedDate:Jul31,201110:16PM
LastUpdated:May16,20128:50PM

Sexisoneofthepopularweaponsinspycraft,usedextensivelyinIndiabyPakistanand
toalesserdegreebytheCIA.
DaysbeforethepulchritudinousForeignMinisterofPakistan,HinaRabbaniKhar,wastomeetKashmiriseparatist
YasinMalikin
LahoreonJuly25,Indianintelligenceknew.Especiallyafterlastyearscurfewriddenmonthsandviolence,the
Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Military Intelligence (MI) were working overtime in Kashmir. They passed on
informationtoNewDelhithatHurriyatleadersSyedAliShahGeelaniandMirwaizUmarFarooqwerepreparingto
leave for New Delhi on the eve of the Pakistan foreign ministers visit. The mandarins of the Ministry of Home
Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) that also included officers from
ResearchandAnalysisWing(RAW)andIBmet.ItwasdecidedthatifRabbanimetHurriyatleadersatthePakistani
HighCommissioninNewDelhi,itcouldbeadvantageIndiathemoralhighgroundofademocracywheredissent
istolerated.ItwouldalsoexposePakistanasacountryofficiallyencouragingseparatismandviolenceinKashmir
fortheworldhasbeenwatchingsincetheFBIarrestedPakistansInterServicesIntelligence(ISI)lobbyistGhulam
NabiFaiwhoreceivedmillionsofdollarsfromtheISItolobbyforKashmir.
Such is the smoke and mirrors world of espionagenothing is what it seems to be. We call it perception
management, says an intelligence officer. We communicate to the Pakistanis through separatists, especially
people like Mirwaiz and Malik. They say one thing in public, but to our counterparts in Islamabad, they say
somethingelseinprivateafterallMirwaizsfatherwasmurderedbytheISI,hisschoolburntdownandhisaide
wasrecentlyshot.HehasnoloveforPakistan.WhenthingsgettoohotinKashmir,itistheywhotellPakistanto
backoff,addstheofficer.
A senior Israeli diplomat posted in Delhi says that Indian intelligence is one of the finest in the world. But
information dissemination and coordination among Indias various intelligence agencies are a plague. Terror
relatedinteloperationsareeffectiveonlyifyouhavegoodHUMINT(humanintelligence),saysJaidevRanade,
former additional secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat and counterintelligence expert. According to a senior IB
official, the 26/11 terrorists were using SIM cards planted on them by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Its these
cardsthatopenedthegatewaythatenabledIndianintelligencetotrackthecallsandsourcethemtoPakistan.That
information was later shared with other agencies, especially Israels Mossad, after the two Pakistani terrorists
BabarImranandNasiroccupiedChabadHousefor45hoursandkilledsixIsraelisduringtheattacks.According
toCDSahay,formerdirector,RAW,therewasenoughintelligencetoavoid26/11.TheIsraelissaythatafter26/11,
IndianintelligenceandMossadworkcloselytogether,especiallyonIslamicterror.Wehavecommoninterestsis
theexplanation.
Thesubcontinentisabeehiveofintelligenceandcounterintelligenceactivityandspycraft.Therearetworeasons
forthis.OneisIslamicterrorwithAfPakasthehub.Two,Indiaisspendingbillionsofdollarsonarmamentandother
defenceequipment.Together,theyarecompellingmotivesformostmajorintelligenceagenciestospreadtheirnet
aswideaspossibleinIndia:themainplayersbeingapartfromtheubiquitousISItheCIA,theFSB(Russias
spyagency),ChinasMSS(MinistryofStateSecurity),DGFI(Bangladeshsintelligenceagency)andtheMossad.
MI6andtheFrenchhaveapresence,too,buttheirinformationgatheringislargelyrelatedtodefence.Tomake
friends and influence people, various time tested methods are usedwomen, booze, bribes, foreign trips,
scholarshipsandcybercraft.
