Raymond Davis saga in Pakistan

[smartindian]

ajtr! you are now comparing a industrial accident with cold blooded murder, there is nothing more funnier that this .

 

[nitesh]

Oh really??? Remember how 20000 victims of bhopal were sold down the drain by same GOI.And 26/11 victims are being sold in front of ur own eyes.And pakistan has become more relevat to india in last decade than it ever was.My dear hyphenation is still on as long as pakistan is on earth.

Ok bait apart, Hyphenation can exist in the heart and mind of those who don't want to see the reality. Who cares, India has successfully turned the monster to kill there own creators

 

[Oracle]

Zillat Pakistan!How could you set free a criminal who shot dead 2 innocent Pakistanis? Just for money? Have you now stooped so low, so as to even barter for your dead ones?

 

[Patriot]

MODs my request , please look in to the psychological aberration of certain members & ban them. Please save our DFI from Psychos,zombies, drones & trollers. As these kinds are propagating the negativity & not contributing to the constructive discussion. Thanks

 

[nitesh]

Zillat Pakistan!How could you set free a criminal who shot dead 2 innocent Pakistanis? Just for money? Have you now stooped so low, so as to even barter for your dead ones?

Are you kidding me? IS this is the first case when the dead have been sold of?

 

[Oracle]

Are you kidding me? IS this is the first case when the dead have been sold of?

I am not kidding Nitesh. But I feel sad that Pakistan is now selling it's dead for money, as I am not aware of things like this happening earlier in Pakistan.

 

[nitesh]

I am not kidding Nitesh. But I feel sad that Pakistan is now selling it's dead for money, as I am not aware of things like this happening earlier in Pakistan.

What about kargil then?

 

[JBH22]

No bottomline is this.....The same pakistan which india had on its knees has grown into monster and regarding which indian rulers have run out of option and they are running like headless chickens to uncle to control this monster.But uncle has his own calculations which got mirred by the pakistan by trapping uncle in afghanistan.

The day you can dictate us your political terms or you make our armed forces surrender then its call to bring India on its knees otherwise its pointless bitching. Between an idea of what is making a country on its knees is well illustrated in this pic.

Pakistan has not the demographic,economic neither the military might to compete with us at best it can become the whore of another power to try and keep taking on us (First USA bitch backfire with the Soviet-Afghan war episode now being cosy with China). Try get out of this logic of short term strategy but look at the longer term

 

[Param]

No bottomline is this.....The same pakistan which india had on its knees has grown into monster and regarding which indian rulers have run out of option and they are running like headless chickens to uncle to control this monster.But uncle has his own calculations which got mirred by the pakistan by trapping uncle in afghanistan.

Please don't insult monsters.Pakistan is no monster. It is a suicidal maniac with a very dangerous weapon.And uncle was not trapped by pakistan he was just stupid enough to step in quick sand.

 

[Blackwater]

pakistan have already sold their country for $$$$ you can get anything from pakistan for $$$$

That's why army in pak is more powerfull. If person like zardari and sharieef given real power. They must have sold all secrets by now for $$$$$$

 

[SHASH2K2]

Uproar in Pakistan over release of CIA contractor Raymond Davis​

ISLAMABAD: With people across Pakistan protesting the court decision of releasing the US Central Intelligence Agency contractor Raymond Davis in a twin-murder case, the country's top government functionaries preferred to remain tight-lipped on the unpopular issue in a bid to avoid wrath of the masses.

The release of Raymond Davis has ended a diplomatic standoff between the US and Pakistan but also brought the weak PPP-led coalition government on the verge of popular backlash. So far, no comment was heard on the issue from Presidency, PM's office, foreign affairs and home ministries. Well aware about the sensitivity of the issue, leader of the country's main opposition party Nawaz Sharif and his chief minister brother of Punjab province Shahbaz Sharif left the country for London ahead of the court decision.

