There’s a chance that this could be simply what it appears to be: a suicide. Depression is a terrible mental illness that can afflict often includes suicidal ideation. Someone in this position would have access to a weapon, which makes the completion of suicide much more likely. Serving abroad can be very stressful for individuals and their families. We’ve seen this with our troops in every war, and serving on an unaccompanied tour in the foreign service is no different in that regard.
Having said that, this does seem odd. A 47 year-old man (though Reuters reports his age as 37) is less likely to attempt suicide than either the very young (who often manifest impulsivity) and the very old (who are prone to depression and illness that may make them see suicide as a form of self-euthanasia). Married men are less likely to commit suicide, and I suspect Ryan was married, because one of the articles specifically mentioned that service in Pakistan is an unaccompanied tour (which would not be something one needed to mention, presumably, if Ryan were unmarried). People who have a steady job and good incomes are also less likely to complete suicide, although working in law enforcement is a risk factor. If he was a vet, he may have had PTSD, which is also a risk factor. Still, 95% of those who complete suicide have an ongoing mental illness, which seems unlikely in this case, because someone in such a highly sensitive position would have been vetted and vetted again. The absence of a note is not particularly telling, as two-thirds of those who complete suicide don’t leave one. Still, a married man who knew his death would make international news, who worked in such a sensitive post, might want to leave some explanation as to why.
An earlier article
http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=38,3816,0,0,1,0 quotes Keith Ryan as the “immigration and customs enforcement attache at the US embassy in Islamabad.” Someone named Keith Ryan is also described as a Special Agent for the department of Health and Human Services in a 2004 document, though with such a common name it’s quite possible it’s a different person. However, given that this person is described as a Special Agent in another government department it’s also quite possible it’s the same man. This Keith Ryan is (was) apparently also “Lieutenant Keith Ryan, USCG Reserve, US Department of Health and Human Services,” author of: 1. “Ethical Implications for Military Defense Attorneys Assigned to Represent Enemy Combatants in Military Commissions”
which would seem to make him a good candidate for being the same person, as a person in his job would be former military, and the subject matter seems vaguely related to the “GwoT.” If it is the same guy, there’s a photo of him taken at his 1997 USCG Reserve Officer candidate indoctrination in 1997, which would have made him a 27 year-old Ensign, if it is the same guy as the other guy and Reuters reported the right age (the photo in question might well be a different Ensign, as he looks a bit skinny and young, but it is a group photo). A Lt. Keith Ryan is listed on a USCG document regarding the “RESERVE MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN STRATEGIC INTELLIGENCE” at
http://www.uscg.mil/reserve/msg04/pers041_04.htm dated June 2004.
Spies in the diplomatic service come in many flavors. The biggest spies working under diplomatic cover are often given jobs that don’t seem remotely espionage- or security related, such as agricultural attaché. Whoever he was, Ryan would have had a security clearance. If he was murdered, Islamic militants would not make it look like a suicide, they would want to claim responsibility (though I doubt they would be able to access Ryan’s home in an enclave near the embassy at any rate). This would mean it narrows down to three possibilities: Pakistani security or intelligence, US security or intelligence, or some other actor. Did he learn where bin Laden is? Did he find out that he’s actually dead? Did he uncover something about the Bhutto assasination?
Whoever this man was and the actual circumstances of his death might be, I feel for his poor family.
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