India baiter Robin Raphel under counter intel investigation

AVERAGE INDIAN

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I see this entire saga is a classic example of appeasement politics , as a futile and possibly dangerous policy appeasement succeeds or fails depending on the nature of the adversary, the nature of the inducements used on the antagonist, and the existence of other incentives for the adversary to acquiesce. Appeasement in International Politics suggests the type of appeasement strategy most appropriate for various situations. The options range from pure inducements, reciprocity, to a mixture of inducements and threats. I don't think modi and India will fall for it
 

Ray

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Politics and international politics is but only a jigsaw of compromises.

It is but natural since the international political and hence, strategic arena is in a state of constant flux to balance the paradoxes that govern upholding national interest. At times, situational dictates vis a vis known and imagined adversaries forces rather unusual deviations; even a the cost of the core values falling by the roadside.

Governing a country and ensuring its national interests are held paramount is indeed a mug's game requiring deft handling to soft sell the deviations and yet come out somewhat smelling of roses.

US required Pakistan in its strategic prism and yet could not alienate India. Thereby, the glaring contradictions.

Same as the UPA Govt's handling of Pakistan. Need to talk and yet turn the Nelson's eye to the necessity of addressing the Mumbai Terror head on, but making aggressive noises to placate the domestic audience and at the same time, cooing that the 'aggressive posture' was only a charade to the US that was running scared that a war could be in the offing.
 
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sorcerer

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In my opinion, its not a Coup by RAW. RAW had the info on Robin Rafail, collected and collated as a defensive option to protect Indias interests. I dont think USA will only rely upon the report from its diplomats to guage its political advancements.

At that time, it seemed pretty OKAY for USA to support Pak cuz
1) with fragile democracy Pakistan always was, Is and Will be in dire need of external political influence to tie down its own internal issues; thus USA can use Pakistan as and how it needs it.
2) Pakistan is easy gateway for USA to be closer to China; thus Pakistan has very strategic importance.

Pakistan and its establishment has a mindset, which sees J&K, an integral part of India as Pakistan's problem and weigh it more than the internal issues of Pakistan. Understanding and relying on that USA re-oriented its strategy with Pakistan. Other than money and aide USA , offered help to internationalize Kashmir issue to ensure the loyalty of Pakistan, a much valuable bargaining chip; though it was against the rules. USA used J&K as a carrot to ride Pakistan forever.

(May be USA understood what a bitch Pakistan was. Pakistan would switch sides, if more money was offered by some one else and thus needed to give Pak a more stronger reason to be with USA and support USA for its manouvers in the region. J&K was the reason which USA gave to Pakistan.)

Robin would have been tasked with creating the right ambience and stage for her masters interests. She must have found benefits in it (She was the one with the package) .The ongoing investigation would reveal her 'personal' involvement and 'benefit' in this matter. Its another matter of interest that Nancy Powell, a friend of Robin, going out of her ways to embarasse USA in Devyani Khobragade's case. Incidents like these creates diplomatic fissures between countries, which will benefit Pak stall the Indo-USA dialogues.

The real intention of Nancy Powell in Devyani Khobragade case remains to be seen..Why will they conspire to avert Indo - USA dialogues!!! Seems like taking such risks are too personal, knowing the nature of their jobs and the radars they are under. There must be much larger interest than just Pakistan.

In my opinion USA didnt have much interests for an Indo USA partnership like OBAMA said as the 'most defining relationship' blah blah blah.Its a photops,smiles and please the Indian community in USA for votes. The larger interest of USA to contain China could be achieved through Pak, who is very manipulatable by USA. India offeres resistance and should be treated with respect,both of which is a hindrance for USA. As for now all USA has to do was to keep the fire on J&K burning to appease Pakistan. Robin as a diplomat did just that and was even bold and very overt in her endeavours. ( Instance like these make me believe in Blonde Jokes.)

Now..
As I see it, this investigation is a larger part of USA's series of face saving measures. They have done it before.
When Bush started the war in Iraq in search of non existant WMD's and later screwed up the war big time, by the end of his tenure, the GOVT establishments of USA blamed it on their intelligence department. They even postulated it on "curveball theory" to justify their screwup and save the then POTUS from public embarassment.