Thursday saw countrywide demonstrations by the rightist parties, president Musharraf created PML-Q, and Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI). They condemned the government, saying that families of the two men killed by Raymond Davis were forced to accept blood money in return for pardoning him. Critics of the deal pointed out that as recently as four days ago, the families of the victims said that they wanted justice not compensation.

A petition was also filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday, challenging the release of Davis. The petitioner Barrister Iqbal Jafri requested the court to invalidate the decision and direct the authorities to initiate proceedings against those who brought about CIA operative's release.

Davis was released by a prison court on Wednesday after the heirs of the slain men accepted $2.34 million in compensation. In most of the cases, blood feuds are settled in Pakistan's rural parts through the Islamic law of "Diyaat".

According to the law, a convicted killer could be pardoned if the victim's heirs agree to accept blood money. For weeks, Pakistan's federal and Punjab governments were working in collaboration with the country's military establishment to convince families of the dead men to pardon Davis in return of blood money and US green cards. The efforts for his release was essentially started when Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani met his American counterpart at the beach resort in Oman last month.

 

[Virendra]

U.S. denies paying blood money for Davis release.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=12731

CAIRO: The U.S. government did not pay any compensation to the families of two Pakistanis killed by Raymond Davis, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.

"The United States did not pay any compensation or blood money," Clinton told reporters in Cairo. Asked who paid the families, she replied: "You will have to ask the families."

Asked if the Pakistani government had paid compensation, the U.S. secretary of state said: "you will have to ask the Pakistani government." (AFP)
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Uh Oh .... this is going to rub salt on many eyes.
Regards,
Virendra

 

[Roby]

CIA Contractor Raymond Davis Is Free -- Now Is the Time to Reconsider Our Support for Pakistan's Government

The return of a U.S. official illegally held by Pakistan is welcome news, but the overall incident is outrageous and the U.S. role in directly or indirectly providing a "blood money" payment is potentially scandalous. The Obama administration backed down to lawless behavior by a supposed U.S. ally, and in so doing, again made America look weak. This episode adds to a list of reasons to reconsider our support for Pakistan.

Raymond Davis was detained in Pakistan on January 27 after shooting two men in self-defense. Mr. Davis was accredited to the U.S. consulate in Lahore, which means he had diplomatic immunity. Under article 29 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to which the U.S. and Pakistan are both party, it was unlawful for Pakistani officials to detain Mr. Davis, much less imprison him for over a month. He was released on Wednesday after the families of the dead reportedly were paid $2.3 million in so-called "blood money" compensation—effectively a bribe.

The fact that Mr. Davis was acknowledged after his arrest to be a contractor, or that he works for the Central Intelligence Agency, is irrelevant. All major U.S. missions have representatives of several agencies who perform various diplomatic and administrative functions. Whether they work for the State Department or another agency does not impact the diplomatic immunity to which they are entitled—and which is essential for effective communication between governments.

If a government dislikes the affiliation or conduct of a certain diplomat, its recourse is to expel that person. That is the arrangement Pakistan broke by effectively taking Mr. Davis hostage.

Pakistan's conduct would be outrageous for any government. But what happened is even more appalling from a government that purports to be an ally and which has never had a problem holding its hand out for U.S. money. Assistance from U.S. taxpayers to Pakistan has increased to a sky-high average of $1.5 billion per year. The gall of asking for an extra $2.3 million payment on top of this is insulting.

We should take this opportunity to reconsider our support for Pakistan's government.

Exactly what is that $1.5 billion a year supposed to buy us? Pakistan is far too corrupt for economic assistance to work, and pouring money into a corrupt system only encourages corruption. The Pakistani military still seems more seized with poking the eye of its nemesis, India, than defeating the violent Islamists within its own borders. Enthusiasts of Pakistan have long claimed progress in changing this, but nearly a decade after 9/11, evidence is lacking.

Pakistan still uses and supports terrorists as tools of national policy, as was again demonstrated vividly when Pakistani terrorists went on a killing spree in India in 2008. Anti-Americanism is pervasive and violent. Sending billions of U.S. dollars to Islamabad and paying bribes does nothing to help these matters.

