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Monday, January 26, 2009

RAW RAW rocks the boat

It certainly is a monumental task for the informed Sri Lankan or for that
matter anyone in the neighbourhood of India to keep a straight face when
talking about the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in India.

Formed in 1968, the predatory operations carried out by this external
intelligence agency of India in the neighbouring countries, is perhaps the
best example as to how a geographically advantageous nations bully their
little neighbours.

A careful study of the RAW would spell out that its modus operandi include
multi-nationals, non-governmental organizations and even cultural centres.
*Among its most ambitious operations that are currently underway is the
move to separate Balochistan province from Pakistan by supporting
Balochistan Liberation Army*

The RAW in Sri Lanka has a pretty colourful record.

Having raised, nursed and fortified the *Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam*it later went through phases where it adopted 'rock the baby,
pinch the
baby' approach towards the LTTE. While many thought the assassination of
Rajiv Gandhi would have hardened the approach of the RAW towards the LTTE it
really did not happen that way. While New Delhi was shattered by the death
of Nehru's grandson the less emotional RAW moved on with rest of
operation.In 2007 ripples were created in the spy agency when one of its
Colombo based officers Ravi Nair of 1975 batch was found allegedly carrying
on an affair with a woman working for a Chinese spy agency.
Delhi was shattered by the death of Nehru's grandson the less emotional RAW
moved on with rest of operation.In 2007 ripples were created in the spy
agency when one of its Colombo based officers Ravi Nair of 1975 batch was
found allegedly carrying on an affair with a woman working for a Chinese spy
agency.

The 'crime' was considered only second to what was committed by the RAW
Joint Secretary Rabinder Singh in 2004 when he escaped with copies of
several highly confidential documents and is believed to have passed them on
to the CIA. This was after Singh's superiors confronted him with evidence
that he had spent time with a Delhi based female US embassy officer at a
resort down New Delhi- Jaipur highway.

The incident really rocked the RAW and forced it to go for several reforms
which included strong counter-check measures on its officers.

Despite these measures within three years a second scandal broke out, this
time in Colombo.

Following the embarrassment caused by Ravi Nair in Colombo, the RAW recalled
the officer made it a point to post a lady officer to Colombo, probably
thinking that's the best way to discourage Chinese spies.

The reports that the RAW is out to create mischief in the backdrop of recent
military victories by Sri Lankan troops surfaced days after media reports
that Pottu Amman who was pulled up by Prabhakaran over recent debacles, had
slipped off to India.

That the RAW was planning to host a selected group of fleeing LTTE seniors
in India with a view to checkmate Sri Lanka in the future was the
speculation among many war analysts around this time. Many held that it
would only be a surprise if it doesn't resort to such a counter- strategy
given its record which included among others dozens and dozens of moves to
weaken both SLFP and UNP led governments in Sri Lanka.

Then came the 'Times of India' leak that a team of the RAW operatives and
spy planes have been sent to spy across the Palk straits and yesterday the
local dailies here went to town about the spy plane spotted in the skies
above Mullaitivu and the Navy attempts to shoot it down. All this is little
too much evidence for a cynic to dismiss that the whole thing is just a
grand 'conspiracy theory', a rumour spread by the anti- Indian lobby in
Colombo. Sri Lanka is certainly in no mood to trust the Research and
Analysis Wing of India.

*taken from*
www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.asp...

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