SEXANDTHESPY
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The famous American spymaster, the CIAs Michael J Barrett, called espionage the worlds second oldest
professionandjustashonourableasthefirst.Sexisoneofthepopularweaponsofspycraft,usedextensivelyin
IndiabyPakistanandtoalesserdegreebytheCIA.TheRussiansandtheChinese,accordingtoRAWsources,
prefertoentrapIndiandiplomatsabroad.
AseniorRAWoperativewhoheldpostingsinWashingtonandBeijingspeaksaboutaPakistaniLothariodiplomat
inDelhiwhohadhalfofthecitysprominentsocialitesasfriends.HewaspostedasaFirstSecretaryhisespionage
skillsgothimaquickpromotiontoCounselor.Hismodusoperandiwastousehisformidableseductionskillson
highsocietywomenwhohadaccesstothehighestlevelsintheIndianestablishment.ThemaleMataHariwould
gatherinformationthroughhisnetworkofsexualconquestssomeofthemevenhadparallelromanticrelationships
with Indian bureaucrats, politicians and even some senior journalists. All Pakistani high commissioners in India
entertain lavishly, and the capitals cr&egraveme de la cr&egravemejournalists, businessmen and social
butterfliesis invited. Cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan lead to qawwalis and mushairas fertile
groundsforinformationharvesting.
Heevenkeptalittlediarythatlistedhisconquests,saysaseniorIBoperative.Womenwereclassifiedaccording
totheirvitalstatistics,temperamentandregionMarwari,
Punjabi,BengaliorSouthIndian.HewrotethatBengaliwomenwerestubbornwhileBihariandPunjabiwomen
wereeasiertomanipulate.
So,whentheIBhassuchdetailedinformationonaPakistanispy,whydonttheyexpelhim?Simple.Itseasierto
keepaneyeonaknownspy,aswellasontheIndianswhoareclosetohim.
AccordingtotheIB,theISImaintainsthreelevelsofoperatives.Atthelowestlevelarethosewhoarelowlypaid
andaremerelyaskedtoreconnoitrecantonments,policestationsandgovernmentbuildingsandreportback.The
secondrungismoretrustedforexample,theywouldbeaskedtocreatelongtermcoverstories:likeopeninga
smallshopinthevicinityofthecantonment,cultivatelocalsandsoldiersandgatherinformationonofficers,andthe
comingandgoingsoninthecantonment.
Thethirdareuniqueasspiesgoodlooking,physicallystrongyoungboysandmen.AnIndianintelligenceofficer
saysthattheISItookaleafoutoftheEastGermanspymasterMarkusWolfsbooktocreatemalehoneytrapsand
woolonelysecretariesofinfluentialmeningovernment.Theywouldentraplonelydiplomats(likeMadhuriGupta
whowasarrestedin2010)orarmywives,includingthoseofnoncommissionedofficers.Indianintelligencewas
alertedtothisoperationthroughtelephoneinterceptstracedtoPakistan.AmassivesexualoffensiveagainstIndia
isbeingplannedbytheISI,accordingtoIndianintelligenceinKashmir.Around900oddwomenspiesarebeing
trained by ISI, to honeytrap important Indian establishment figures. Punjab and Kashmir police are keeping a
lookoutforthePakistaniPussyGalorescrossingtheborder.
ARAWofficialsaysthatIndianintelligencecultivatesPakistaniassetsaswell,butmoreathomethaninKarachior
Islamabad. This is because the ISI keeps all Indians, both visitors and diplomats, on a tight leash. What the
Pakistanispywantsinexchangefirstissex.Thattoo,theyinsistonHinduwomenonly.Honeytrapsarenotour
style,saysanintelligenceofficerwhohasservedabroadunderdiplomaticcover.Butthereareenoughcallgirls
whoarepassedoffasHinduwomen.Ofcourse,thePakistanispiesarealsopaidincashand
expensiveforeignliquorinexchangeforinformation.
RAWofficialssaythatPakistanipoliticiansvisitingIndiausuallydelegationsofMPsaskforfilmactressesand
starlets as local entertainment. The ISI connects them to upscale pimps, who then are put in touch with visiting
Pakistanipoliticos.TherearetravelrestrictionsonPakistanis,sothegirlsareflownintoDelhi,saysanIBsource.It
makesiteasierfortheIBtokeeptabsonthem.Aswellascompromisethepoliticiansandturnthemintopotential
intelligenceassetsfortheRAW.