Some would conclude that our largesse for Pakistan buys us access to neighboring Afghanistan, and the "privilege" of assaulting terrorists in areas within Pakistan's borders but beyond its control. If the Pakistani government views these activities as being in its interest, they will continue without our massive handout of cash. If not, then Pakistan is not an ally at all, and the U.S. ought to seek alternatives to relying on an adversary. This could involve seeking more access points to Afghanistan from Central Asia.

Others believe that Pakistan's nuclear weapons capability compels continued U.S. handouts. But a better defense against the use or proliferation of nuclear weapons would be cooperating with democratic India on missile defense, counter-force and counter-proliferation.

President Obama, who presumably signed off on the payment for Mr. Davis's release, whether it was direct or indirect, has again displayed profound weakness to the world. If governments we believe to be allies and pay handsomely not only get away with treating us like this, but benefit financially from it, then what will our adversaries conclude? As with every major foreign policy of the Obama administration--and Mr. Obama's conduct in every foreign crisis--those who wish us harm see only blue skies ahead.

Much damage has already been done from this episode, but Congress should act. Ideally, aid to Pakistan should be halted. But at a minimum, regardless of its source, the bribe paid for Mr. Davis's release should be subtracted from this month's check for Islamabad to send a message. Congress should also demand and release all information and communications related to this episode, including any direct or indirect U.S. role in the "blood money" payment. Congress should also pass a law prohibiting U.S. government bribery for the release of hostages, and debate alternatives to our reliance on Pakistan. Through this, Congress can at least mitigate the damage while shining light on Mr. Obama's dangerous and negligent conduct in foreign affairs.

Christian Whiton is a former U.S. State Department senior adviser and is a principal at D.C International Advisory. He is a frequent contributor to Fox News Opinion.

 

[Tronic]

Using nomenclature is one thing.practically world is paying ransom money to ward off attacks in their own countries from terror factory.

Normally countries attract money from abroad by making their nation an attractive place to invest. Driving away FDI to extort aid money? I don't know how much of a master stroke that is. What next? Pakistan starves its own people like the North Koreans and feigns dismemberment for countries to throw in more aid? Common ajtr, you can't be serious commending such policies.

That was during khalistan movement time late eighties till it died down in 1990-91 period.it was time during ravjiv gandhi's rule for every transistor or toy bomb there used to be same response(remember those days too as child my parents used to warn not to pick any toys road side or in park.).1992 was master stroke escalation from toy bombs which used to claim single live to causalities in amounting in hundreds and then culprits running away successfully even running their empire in mumbai from outside.wat did india do for it???? muzzling the RAW during I.K.Gujaral rule which till date unable to recover.Where is the response for 1999 IA hijacking and ransom paid in millions. Parliament attacks and 26/11 proved nuke blackmail works as deterrent. So what u've here a GOI running to uncle crying everytime being slapped by ISI and uncle advising contrary to talk to the murderer to allowing it to act as judge.Who gave up most of the ground....S-s-S,Diluting stand on talks,terrorism,kashmir....yes u can guess its india which truly has lost its initiatives ib diplomacy.Real thing to worry about for india is that GOI is unable to protect its own citizen and Its totally directionless and powerless to punish the culprits. At no point usa gonna help india fight its own WOT.its india's war and it has to fight it alone.Quicker the GOI understand this better will be for its citizens

Not too sure about that. Pakistan is burning far worse than it ever burnt India. How much of it is RAW's work and how much their own doing? We don't know, and I surely wouldn't want RAW to advertise if they are behind anything. It is already evident that Indian paras were used behind enemy lines in late 90s and early 2000s, and may well still be. We don't know. But when I look across the border, it aint pretty. I'll leave it at that.

And yes, I'm sure even India knows not to rely on the US for its war. But yet it still will cry and whine all it can to extort the best possible out of the US. Thats called diplomacy. The rest of the walk, it can walk itself.

