American Held in Pakistan Worked for CIA, U.S. Officials Say .

WASHINGTON—The American detained in Pakistan in the killing of two armed men was working secretly in the country for the Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. officials say.

The disclosures about Raymond Davis, a former Army Special Forces soldier who worked as a contractor in Pakistan for the CIA, might complicate U.S. efforts to secure his release and exacerbate growing tensions between between U.S. and Pakistani intelligence agencies. Pakistani intelligence officials say they weren’t informed by the U.S. about Mr. Davis’s role with the CIA and warned that ties may have been damaged beyond repair by the case.

Mr. Davis has been held by Pakistani authorities in the eastern city of Lahore since late January. He was on a contract with the CIA as a protective officer, responsible for providing security to American personnel, including intelligence officers who help orchestrate covert operations against al Qaeda militants and their allies, U.S. officials said.

The CIA carries out drone strikes in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan that are deeply unpopular in Pakistan, and U.S. officials fear the release of information about Mr. Davis’s ties to the CIA could endanger his life in detention. As a security officer, U.S. officials said, Mr. Davis wasn’t directly involved in the CIA’s spy or drone operations. “Rumors to the contrary are simply wrong,” a U.S. official said.

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Posted by Andrew McCleese on Feb 21 2011. Filed under Featured, Foreign Policy, Web-Only Content. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.