International Law
Former CIA Chief in Algeria Investigated in Claimed Rapes There
Posted Jan 28, 2009, 07:40 pm CST
By Martha Neil
An unidentified former CIA station chief in Algeria is being investigated by the U.S. Department of State and Department of Justice in at least two potential rape cases.
The investigation, which was initially based on complaints by two Algerian women that they had been raped by the official, began last fall. Authorities then apparently obtained a search warrant in U.S. district court and allegedly discovered a drug often used in date-rapes in the unnamed official's Algerian residence, as well as videotapes, reports CNN, citing unnamed sources.
"About a dozen tapes ... are thought to show the officer engaged in sexual acts, [a] source said, including some in which women are believed to be in a semiconscious state," the news agency writes.
The CIA official is no longer in Algeria; when he returned to the U.S. for a scheduled visit last year, he was reportedly ordered not to return. The investigation is now looking into whether any such incidents may have occurred in Cairo, Egypt, where the CIA official previously was stationed and where dates on the videotapes indicate they may have been filmed, CNN reports.
Although date-rape drugs are mentioned in the article, there is no indication that the Algerian women making the complaints were dating the official.
Comments not appearing after a few seconds? Try emptying your cache ("Temporary Internet files"), making sure Javascript is activated, and refresh this page.