 

[mayfair]

Normally countries attract money from abroad by making their nation an attractive place to invest. Driving away FDI to extort aid money? I don't know how much of a master stroke that is. What next? Pakistan starves its own people like the North Koreans and feigns dismemberment for countries to throw in more aid? Common ajtr, you can't be serious commending such policies.

It's a master stroke. FDI means investment, which means that the investors would want handsome returns on their investment, which means that they'll make money in Pakistan. Aid means no such obligations or requirements on the part of the donors. More chances for the Pak Army and the Rich Anglophone Pakistani Elites to siphon away the $$ and fill their coffers. It makes sense from their point of view at least. If investment does not yield returns, the investors will pull out. Even if the aid has no perceptible effect on the ground, the donors will keep coming back as long as Pakistan holds a nuclear gun to its temple.

Not too sure about that. Pakistan is burning far worse than it ever burnt India. How much of it is RAW's work and how much their own doing? We don't know, and I surely wouldn't want RAW to advertise if they are behind anything. It is already evident that Indian paras were used behind enemy lines in late 90s and early 2000s, and may well still be. We don't know. But when I look across the border, it aint pretty. I'll leave it at that.

Interesting. Do you have any links for that?

 

[ejazr]

If there was any doubt about how much clout the ISI/Army establishment still hold over the levers of government this is it. They must have got their pounds flesh for giving up Davis but we don't have any clear idea of what the CIA-ISI deal was.

And I doubt it would be only money. Its definitely some strategic understanding and if that involves something that is detrimental to India, it shows that for the US atleast in the short-term, they are beholden to Pakistan.

 

[ejazr]

Army, ISI, Punjab CM played the main role

ISLAMABAD: The Chief of the Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, through the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and some influential families of Lahore, played a key role in 'convincing' the families of Faizan and Faheem that Raymond Davis would be released in any case and they would get nothing, so the best course was to accept money and forgive the American killer.

The ISPR director general, who is also the spokesman of the ISI and Pakistan Army, Major General Athar Abbas, on being asked told The News: "I am completely unaware whether General Kayani or ISI played any role in convincing the families in Raymond Davis case." General Athar, however, did not deny the role of General Kayani and the ISI in remaining continuously in touch with the families of Faizan and Faheem for the last two months.

On the other hand, Shahbaz Sharif categorically denied that his departure for London on the D-day was part of the deal. He said that he never contacted the families of Faizan and Faheem to convince them to accept the money. Shahbaz also said that his government had arrested and detained Raymond. He tried to give the impression that his visit to London was in connection with the heart attack suffered by Mian Nawaz Sharf. The Punjab government sources, however, confirmed that Shahbaz's tour to London was planned in indecent haste.

Though there were comments that the federal government also played a role in convincing the families but sources privy to the developments confided to The News that despite having the utmost desire to do so, the federal government was unable to play any role in the whole episode and the whole credit went to the Pakistan Army, ISI and Shahbaz Sharif.

A senior PML-N leader privy to the developments told The News that he was unaware why the Pakistan Army and the ISI were so much interested in releasing Raymond Davis but knew that Shahbaz Sharif was active and used his old friends in the city to convince the families after some important personalities from Saudi Arabia asked Shahbaz Sharif to get Raymond released at the earliest. On the other hand, a representative of the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad told The News on Tuesday that the Saudi government had nothing to do with the Raymond Davis case in Pakistan.

Credible sources told The News that in the second week of February, Shahbaz Sharif received instructions from some of his foreign friends and he engaged some influential personalities of Lahore to convince the families of the deceased Faizan and Faheem to accept the money. The same influential friends of Shahbaz Sharif, according to these sources, also persuaded the leadership of PML-Q and JUI-F not to create any problems in the resolution of the issue.

Sources said following the suggestions of his foreign friends, Shahbaz Sharif instructed Punjab's Law Minister Rana Sanaullah not to officially inform the federal interior ministry about the names of four Americans who were revealed by Raymond Davis on the first day of investigation, so they could not be put on the Exit Control List and thus could leave Pakistan easily.

