Raymond Davis saga in Pakistan

[Tshering22]

^ Jay, it is unlikely that now a completely radical and fundamentalist Pakistan would accept anything even when termed as self-defense. If a man who threw a visitor's card having the name Mohammed (in this case, another guy's name) can be jailed for blasphemy, then certainly there is slim chance for this Davis guy to make it out in one piece unless that bolded part is actually attempted.

 

[JayATL]

^^^ an astute observation. spot on.

 

[ajtr]

An American in Pakistan​

If there is one truth that the Raymond Davis affair has driven home it is that in Pakistan, sovereignty is a sham. The entire episode stinks of the impunity with which the US does as it pleases on our soil. That Raymond Davis shot two Pakistani youths, Faizan and Faheem — whether they were dacoits or not has yet to be proved — in an act that he terms as "self-defence" was shocking enough, but for the US to insist that the man be set free because of claimed 'diplomatic immunity' flies in the face of the facts, justice and fair play. Reports are proliferating that Mr Davis was not just any routine embassy or consul official. Raymond Davis has been called many things. Washington calls him a 'diplomat' but there are reports suggesting that he was a private security officer. News reports have also shown evidence to suggest that he was not travelling with a diplomatic visa, that he had been booted out of Pakistan a year ago because of dubious activities and there were even some claims from Washington that his name was not Raymond Davis at all! That means, at the very least, that he had entered and left Pakistan repeatedly during the past year on a false passport. Now, under this cloak of ambiguity, lies a challenge to Pakistan's much touted sovereignty.

The reports mentioned above suggest that Raymond Davis was an undercover operative and the circumstances surrounding the shooting show that he was also a trained one. After shooting the two boys with sniper-like precision, Davis asked for a back-up car, which then proceeded to kill a third man in a hit-and-run accident. The whereabouts of the driver and passengers of that car remain unknown and US embassy officials refuse to hand over any information or the vehicle. Washington is issuing statements almost daily about how Raymond Davis's actions are covered by diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention, and that they expect him to be released and handed over to them. Meanwhile the Lahore High Court (LHC) has restrained the government from handing him over to the US and has directed that Davis's name be put on the Exit Control List. This move by the LHC ought to silence the opposition, who were creating quite a ruckus about the likelihood of a 'secret' deal between the government and the US to hand Davis over. Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that the case will proceed according to the law of the land. The resignation of Punjab Deputy Prosecutor General Rana Bakhtiar became inevitable after he was removed from the sensitive case for statements to the media.

Diplomats, particularly those from the US, have been riding roughshod over our laws and citizens for a long time now. From traffic accidents, parking misdemeanours and blatant disregard for the lives and safety of the average Pakistani, embassy officials have been implicated in some rather messy matters but have been let off the hook simply because the immunity provided to them, literally, saved their skins. Such antics have served to make a mockery of the dignity, honour and respect that the host country deserves. Now that Raymond Davis, whether acting in self-defence or not, has got the blood of two Pakistani citizens on his hands, it has become clear how foreign diplomats and embassy staff view us. This murder has given the many anti-democratic forces and anti-US elements out there a reason to come out onto the streets and berate the government for not protecting Pakistan's sovereignty. It is not too late for the government to turn over a new leaf and act in defence of the independence and sovereignty of Pakistan. As seems increasingly likely, if investigations indicate that Mr Davis does not have diplomatic cover, he must be tried and convicted according to the laws of Pakistan. This state-endorsed impunity that has emboldened US officials to commit daylight murder must end. *

 

[sandeepdg]

US pressures Pakistan into returning 'diplomat' Davis

WASHINGTON: Intense pressure and heat from the United States and its allies has melted Pakistan's jingoistic tenacity to try an American national, who Washington maintains has diplomatic immunity, for the murder by shooting of two Pakistanis in Lahore.

Islamabad is now preparing grounds to return Raymond Davis, the US official, after duly absolving him in a legal process that once threatened to convict him in a trumped up response to organized political and public pressure.

The Pakistani decision follows high level diplomatic activity, including a phone call from secretary of state Hillary Clinton to President Asif Ali Zardari, to resolve the matter.

The Associated Press cited two unnamed Pakistani officials in the United States as saying they expect Davis to be free in days, once a Pakistani court goes over documents US. officials have submitted to prove his diplomatic status.