With terror incidents happening around the world pointing more and more to Pakistan, its in the interest of USA to act innocent and blame it on someone with credible proof. This way the American dream is left intact and the POTUS is justified for his incapacited decisions + screw up of his state depts + undue favors showered on Pakistan. Robin took the bait of US politics.
 
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Ray

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Robin Raphel's connection with Islamic countries have been long.

She was a teacher in a woman's college in Iran in the 1970s.

She was with the CIA and with a diplomatic cover in Islamabad with USAID. The CIA connection with USAID requires no elaboration .

It maybe noted that she is fluent in Urdu.

Her appointment as Political Counsellor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India was in Aug 1991 and she served till August 1993.

The task of the Political Counsellor (PC) is to analyse the host country political and economic developments and their potential impact on the interests of the Nation of the PC. In short, it is almost an undercover assignment to not only gauge the host nation's potential but also to influence the powers that be in the host nation to be favourable to PC's Nation. Obviously, she must have been short-changed by Indian contacts that she wanted to build and hence her animosity.

She has a stormy relationship with the MEA. These are some aspect of her ire:

Raphel said that from the time of former Foreign Secretary J N (Mani) Dixit and others, while the MEA had tried to pull rank on her and prevent her from meeting with the prime ministers, foreign ministers and others, she had developed a rapport with the Indian people, politicians, Opposition figures and the intelligentsia. "I do actually think I command quite a lot of respect from them because I know the country, I know the issues," and have "a certain passion about it, which comes through, and people respect that. People respect people who stick with an issue."
"And I have worked very hard to hew a line between India and Pakistan and people have not tried to understand that," she said. "Indians have not wished to understand that and I heard such nonsense from the MEA. They don't get it. They never understood about the Brown Amendment (initiated by the State Department and introduced by former Republican Senator Hank Brown that provided for a waiver of the Pressler Amendment and led to the transfer of $368 million in sophisticated weaponry to Pakistan in 1996)."
"In India, I like the colour and the texture and the sensuality of the place and the interestingness of the people, except the bureaucrats, who in my experience are not worth the time of day."
"and I talk straight and at the end of the day most people appreciate that. I don't suck up to anybody, and I mean not to anybody at home or abroad. That's not my style, and in India where there's a bit of tradition of obsequiousness, they get a little confused about that."
Robin Raphel, the American Indian diplomats hated - Rediff.com India News

Raphel's emphasis on providing Pakistan with Military aid, siding with Pakistan on Kashmir issue and construction of oil line in Afghanistan for supply to Pakistan made her deeply unpopular within the Indian establishment, despite being stationed in New Delhi in her early career. Her early characterization, as a State Department official, of Kashmir a

Her husband, Arnold Lewis Raphel, was the Ambassador to Pakistan in 1987 and continued till August 17, 1988. when he was killed in the aircraft blast with Zia Haq. He was, like his wife Robin fluent in Urdu. Apparently, the tenures of the Urdu speaking genial Raphels does indicate the CIA and the State Dept gameplan to infiltrate, influence and bag Pakistan into the US bag of trophies.

Clinton appointed Raphel as the first Assistant Secretary of State in 1993. Interesting the post was created to focus on Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. And the mission was to check the stability of their democracies, nuclear proliferation, energy access, Islamist and Taliban extremism, poverty and women's rights issues. It gave her ample opportunities to interact with various individuals of position or of pro US disposition, pseudo intellectuals, and gather 'inside' information, as also influence the local mindset and subvert the Govts.

This indicates that Clinton is actually a slim customer and no angel.

The long association and exposure with the Islamist country surely must have influenced Raphel's mindset to be pro Islamist nations.

And who knows if sexual preference may have also had a role to play.

She was instrumental in orchestrating the State Department's opening of diplomatic relations with the Taliban shortly after its takeover of Kabul.

Raphel openly spoke in favour of a proposed pipeline project by Unocal Corporation, an American oil company, on trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan in April and August 1996

Robin Raphel served as the US Ambassador to Tunisia and in 1997.
 
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dude00720

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My longterm view is, we should work to become a swing votebank in US. Only then will the US Aid to Pak will stop. Question to experts: Does the TTP demand independent Pakhtunistan?

