 "US investigating Pakistan expert Robin Raphel in counterintelligence probe: report")
The US government has launched a counterintelligence investigation into long time South Asia and Pakistan expert Robin Raphel, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
While counterintelligence probes typically involved spying on the US on behalf of a foreign government, Raphel has not yet been charged, nor has the exact nature of the investigation been revealed.
Raphel, a former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia affairs in the US government under Bill Clinton, also served as Counselor for Political Affairs in the US Embassy in New Delhi between 1991 and 1993.
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However, she has long been regarded by the Indian administration as having a pro-Pakistan stance in South Asian affairs, and of having a soft spot for Kashmiri separatists. It was during her tenure under President Clinton that the US administration declared Jammu and Kashmir a disputed territory, and called for its resolution in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiris.
In 1994, she also set off a controversy in Indian circles when she questioned the validity of the Instrument of Accession that made Jammu and Kashmir part of the Indian Union, a statement that she quickly backed down from.
A widely-regarded Pakistan expert, she was appointed in 2009 by President Barack Obama to the team of Richard Holbrooke, who was special representative to the Af-Pak region.
As part of the investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation her Washington home last month, and her State Department office was also examined and sealed, the newspaper reported. She retired from government in 2005 but has continued to work occasionally with the State Department on a contractual basis.
Raphel was placed on administrative leave last month, and her contract with the State Department was allowed to expire this week. Her security clearances have also been revoked, the Post said.