But the officials said their government had to let the case proceed until the US. produced the necessary documents on Davis' status, in what appeared to be a face-saving procedural delay. They said Pakistani police believed the evidence supported Davis' story – that he shot two armed motorcycle-borne men he believed were trying to rob him.

However, the dominant account in Pakistan, fed by a fevered, jingoistic media, is that Raymond Davis was a trigger-happy CIA agent or a freelance operative who shot and killed two innocent Pakistani lads. The tale fed into the systematic grievance-laden national narrative of American bullying, spurring ultra-nationalists and extremists into demanding that Davis be tried by a Pakistani court, ignoring American entreaties that he had shot the men in self-defense and was entitled to diplomatic immunity.

In an episode that involved political sparring between the federal government, which is led by Zardari's PPP, and the Punjab government, while is led by Nawaz Sharief's PML, Davis became a pawn even as an increasingly radicalized society called for his head. The lynch mobs were spurred on by political parties playing to the galleries, even as Washington and Islamabad bickered over technicalities over Davis' status and immunity issues. It turned out that while has a diplomatic passport, he was in Pakistan on a business visa. Washington insisted that the diplomatic passport provided him with immunity, but Islamabad went by the visa, a reading which was challenged by the US.

Fearing for Davis' life and other US assets amid rising tensions on the street, Washington deployed every possible resource and instrument to warn Islamabad that it was playing with fire. A Congressional delegation visiting Pakistan this week cautioned that bilateral relationship, including defense ties, would be affected if the Davis episode ended badly.

"In a meeting today with Prime Minister Gilani, a bipartisan US congressional delegation protested the continued illegal detention of the American diplomat in Lahore," a statement by the US embassy in Islamabad said on Thursday. Conveying a rare disagreement with the hosts by a visiting delegation, it the delegation called on the government of Pakistan "to abide by its obligation under international and Pakistani law to recognize his diplomatic immunity, and immediately release him."

Washington also deployed its European allies in a full court press effort. Pakistan suddenly found that tariff concessions it expected from the European Union was being delayed and the IMF was turning off the financial spigot which has kept it afloat.

In a stark reminder of the lifeline western powers had over Pakistan, Pakistani papers carried identical stories on Saturday under the headline "Fanaticism could lead to grants' suspension," saying "European Union and other Western countries have called for linking the foreign aid given to Pakistan with its anti-extremism measures."

The effort was followed up Clinton's phone call to Zardari, who is already under intense scrutiny in Pakistan following speculative stories in the local media about his alleged marriage to a New York-based political activist of Pakistani origin. According to the story, which has been vehemently denied by his aides and the person concerned, Zardari married Dr Tanvir Zamani in a secret ceremony and has requested US authorities for security for her.

By weekend, it appeared that the Davis' episode was on its way to resolution, with Pakistan trying to devise a face-saving procedural maneuver to release the jailed American national.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...urning-diplomat-Davis/articleshow/7434325.cms

 

[The Messiah]

LMAO the puppets are back in the box after there little show. see pakistanis below

 

[SLASH]

In Pakistan and that too in their capital even foreign embassy officials are not safe. Embassy official carrying firearm can only happen in Paapistan. The impunity with which he used his gun clearly goes on to indicate how scared Americans are in Pakistan. I am quite sure embassy guy must have thought that he was about to be kidnapped or something.

Triple seat on the motorcycle. That would have to be the funniest kidnapping ever....

 

[sandeepdg]

US pressures Pakistan into returning 'diplomat' Davis

WASHINGTON: Intense pressure and heat from the United States and its allies has melted Pakistan's jingoistic tenacity to try an American national, who Washington maintains has diplomatic immunity, for the murder by shooting of two Pakistanis in Lahore.

Islamabad is now preparing grounds to return Raymond Davis, the US official, after duly absolving him in a legal process that once threatened to convict him in a trumped up response to organized political and public pressure.

The Pakistani decision follows high level diplomatic activity, including a phone call from secretary of state Hillary Clinton to President Asif Ali Zardari, to resolve the matter.

The Associated Press cited two unnamed Pakistani officials in the United States as saying they expect Davis to be free in days, once a Pakistani court goes over documents US. officials have submitted to prove his diplomatic status.