There are many cases of successful honeytraps in the saga or intelligence and counterintelligence, but few are
revealed.Exposureisusuallyquickandthediplomatissenthomeusuallyonthefirstavailableflight.Inonecase,a
PakistanifemaleagentcompromisedanIndiannavalattach&eacutepostedattheIndianmissioninIslamabad.At
thattime,thenavalofficersunclewasaseniorbureaucratattachedtotheofficeofthePresidentofIndia,which
madehimaprizeassetforthePakistanis.ThePakistanisalsoknewhehadagladeye,especiallyforthewivesof
fellowofficers.TheyentrappedhimwithabeautifulfemaleISIagentworkingwiththePakistaniNavytheywouldgo
offtothePakistanihillstationofMurreefortrysts.Thenoneday,shecameupwiththestandardblackmaillinethat
shewaspregnant.TheISIthenbegantoputtheheatonhim,butthenavalofficerhadthegoodsensetospeakto
theIndianambassadorwhoputhimonthefirstflightoutofIslamabad.Afterdebriefingandenquiry,hewasasked
toresignhiscommission.ThereisasimilarcasethathappenedinBeijingwhenanIndiandiplomatwashavingtwo
affairssimultaneouslyonewithhismaidandtheotherwithhisChineselinguistwhowerebothChineseagents.
Whileforcedtochoose,hetookthelinguistoutfordinnertotellheritwasover.Bymistake,thespeeddialbuttonof
a friend, a senior Indian diplomat posted in Beijing, was pressed. He then taped the whole conversation. The
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disgrace claimed the ageing Don Juan, who had less than a year to retire. A RAW officer posted in Beijing
remembers&nbspasimilarcasewhenhisfriendayoungAmericandiplomatpostedasa3rdSecretaryinthe
CyberDivisionwhowashoneytrappedbyagorgeousChinesegirlapproachedhimforadvice.Hiscounselwas
thattheyoungmanseekhelpfromtheUSmission.TheAmericandidandwasflownhomeimmediately.
OLDBOYNETWORK
The reason why Pakistan has been able to cultivate sources among Delhis elite is, class. All Pakistani High
CommissionerstoIndiahaveacommonsocialprofileOxbridgeeducated,Westernisedandimmenselyrich,they
relyontheoldboynetworkwithIndianswhotheywenttocollegeandschoolwithwhonowoccupyhighpositions.
AnintelligenceofficialinDelhi,whospecialisesinPakistanaffairs,saysthattheISItargetsDelhisPunjabiupper
classwhoarefedthecrossborderPunjabiIndoPakbrotherhood.FormerPrimeMinister
IKGujralnoPakistaniagentwasmeltedenoughbythePunjabibrotherhoodlinetodisbandtheentireRAW
network across Pakistan, one that had taken years to build. Intelligence legend says the then RAW chief was
orderedtogivethenamesoftheassetstoPakistantoearngoodwill,whichwasreturnedintheformofexecutions
carried out by General Ziauddin of the ISI. Pakistani upper class Indian&nbsp assets in Delhi are unknowing
conduits of information, according to senior RAW source. It is a subtle operation that is a combination of
confidencessharedatprivatedinners,Urdupoetrysessionsandmusicaleveningsandinformationpassedonin
the interests of neighbourly peace. Gujrals act was to cause lasting damage to RAW, which in retrospect
wouldvebeeninabetterpositiontohandlePaksponsoredIslamistterror.
RAWs operations in Pakistan had been very effective during the Khalistan movement. In the mid1980s, the
agencysetuptheCounterIntelligenceTeamX(CITX)andCounterIntelligenceTeamJ(CITJ)twohighlycovert
armstoreactwithviolencewithinPakistanwheneveraPaksponsoredmassacrehappenedinPunjab.Theywere
sosuccessfulthattheISIchiefwasforcedtoaskforameetingwithhisRAWcounterparttodrawuptherulesof
engagement on Punjab with the then Jordanian Crown Prince Hassan binTalal acting as referee. The princes
wife,PrincessSarvath,isPakistaniandpresumablywascontactedbytheISI.
