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Journalism of Courage
A former CIA agent who ran a private spy agency in the US has revealed that iconic Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdullah had known about Pakistans plans for the 1965 war months in advance and even informed Washington that the Pakistan Army would open up a battlefront with India over Kashmir.
Duane R Clarridges private network of spies,which operated in Pakistan and Afghanistan to collect information for the US,has become the subject of a controversy that has been reported by The New York Times. In his autobiography A Spy for All Seasons,he has detailed a meeting with Abdullah in Saudi Arabia where the Kashmiri leader brought up Pakistans moves in Kashmir.
The Lion of Kashmir basically gave me the whole plan of the Pakistanis for Kashmir. The Pakistanis were going to begin infiltrating small guerilla units out of Azad Kashmir,the little chunk of Kashmir that Pakistan did get,into Kashmir proper, Clarridge,who was in the South Asia section of the CIA in Washington as an officer of major rank at the time,has written in his book that was first published in 1997.
The former spy,who had served in India between 1960-64 and headed the CIAs operations in Madras,has written that he had made a detailed report on the meeting for senior officials but it was dismissed by the CIA as it did not believe Pakistan would take on a more heavily armed Indian Army.
He has not mentioned the date of the lengthy meeting with Abdullah in Jiddah but it seems to have taken place either in 1964 or early 1965. Clarridge writes that Abdullah told him that Pakistan would start stirring up things by sending in small guerilla units that would build up to a larger conflict.
Once the insurrection got under way in Kashmir,regular Pakistani military forces would come to Kashmirs aid…The Pakistanis were clearly trying not to look like aggressors but as defenders and protectors of their beleaguered brethren in Kashmir, Clarridge writes,adding that Abdullah claimed he had been briefed on Pakistans moves on Kashmir while on a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Clarridge writes that when he made a report for HQ,it received little attention as Pakistan was able to conceal its build-up from outside observers and the agency simply would not believe it.
Clarridge has now come in the limelight for his private spy agency. Recently taken off the roll by the CIA,it collected intelligence in Afghanistan.