But the officials said their government had to let the case proceed until the US. produced the necessary documents on Davis' status, in what appeared to be a face-saving procedural delay. They said Pakistani police believed the evidence supported Davis' story – that he shot two armed motorcycle-borne men he believed were trying to rob him.

However, the dominant account in Pakistan, fed by a fevered, jingoistic media, is that Raymond Davis was a trigger-happy CIA agent or a freelance operative who shot and killed two innocent Pakistani lads. The tale fed into the systematic grievance-laden national narrative of American bullying, spurring ultra-nationalists and extremists into demanding that Davis be tried by a Pakistani court, ignoring American entreaties that he had shot the men in self-defense and was entitled to diplomatic immunity.

In an episode that involved political sparring between the federal government, which is led by Zardari's PPP, and the Punjab government, while is led by Nawaz Sharief's PML, Davis became a pawn even as an increasingly radicalized society called for his head. The lynch mobs were spurred on by political parties playing to the galleries, even as Washington and Islamabad bickered over technicalities over Davis' status and immunity issues. It turned out that while has a diplomatic passport, he was in Pakistan on a business visa. Washington insisted that the diplomatic passport provided him with immunity, but Islamabad went by the visa, a reading which was challenged by the US.

Fearing for Davis' life and other US assets amid rising tensions on the street, Washington deployed every possible resource and instrument to warn Islamabad that it was playing with fire. A Congressional delegation visiting Pakistan this week cautioned that bilateral relationship, including defense ties, would be affected if the Davis episode ended badly.

"In a meeting today with Prime Minister Gilani, a bipartisan US congressional delegation protested the continued illegal detention of the American diplomat in Lahore," a statement by the US embassy in Islamabad said on Thursday. Conveying a rare disagreement with the hosts by a visiting delegation, it the delegation called on the government of Pakistan "to abide by its obligation under international and Pakistani law to recognize his diplomatic immunity, and immediately release him."

Washington also deployed its European allies in a full court press effort. Pakistan suddenly found that tariff concessions it expected from the European Union was being delayed and the IMF was turning off the financial spigot which has kept it afloat.

In a stark reminder of the lifeline western powers had over Pakistan, Pakistani papers carried identical stories on Saturday under the headline "Fanaticism could lead to grants' suspension," saying "European Union and other Western countries have called for linking the foreign aid given to Pakistan with its anti-extremism measures."

The effort was followed up Clinton's phone call to Zardari, who is already under intense scrutiny in Pakistan following speculative stories in the local media about his alleged marriage to a New York-based political activist of Pakistani origin. According to the story, which has been vehemently denied by his aides and the person concerned, Zardari married Dr Tanvir Zamani in a secret ceremony and has requested US authorities for security for her.

By weekend, it appeared that the Davis' episode was on its way to resolution, with Pakistan trying to devise a face-saving procedural maneuver to release the jailed American national.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...urning-diplomat-Davis/articleshow/7434325.cms

Well, a classic case of the dog been put in its place by its master.

 

[SHASH2K2]

New twist in Davis saga, victims were ISI agents​

WASHINGTON: While Washington and much of the world continues to be transfixed by the drama over democracy in Egypt, an ugly sideshow involving spooks and spying in Pakistan is consuming the Obama administration, redrawing the security contours with regards to what was once regarded as a stalwart ally.

The Raymond Davis affair, as the episode has come to be known, has become not just curiouser, but also messier. The alleged private security contractor, who was on the rolls of the US diplomatic mission in Pakistan when he shot dead two Pakistanis in what he said was in self-defense after they attempted to rob him, is still incarcerated despite US demands that he be freed because he enjoys diplomatic immunity.

But it turns out that even as Islamabad is publicly resisting American pressure, a section of the Pakistani establishment has revealed that the two men who were shot were in fact agents of the ISI.

Meanwhile, Shumaila Kanwal, the wife of one of alleged robbers/spies died under mysterious circumstances in a Pakistani hospital after consuming poison, but not before she met journalists and issued a revenge call, demanding "blood for blood."

Pakistani officials told the Express Tribune in Lahore that the Pakistani government's "tough stance" on the whole issue was also a "reaction to the attempts by certain elements in Washington to implicate...the ISI in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks," including the decision by a US court to summon top ISI officials in connections with the attacks.

