A covert CIA agent was accused of committing war crimes during a paramilitary operation overseas. Now as the probe proves to be inconclusive, the undercover officer is suing the Central Intelligence Agency.

The agent, whose name has not been released due to the sensitive  nature of the case, n has formally sued the CIA (See the document attached).  Details of the suit were published by Foreign Policy as the first details emerged about a secretive campaign  carried out by Uncle Sam that may have violated international  law.

Sometime in 2010 or 2011, the plaintiff — identified only as John  Doe in the legal filing — became entwined in a CIA inspector  general probe that put him and others at the center of suspected  war crimes.

The lawsuit states:

"Following a specific overseas assignment/activity, John Doe  was wrongfully accused of participating in, committing and/or  possessing information about war crimes. 

Other CIA employees were also accused."

John Doe was engaged in "offensive operations against individuals  designated or viewed as enemies of the United States," the  complaint contests, and although he admits he had concerns about  that activity, he insists he did nothing wrong. Last year an  attorney for the inspector’s general office made the same  determination, but Doe is still under administrative suspension  and says his life has been destroyed by the scandal.

Mark Zaid, Doe’s attorney, doesn’t divulge what those operations  actually consisted of, but the CIA’s clandestine operations have  raised eyebrows internationally as of late, so much so that US  President Barack Obama recently said he wants to shift control of  the agency’s controversial targeting kill done program to the  Department of Defense. But with little oversight and leaked  accounts a rare occurrence, very few details exist about the  CIA’s operations overseas. Earlier this year, New York Times  journalist Mark Mazzetti authored an entire book focusing CIA  paramilitary operations around the world.

But while the activity Doe is alleged to have engaged in remains  unknown, Foreign Policy’s John Hudson has more on what has  happened since the IG investigation first got off the ground:

“For instance, following the operation, Zaid says his client's  computer and cell phone were compromised by cyber hackers. At  first, the client believed a foreign power was responsible and  notified the FBI, which opened an investigation but could not  determine the origin of the attack. After working with the FBI in  its investigation, and finding it unusually cooperative, Zaid  suspects the CIA was spying on his client.”

"In connection with internal investigations of John Doe, CIA  employees, either with or without authority, initiated physical  and electronic surveillance of him, some of which were  unlawful," the complaint reads.

"The surveillance included harassment tactics undertaken by  local law enforcement who were cooperating with the CIA. Other  tactics involved corruption of electronic devices such as  computers and cellphones. The Federal Bureau of Investigation  opened an investigation into CIA's activities involving John  Doe."

Zaid writes in the complaint that the Administrative Procedure  Act empowers courts to “compel agency action unlawfully withheld  or unreasonable delayed,” and that the length of delay in  formally closing the IG’s investigation into his client “fails  the rule of reason.”

The IG, the complaint continues,

“is aware that there is no  evidentiary basis for the allegations against John Doe and is  purposely refusing to administratively close its investigation in  order to discredit or otherwise cause harm to his career.”  

A copy of the said complaint filed by the covert operations officer through his attorney is attached to this write up.