Telephone conversation led to months of secret surveillance on her
Raphel was stripped of her security clearances in October and she no longer has access to the State Department
building
New York: A former State Department official, known for her strong pro-Pakistan leanings, was placed under a probe for espionage after US authorities intercepted a call this year in which a Pakistani official said that his government was receiving American secrets from a US diplomat, a media report here said.Robin Raphel, 67, considered one of the leading American experts on Pakistan, was placed under federal counter intelligence investigation earlier in November.
The telephone conversation led to months of secret surveillance on her and during an FBI raid at her home last month agents discovered classified information, a report in the New York Times said, describing the investigation as a “rare example” of a FBI espionage investigation breaking into public view.The NYT report quoted the US officials, saying that while the FBI secretly monitored Raphel in recent months, agents suspected that she was improperly taking classified information home from the State Department.
FBI agents searched her home in a prosperous neighbourhood near the Maryland border with Washington and found classified information. Raphel was stripped of her security clearances last month and no longer has access to the State Department building.
Raphel has not been charged with a crime and it is still unclear what the Pakistani official said in the intercepted conversation that led to the investigation against Raphel.
The nature of the conversation, whether it was through telephone or email, is not known, the report said.
( Source : PTI )
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