Rana Sanaullah did the same and later he had to admit that he had made a mistake. Rana Sanaullah, after mounting public pressure to arrest the killers of Ebad-ur-Rehman, sent an official letter to the interior ministry not to allow the four Americans involved in killing of Ebad-ur-Rehman to leave but refused to give the names of these American as per the directions of Shahbaz Sharif.

Following the willingness of the families to accept the money, sources say, Shahbaz Sharif deputed Rana Sanaullah to supervise the whole operation of release of Raymond Davis and left for London. Credible sources of the Punjab government confirmed to The News that during this whole period, officials of ISI were in constant touch with Shahbaz Sharif and the families of Faizan and Faheem. The officials of ISI also remained present in all the meetings held between Shahbaz Sharif's representatives and the families.

It is worth mentioning that President Zardari and an important and powerful federal minister did their best to get Davis free but their efforts were thwarted by the Punjab government. This was appreciated by the media. However, informed sources told this scribe that the American officials knew who played what role and were thankful to Shahbaz Sharif for his services.

Senior PML-N leader Siddiqul Farooq, while talking to this scribe, said that according to his knowledge, there were reports that the Saudi government played a vital role in the resolution of the Raymond Davis issue. Siddique said the heirs of both Faizan and Faheem were taken to Saudi Arabia and were paid most part of the agreed compromised amount. He said that rest of the amount was paid today (Wednesday) in the courtroom. Siddique, however, didn't clarify who was the real person who acted on the orders of Saudis in Lahore and pressurised the families to accept the compromised money. Some leaders also claim that chief justice of Lahore High Court was also on board and he acted on 'suggestion' of Shahbaz Sharif. However, The News couldn't verify the same from independent sources but it is on record that chief justice LHC on Tuesday lifted the ban on inclusion of Raymond in the ECL.

 

[ajtr]

Perfidious America​

The Davis case has knocked Washington off the moral high ground in Pakistan

By IMTIAZ GUL

Islamabad

Alleged CIA operative Raymond Davis may have been allowed to leave Pakistan after the payment of blood money to the families of the two men he killed and another who died in the aftermath of a gunfight on Jan. 27. But the rift he caused in U.S.-Pakistan relations will not heal quickly.

Regardless of the circumstances that prompted Mr. Davis to kill two Pakistanis, the episode blew the lid off covert American operations in a country that was awash with rumors about the activities of the Central Intelligence Agency and its private contractors. For the majority of Pakistanis, particularly the religious-political right as well as hardliners within the security apparatus, the Davis case proved what they had long suspected: Americans are a rogue force within Pakistan.

Most Pakistanis already viewed the CIA with skepticism. The agency is extremely unpopular for its use of drone strikes against militants in Pakistan's Waziristan tribal lands bordering Afghanistan. Many Pakistanis also believe that both the CIA and its private contractors are trying to coerce Pakistan by sponsoring attacks on targets such as Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) installations or police stations.

This may seem far-fetched, but the fear has some basis in reality. In his book "Obama's Wars," Bob Woodward revealed the existence of a secret 3,000-strong army of paramilitary Afghan fighters created by the CIA to target Taliban and al Qaeda commanders inside Pakistan through "false flag attacks."

Mr. Davis's alleged links with Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater, further aggravated the situation. Blackwater is synonymous in Pakistani gossip with secret U.S. missions inside the country. Whispers of Blackwater involvement emerge, for instance, the moment Americans rent homes or office space in cities such as Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi.

Within days, the American insistence on Mr. Davis's diplomatic immunity and incessant demands for his release, including the one from U.S. President Barack Obama himself, polarized Pakistanis like never before. The majority demanded that Mr. Davis stand trial for murdering two Pakistanis in broad daylight.

