That crooked lady in Washington
Continuation of post #23
Robyn Rafael or Robin and her anti Indian career began in Bush (senior) administration. The Pressler amendment of 1990 had prohibited any contact and aid to Pakistan other than regular diplomatic niceties and aid already in the pipeline destined for so called Afgan refugees. The Pressler amendment became neccassry when it became clear that Pakistan has a very large nuclear bomb project. Pakis had stolen some American know how and other from URENCO in Europe. The Pressler amendment was the new low in PaK -US relations from 1990 to 95.
Pakistani diplomats were at pain to explain why they were developing nuclear bomb. They privately told US that It was completely India centric and root cause of their nuclear bomb development was Kashmir issue.
Enter Clinton Administration. As a CIA operative in New Delhi, she had some knowledge of Indian point of view, which she did not like and she had knowledge of Pakistani mindset thru her husband who was till 1988, was ambassdor to Pakistan, but divorced.
Robin also knew President Clinton from her Oxford days and Hillary thru her social contacts. The die was cast to get Robin to make suggestions to solve the Kashmir dispute during first Clinton Administration (1992-96). If that was to happen then Pakistan could be asked to completely shutdown its nuclear bomb. To Clintons, who did not know where New Delhi is, and wished to butt into a fifty year old dispute this was heavens sent opportunity, which also included Robin with her expertise of sort. He persuaded Warren Christopher to accept Robin to the newly created post of Assistant Secretary of South Asian affairs.
First task of Robin was to annul and amend Pressler amendment to allow aid to Pakistan. Robin aided by Dr. Maleeha Lodi (Paki Ambassador in Washington) started to make noises about Kashmir being disputed territory and US not recognizing its instrument of accession to India. That alerted India and it began its own tactic to take this issue out of US consideration especially when US top priority was to restore aid to Pakistan and not to butt into Kashmir issue. Second US with Robin at front and centre if managed to declare Kashmir as disputed territory then US could ask Pakistan to shutdown its nuclear bomb making. But by now US realized that Pakistani bomb is too far ahead and shutting it down is of no avail. Hence effort was afoot to freeze it at that level with hope that economic & military aid and US help to internationalize the Kashmir issue would sway Pakistan into freezing it. None of these mechanizations worked.
Still Robin managed to persuade Congress to restore aid to Pakistan. A new "Brown" amendment at the Congress restored some aid and contact with Pakistani military in 1994/95. Thankful Pakistan spread a red carpet to Robin. India could do nothing to stop this machination of Robin as well as rest of US administration. It is only when Vajpayee NDA government got elected that decision was taken to mend all ties with US, that Robin found going tough. She either was elbowed out or was not invited into Talbott/Jaswant discussions. Later, Kenya & Tanzania bombing made Clinton mad in 1998/99 and a new low in US - Pak relations resulted. India thumbed at both by saying - "I told you so".
Heavens aided Pakistan that 9/11 happened. Although there was no direct Pakistani advice in planning this attack, but all the perpetrators hid in Pakistan, aided by some Jihadi officers in the Pakistani army. Also Pakistan threw its lot behind US, although the public opinion at home did not like it.
Now US needed Pakistan more, as it had to ferry supplies to Afghanistan. Also Pakistani ISI provided intelligence in locating dome of the key perpetrators except OSMA BIN LADEN. Pakistan demanded ransom for its effort.
A new Kerry -Lugar amendment was drafted to negate Pressler as well as Brown amendments during Bush (jr) Administration. It not only added more to the aid Package to Pakistan, but it added little more leeway for future considerations. Look who was the author of this amendment and endorsement of a much higher aid package. It was Robin Rafael. Later she got herself named as Pakistan aid package Advisor. In last six years the aid package tripled to $1.5 billion and thankful Pakistan was extending favours upon favours to this crooked lady.
Although Kashmir issue was out of her remit at the State Department but Robin kept on working on Pakistani agenda since year 2000. On the way she called herself as expert on South Asia affairs, Although she had exclusively become Pakistani informer of sorts.
At what time in her career, she became a Pakistani informer only the courts will determine. But her career of a senior diplomat is over. She will be despised as a diplomat in Washington.
It is quite possible that CIA may jump in to save her from jail, after all she was a CIA agent, and CIA always help its people in trouble. But Indian point of view, it is a good riddance.