CIA station chief in Algeria removed

Washington: The CIA has removed its station chief in Algeria amid an investigation by the Justice Department into allegations the officer drugged and raped two Algerian women, according to current and former US government officials familiar with the matter.

The officer, identified as Andrew Warren, served as the agency's top official in Algeria until late last year, and previously held high-level positions in Afghanistan and Egypt, officials said. The investigation was launched after two women approached the US Embassy in Algeria and said they had been raped in separate incidents, according to a former CIA official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Justice Department officials declined to comment on the case, although the State Department confirmed that an investigation was under way.

"The individual in question has returned to Washington and the US government is looking into the matter," said acting State Department spokesman Robert A. Wood.

CIA spokesman Paul Gimigliano declined to comment on the specifics of the allegations, except to say the "CIA would take seriously, and follow up vigorously, any allegation of misconduct."

The allegations have the potential to represent a serious setback for the US at a time when the Obama administration is trying to repair relations with the Muslim world.

Algeria is considered a top priority in the intelligence community because it has been a haven for Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, a North Africa-based offshoot of the terrorist network. The North African group was accused of a bombing last August in Algiers that killed 48 people.

The timing of the case means President Barack Obama's picks to run the intelligence community and the CIA face controversy even before stepping into their jobs.

Retired US Navy Admiral Dennis C. Blair was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday as the next Director of National Intelligence. Former US Republican Leon E. Panetta of California faces a confirmation hearing next week on his nomination to lead the CIA.

A spokesman for the office of Director of National Intelligence declined to comment, but a source close to the Obama intelligence team said both nominees had been briefed on the matter. Warren was described as a highly gifted officer, a convert to Islam who demonstrated a rare ability to blend in among Muslim communities across several countries.

"He is exactly the guy we need out in the field," said a senior US government official who met with the accused in Algiers before the the scandal emerged.