The incredible drama has greatly soured ties between US and Pakistan, with the growing feeling in Washington that its once-famed ally is now turning rogue. There is now a demand in some quarters in Washington to turn off the aid spigot vital for Pakistan's survival, even as there is pressure on the government in Islamabad to hold to account the US whose lifeline to its troops in Afghanistan runs through Pakistan.

Read more: New twist in Davis saga, victims were ISI agents - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-agents/articleshow/7449762.cms#ixzz1DLHisGMx

 

[ejazr]

The Original report on the ISI operatives from Express Tribune in Pakistan

Raymond Davis case: Men killed in Lahore were intelligence operatives, says official

ISLAMABAD: The government's reluctance to free Raymond Davis is attributed to the fact that the two killed in the Lahore shooting were believed to be the intelligence operatives.

"Yes, they belonged to the security establishment"¦.they found the activities of the American official detrimental to our national security," disclosed a security official.

He requested not to be identified since he was not authorised to speak to the media on record.

The official confirmed that the president, the prime minister and the chief of army staff (COAS) had discussed the issue in a meeting last week. The three thought it was advisable to resist the US pressure on the Raymond Davis issue and believed the detained American national should not be released at this stage, he said.

He said the government's tough stance on the controversy was also its reaction to the attempts by certain elements in Washington to implicate the country's top spy agency, the ISI, in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

"The government is very angry with the decision of an American court to summon top ISI officials in connections with the Mumbai attacks," the official maintained.

The military spokesman was not available for comments.

The officials in the Foreign Office also confirmed the government's position on the Raymond Davis issue but said he would eventually be released once the firm assurance from the US that such incidents would not recur.

The government was also con*templating to ask the American government to waive off Ray*mond's immunity and try him in the US courts, the officials added. A US Embassy official said his government had "no plans yet to agree on such a step".

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2011.

 

[smartindian]

US suspends high-level contact with Pakistan

US suspends high-level contact with Pakistan


WASHINGTON: The United States has suspended high-level contacts with Pakistan as ties between the two countries continue to deteriorate over the Raymond Davis affair.

The situation has worsened to such an extent that the Obama administration is reported to be putting a hold on Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's proposed visit to Washington next month. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also declined to meet Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the sidelines of a security conference in Munich. Agitated US lawmakers have indicated that defense and economic ties, including aid to Pakistan, may need to be revisited.

So what is the Raymond Davis affair? While Washington and much of the world continues to be transfixed by the drama over democracy in Egypt, an ugly sideshow involving spooks and spying in Pakistan is consuming the Obama administration, redrawing the security contours with regards to what was once regarded as a stalwart ally.

Davis, an alleged private security contractor, was on the rolls of the American diplomatic mission in Pakistan when he shot dead two Pakistanis last month in what he said was in self-defense after they attempted to rob him. He has been incarcerated pending legal proceedings despite US demands that he be freed because he enjoys diplomatic immunity.

Washington has now convinced Pakistan that Davis has a diplomatic passport, and although it is stamped with a work visa, he is entitled to diplomatic immunity under international conventions. But the situation in Pakistan appears to have slipped out of government's control, with anti-U.S interests and pro-American sources each selectively leaking information to inflame public opinion, which is already anti-American.

For instance, it turns out that even as Islamabad is publicly resisting American pressure, a section of the Pakistani establishment has revealed that the two men who were shot were in fact agents of the ISI, its spy agency. Adding to the confusion, the wife of one of the alleged robbers/spies died under mysterious circumstances in a Pakistani hospital after consuming poison, but not before she met journalists and issued a revenge call, demanding "blood for blood."

Meanwhile, unnamed Pakistani officials also told the Express Tribune newspaper in Lahore that the Pakistani government's "tough stance" on the whole issue was also a "reaction to the attempts by certain elements in Washington to implicate...the ISI in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks," including the decision by an American court to summon top ISI officials in connections with the attacks.

The incredible and often acrimonious drama, being played out on the sidelines of the Egypt spectacle, has greatly soured ties between US and Pakistan, with the growing feeling in Washington that its once-famed ally is now turning rogue. There is now a demand in some quarters in Washington to turn off the aid spigot vital for Pakistan's survival, even as there is pressure on the civilian government in Islamabad to hold to account the United States, whose lifeline to its 140,000 troops in Afghanistan runs through Pakistan.

