The US intelligence community has begun to look for linguists and analysts from the Pakistani-American community to meet its national security challenges, especially after Pakistani Americans were in Pakistan trying to join Al Qaeda.Pakistan is often viewed as the epicentre of international terrorism.
Director of National Intelligence Dennis C Blair held a roundtable discussion with more than 20 Pakistani Americans and with Husain Haqqani, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States.
Blair's office described these as 'part of his efforts to strengthen relationship with members of US immigrant communities, increase cultural awareness and attract prospective employees from their ranks.' Of course, this came just as Pakistani American and alleged Lakshar-e-Tayiba operative DavidColeman Headley was being charged in Chicago for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence acknowledged the 'roundtable discussion was the first of its kind under the umbrella of the Intelligence Community Heritage Community Liaison Council, a sounding board for Blair and the intelligence community especially on recruiting first- and second-generation Americans [to] US intelligence agencies.'
The office oversees 16 federal organizations that make up the intelligence community, including the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
It is believed that one reason the US refused to extradite Headley to India for trial is because he was a one-time Drug Enforcement Administration mole in Pakistan. Some speculate he may even have been a CIA double or triple agent, with ties to the Lashkar and possibly even to Pakistan's notorious Inter-Services Intelligence.
Blair said, "Pakistan is an important US ally in the fight against terrorists and violent extremists. Still, understanding needs to be improved on both sides, and Pakistani Americans can help bridge the gaps. Additionally, their language skills and cultural expertise would make them extremely valuable professionals in the intelligence community.'
He told the assembled Pakistani Americans, 'We need you to help us build a better relationship between the United States and Pakistan,' and noted that both the US and Pakistan face 'a common threat.' The meeting took place at the ODNI headquarters.
The ODNI said the participants included business leaders, college students and federal employees of Pakistani descent, and that 'their candid, lively exchange touched on issues such as past problems of mistrust between the two nations, the media's role in both countries and the rise of religious extremism in Pakistan.'
It quoted Haqqani as saying that this outreach should continue and that 'it's really important that the intelligence community interact with the Pakistani-American community' because the knowledge and alternative perspectives it brought could help the intelligence community.
Among the participants was Bangladeshi American M Osman Siddique, who owns a successful travel agency in Virginia. Siddique was the first South Asian American to be appointed a US ambassador. Appointed by President Clinton, Siddique is the erstwhile US envoy to Fiji.
Blair's office quoted Siddique as saying that 'directly engaging with intelligence community also helps to demystify the intelligence enterprise.'
It said that Amina Khan, a Washington-area lawyer and a member of the IC Heritage Community Liaison Council, had applauded the effort and said 'there is a viable Pakistani American Diaspora, which has an opinion, which does not represent the Pakistani government, but can add value to the US-Pakistani relationship.'
According to Khan, 'The more inroads the US intelligence community makes, and introduces itself to regular Pakistani Americans, [the more] relationships and trust will be built.'
ODNI said the intelligence community had to hire people from different cultures, ethnicities, perspectives and language to 'to tackle national security challenges.'
The IC Heritage Community Liaison Council comprised more than 20 organizations representing many US immigrant groups.
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