Atthattimewehadan
advantage,saysMoloyDhar,IBcounterintelligenceexpertwhowasinvolvedintheoperations.Themediagave
ussilentcooperation.Itwaswar.Sowediditandfinishedit.
&nbspThosewhoareskittishaboutPakistanisareapproachedbyanotherrouteofotherdiplomats.According
toanIBofficial,Bangladeshisareperfectcandidates.ManywitholdEastPakistanmemoriesarestillsympathetic
towardsPakistan,hesays.Moneychangeshands.
Ranade says there is a ring of mosques along the IndoBangladesh border that function as a base for ISI
operations. According to a senior MI source, the Bangladesh spy agency DGFI (Directorate General of Forces
Intelligence)activelyhelpsinPakistaniinfiltrationthroughtheeasternbordertheterrormodulethatcoordinated
the1999KandaharhijackwasfromBangladesh.AccordingtoIndiandiplomaticsources,theformerBangladeshi
HighCommissionerwasproPakistanwhilehisdeputyhasstrong
proIndiafeelings.
InthepreHasinadays,theDGFIwashandinglovewithPakistansISI,saysDhar.TheytrainedtheULFA,the
Nagas,theManipurisagainstIndia.ButonceHasinacametopower,theyweredrivenout.
&nbsp
HITECHSNOOPING
Its not just the Bangladeshis that the Chinese use for eliciting third party information. The Chinese bribe
cooperativethirdworlddiplomatstospyoneachother.TheroleofChinesejournalistswithhugeexpenseaccounts
cultivatingcontactsinthemediaandtheestablishmentinDelhihascomeundertheRAWandIBscanner.Indians
whohavesimilarideologicalsympathieshelpthem:thosewhostudyorteachincertainuniversitiesorbelongto
leftleaningpoliticalparties.ManyofthemareofferedfreetripstoChinawherealltabs,includingshopping,are
pickedup.Indianmissionsoverseasdoittoo,saysaretireddiplomat.WeoffertheIndiaexperience.Butthereis
adifference.TheChinesefollowupandseekaquidproquointherelevantfields,saysRanade.
The Chinese are also good at cultivating sources in government. A classic case is Huawei Technologies, the
BangalorebasedChinesecorporationthatwasblacklistedfromenteringthetelecomsectorafteraCIAtipoffonits
Talibanconnection.GovernmentsourcessayHuaweifloutedallregulations,butwasinbusinessbeforewewere
evenawareofit.Thecompanysmodusoperandiwastorecruit&nbspformerGMsandretiredseniorofficersof
MTNLandBSNLonhugesalaries,andthususetheirgovernmentconnectionstoitsbenefit.Inonecase,aserving
MTNLofficialduetoretireintwoyearswascontactedandofferedajobatahugesalary.Hookhimbeforehe
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retiresisHuaweispolicy,saysanintelligenceanalyst.
TheIBsaysthatwhenitcomestohacking,theChineserule.WhenthePMOcomputerswerehackedintoin2010,
thehackerschoseonlythosemachinesbelongingtoofficialsliketheJS(Pak),JS(China)andJS(US).
&nbsp
HANDOUTESPIONAGE
UnliketheChinese,theCIAhasbeenoperatinginIndiafordecades,evenbeforeithelpedtheIndiangovernment
setupRAWafterthe1962IndoChinaWar.Honeytrapshavebeenfrequentlyused,buttodaytheCIAsmainlureis
money, jobs and scholarships for the children of powerful bureaucrats and politicians to study abroad. Many
journalistsandbabusarepartialtotheUnitedStates,saysanintelligenceofficer.Everyoneskidswanttogoto
theUStostudy.TheAmericanshelpthemwithvisasandfundsdependingonhowusefultheyare.
The RAW and IB are keeping a watch on a couple of senior persons, on whom there are strong suspicions.