Some analysts are starting to compare the situation to the one that existed between US and Iran during the hostage crisis.

Matters have reached such a head that the US ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter called on President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad on Monday to follow up on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's phone call to him last week to resolve the matter, which has now become more complicated by the latest disclosure and the suicide.

But instead of moving towards a resolution, Pakistan on Monday put three more Americans, accused of driving a vehicle that came to rescue Davis but instead killed a pedestrian in a hit-and-run incident, on an exit control list.

The atmosphere has been particularly exacerbated by the alleged suicide of Shumaila Kanwal, widow of the one of the men shot dead by Davis. Kanwal, 26, reportedly told medics and journalists that she was ending her life in protest at alleged leniency shown towards Davis. "I want blood for blood," she was quoted as saying after she arrived at the hospital. "The way my husband was shot, his killer should be shot in the same fashion. I need justice."

Pictures in the Pakistani media showed Kanwal being tube fed and drinking water, but she was mysteriously pronounced dead a few hours later. Soon after, some Pakistani politicians have demanded that Davis and other Americans be tried for her death too. The US mission has declined to hand over the three other Americans accused in the hit-and-run case.

All this now makes it even more difficult for Pakistan's civilian government to release Davis even if it now transpires, as was reported by the Express Tribune, that the two motorcycle borne men who were killed were ISI agents. An unnamed security official told the newspaper, which is brought out in collaboration with the International Herald Tribune, that the duo belonged to the security establishment and "found the activities of the American official detrimental to our national security."


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...contact-with-Pakistan/articleshow/7450503.cms

 

[SHASH2K2]

 

[smartindian]

now question arises, how can pakistan survive without american aid , can america secure Afghanistan without any pakistani help, without pakistani supply routes. most important question wht will happen to north wagristan operation will pakistani army will take action against terrorist hideout in NW. but the news is interesting

 

[Blackwater]

now question arises, how can pakistan survive without american aid , can america secure Afghanistan without any pakistani help, without pakistani supply routes. most important question wht will happen to north wagristan operation will pakistani army will take action against terrorist hideout in NW. but the news is interesting

For pakiz situation is one way is the hill and other is well. Where to go?? For wake up call USA should stop every aid for few months and watch..

 

[karra]

Well, a classic case of the dog been put in its place by its master.

Well,it wil not work.There is too much to lose for america,public sentiments are already anti west just a spark and they(america) will be looking at a government is islamabad who most probably will be hostile to its foreign policies in our region.

what is more important ,1 man or their puppets ?

 

[Bangalorean]

I wager that this American will be sipping a beer in the States within a couple of months, with the associated H&D loss for Pakistan.

This is actually a good topic to place bets on! Anyone wants to place bets on this with me?

 

[Ray]

He is a CIA chap and well versed in Urdu and Pashto!

More than what meets the eye!

All money to Pakistan will be drying up, if Pakistan does not toe the line!

Tough times!

 

[Rage]

So, Davis killed two ISI agents, who were pursuing him on motorbikes and tried to kill him? And therefore, was arrested? Funny state, this Pakistan.

@ B'lore-ian,

I think we're in general agreement that Davis is going to get off the hook.

Question is, what Timeline? Let's place wagers on the timeline. I wager R.200 on two weeks.

 

[Bangalorean]

So, Davis killed two ISI agents, who were pursuing him on motorbikes and tried to kill him? And therefore, was arrested? Funny state, this Pakistan.

@ B'lore-ian,

I think we're in general agreement that Davis is going to get off the hook.

Question is, what Timeline? Let's place wagers on the timeline. I wager R.200 on two weeks.

No, I say it'll take 2 months at the very least. I wager Rs. 200 too. :thumb:

 

[Rage]

Game on!


.

 

[bhramos]

Did the American killed the pakistani terrorist on bike??

Was he member of blackwater?

Will he be punished in pakistan ?

bahut sawal ha

you question and you answer!!!!!
but thats a good news.......
American was sinned by bible and awarded by kuran...
as he sent 2 people for 72 virgins... waiting in heaven.....