One interesting tweet.
https://twitter.com/HindolSengupta/status/530641239511539712

"US diplomat to me: 'No matter how much you guys cheer good looking Clinton and cool Obama, Robin Raphel is example of what they did to you.'"
 

Ray

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My longterm view is, we should work to become a swing votebank in US. Only then will the US Aid to Pak will stop. Question to experts: Does the TTP demand independent Pakhtunistan?

One interesting tweet.
https://twitter.com/HindolSengupta/status/530641239511539712

"US diplomat to me: 'No matter how much you guys cheer good looking Clinton and cool Obama, Robin Raphel is example of what they did to you.'"
US aid to Pakistan was because of the transit route to Afghanistan through Pakistan.

With the ending of US involvement in Afghanistan, Pakistan's value to the US has reduced.

It all depends on how Afghanistan finds its feet now that the US has left.

China, Russia, Pakistan interests in Afghanistan would be what the US will watch and that will dictate what will prompt US involvement, if any.

If the US buries the hatchet with Iran, it will open up a new paradigm where Pakistan would become irrelevant.

Both Clinton and Obama, as I said before, are clever snakes in the grass.
 

sorcerer

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Diplomat Killed in Air Crash is Mourned As Friend of Israel

August 24, 1988

WASHINGTON (Aug. 23)

The late U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Arnold Raphel, who died last week in the airborne plane explosion that also killed Pakistan's President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq, was not hindered by his Jewishness and was "trusted" by his hosts in Pakistan, Raphel's brother, Murray, recalled Tuesday.

Raphel, 45, "was not a deeply religious person except in the greater sense of the word," Murray said. He said his brother "respected all religions" and was full of "wit and humor, and intelligence, and ability."

Arnold, who had been serving in Pakistan–one of the largest Muslim countries in the world — since May 1987, was killed in the explosion Aug. 17 that also took the lives of 34 others, including Brig. Gen. Herbert Wassom, the top U.S. military official in Pakistan since July 1987.

Murray said Arnold did not attend Hebrew school, although he received special instruction for his Bar Mitzvah. Arnold has one daughter, Stephanie Raphel, from his first wife, Myrna Feigenbaum, who lives in Orlando, Fla.

He added that because Myrna later married a "more Orthodox man," Stephanie was raised in an Orthodox household. Stephanie attends Oberlin College in Ohio.

Arnold's second wife, Robin Raphel, is a policy officer in South Africa for the State Department's Foreign Service.

Last year, Arnold married Nancy Ely, who had been working for the State Department's Office of the Legal Adviser since 1975. After their marriage, she became legal adviser to the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan.

Arnold is also survived by his parents, Sara and Harry Raphel of Atlantic City, N.J.
ARLINGTON MEMORIAL SERVICE

Hundreds of friends and colleagues attended a memorial service at the Fort Myer chapel in Arlington Monday, which was conducted by Rabbi A. Nathan Abramowitz of Tifereth Israel Congregation in Washington.

Raphel did not belong to any synagogue in Washington during his periodic stays here going back to 1972, friends recalled.

Dignitaries in attendance at the service included former Secretaries of State Edmund Muskie and Alexander Haig. Raphel was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

One of the four eulogies was given by Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of The New Republic, who said that when he visited Pakistan earlier this year, Raphel mused that they were possibly the only two Jews in Pakistan at the time.

Murray said that his brother's interest in the Near East did not stem from his Jewish roots, but that Arnold visited Israel and was a "staunch supporter" of the Jewish state. He added that Arnold helped negotiate the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978-79.

Before his service in Pakistan, Arnold was Principal Deputy Secretary of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs at the State Department.

Born in Troy, N.Y., Raphel joined the Foreign Service in 1966, after receiving his master's degree in political science from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and two years after graduating from Hamilton College.

Murray said Arnold wanted to be a diplomat ever since he was 12, when he wrote then-Secretary of State John Foster Dulles about his interest in diplomacy. Murray said Dulles told his brother to "study hard, work hard and we'll see you in ten years."

source:http://www.jta.org/1988/08/24/archive/diplomat-killed-in-air-crash-is-mourned-as-friend-of-israel
 
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Ray

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What is the latest from our Little Cock Robin?
 

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