WhenakidwhoseschoolrecordhasbeenindifferentsuddenlygetsintoagoodAmericanschool,lightbulbsgo
on.TheCIAissometimesloyaltoitstopIndianagents:RabinderSingh,aformerRAWoperativewhodisappeared
aftercomingundersuspicionofbeingaCIAagentwashelpedbytheAmericanstofleethecountry,accordingto
RAWofficials.TheysupposedlyhelpedSinghgenerouslywhenhehadanearfatalcaraccidentinSyria.When
Singhwasexposed,RAWsourcessaytheCIAsuppliedhimafalsepassportandspiritedhimawaythroughNepal.
&nbsp
INTHEIRDEFENCE
Unlike the Pakistanis and the CIA, the Russians use honeytraps only to get information on defence deals
CommodoreSukhvinderSinghisacaseinpoint.TheRussiansarelyinglow,saysDhar.Americansnolonger
seeIndiaasanenemy.Theneedtousehoneytrapslikebeforehasbecomemuchless.
The Mossad is aggressive when it comes to garnering defence information according to MI sources, there are
many IndoUS deals that happen under the radar. Mossad targets Indian security and defence officials using
friendly arms dealers in Delhi. The incentive is not womenbut money, booze and foreign trips. The Mossads
otherfocusisonantiPakoperations.AccordingtoaseniorIBoperative,IndiassmalltownMuslimghettosWe
have to liberate the other nation in Hindustan, a slogan coined by former Pak intel chief Hamid Gulare ideal
hidingplacesforPakistaniagentsactinginconcertwithlocalterrormodules.TheMossadusesitssabbathhouses
inIndiatokeeptabsonsuspectedterrorists.YoungIsraelidecommissionedsoldiersvisitingIndiaalsohelpthe
Mossad.EvenduringIndiasSocialistproArabdays,theRAWmaintainedacovertrelationshipwiththeMossad,
mainlytogainfromIsraelsWestAsiaandNorthAfricainformationaswellaslearningcounterterrorismtechniques,
saysanintelligenceofficer.
WithsomanyforeignagenciesoperatingonIndiansoil,itsnotasiftheIBandRAWarequiet.Indianintelligence
hasinfiltratednotjustthejihadisupportgroupsoperatinginKashmirandBengal,butalsohasastrongpresencein
Nepal.AnMIoperativeinKashmirspeaksofinfiltratingKashmirimosquestoidentifyhatespeakers.SinceImtall
andfairandlooklikeaKashmiri,Iblendedwellinthemosquewearingaphiranandofferingnamaz.ButhadI
openedmymouth,Iwouldvebeendead,exposedasanonKashmiri.Iwouldpretendtobedumb.Somewerenot
solucky.AretiredspymasterremembershowhesentanoperativeintoPakistanwhospentthenightinasarai
along the border. Something he did gave him away and he was picked up after prayer, he says. After many
years,weheardhehadbeenthrownintojailandkeptthere.Theworldofintelligencehasitscomicinterludestoo:
theturfwarsbetweenvariousarmsareablocktoinformationcooperation,especiallyalongtheborder.Sometimes
theMI,IBandtheRAWusethesameagentwithoutknowingheworksfortheothers,saysanoldPakistandesk
hand.Hecoollycollectsmoneyfromallthreeforthesamebitofinfo.
Moneymakestheintelligenceworldgoaround.ManyIndianNGOsarefundedbyvariousintelligenceagencies,
including the ISI and the CIA. Every year an international conference of NGOs takes place in Geneva on South
Asian issues. Its open season. The Indian government funds its own NGOs to counter antiIndia propaganda,
saysaretiredRAWoperative.Wealsoidentifywhoworksforwho.
AccordingtoSouthAsiamilitaryintelligenceexpertColonelRHariharan,Intelligenceagenciesusethreemajor
human weaknesseswine, women, and money powerto make those with access to secrets part with
information.
Secretsarethesubtextofpower.Andspiesthedeadlycouriers.
Copyright2012TheNewIndianExpress.Allrightsreserved.

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