As the government of President Asif Ali Zardari sought a way out without further enraging the public, the American administration only fueled the fire with its insistence that Mr. Davis enjoyed diplomatic immunity. Mr. Davis was not on a list of diplomatic and non-diplomatic staff that the U.S. Embassy submitted to the Pakistani Foreign Office on Jan. 25. A revised list provided a day after the incident did contain Mr. Davis's name.

The issue of whether to accept this post-facto immunity divided the government and eventually cost Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi his post. He was hamstrung by a consensus among the civilian and military bureaucracy, backed up by retired diplomatic stalwarts like Ambassadors Riaz Khokhar and Tariq Fatemi, that Mr. Davis was not eligible for immunity. This consensus made it impossible for Mr. Qureshi to grant the request of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The American bending of diplomatic rules caused even greater outrage and stiffened the resolve within parts of the government to prosecute Mr. Davis for activities inconsistent with his status, as well as murder. Not surprisingly, the issue took the blogosphere by storm, prompting prominent columnists, writers and academics to vent their views on the lack of transparency in the Pakistan-U.S. relationship and the Americans' ability to operate above the law.

Now that Mr. Davis is out of the country and a trial avoided, Washington and Islamabad face a formidable challenge: how to rehabilitate America in the eyes of Pakistanis. The insistence on diplomatic immunity represented a clear case of selective morality on the part of the Obama administration. A state that claims to champion the rule of law and accuses others of subverting international conventions tried to invoke the Vienna Convention on behalf of a mercenary.

Even moderate politicians like Fakhar Imam, a former president of the national legislature, are calling for a revision of the bilateral ties. "It has been a relationship of diminishing returns, geared towards the U.S. interests only," Mr. Imam said during a private U.S.-Pakistan consultation in Islamabad. He went on to recall the human and material losses that Pakistan has endured as a member of the anti-terror coalition. What is worse, says Mr. Imam, "we are being paid back with accusations, mistrust and intimidation."

For years, American officials heaped scorn on Pakistan, accusing it of double dealing in the war against terrorism. They used a string of leaks planted in the U.S. media to highlight their frustration and mistrust of Islamabad, particularly the ISI. Now the U.S. has been caught in its own double dealing and has lost the moral high ground. It will have to abandon its heavy-handed approach in Pakistan if it wants to make the partnership work.

Mr. Gul heads the Centre for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad, and is the author of "The Most Dangerous Place" (Viking, 2010).

 

[Bangalorean]

This whole Raymond Davis saga, combined with the drone attacks, is very very crucial. Never before has so much hate and so much abuse and anger been directed towards the Pakistan Army and ISI, by the common Pakistanis. Extremely patriotic and proud Pakistanis have begun to curse and abuse the Army and ISI, and vitriolic jokes are being circulated about Kiyani and Pasha. You have to see the anger and desperation in the Pawkee defence forums to believe it!

Finally Pawkees are realizing that the real culprits in their nation are the Army and ISI, and the poor politicians are just scapegoats. Some very old members of Pawkee defence forums are openly questioning whether the creation of Pakistan was a good idea or not. One senior moderator in a forum also wonders if they would have been better off with India!!

Interesting times indeed.

 

[The Messiah]

This whole Raymond Davis saga, combined with the drone attacks, is very very crucial. Never before has so much hate and so much abuse and anger been directed towards the Pakistan Army and ISI, by the common Pakistanis. Extremely patriotic and proud Pakistanis have begun to curse and abuse the Army and ISI, and vitriolic jokes are being circulated about Kiyani and Pasha. You have to see the anger and desperation in the Pawkee defence forums to believe it!

Finally Pawkees are realizing that the real culprits in their nation are the Army and ISI, and the poor politicians are just scapegoats. Some very old members of Pawkee defence forums are openly questioning whether the creation of Pakistan was a good idea or not. One senior moderator in a forum also wonders if they would have been better off with India!!

Interesting times indeed.

Well that is hypothetical question and none can answer it but everyone has opinions on it. I believe we would be have been better off strategically in the international stage but dont know about the internal politics.

One thing for sure is that there would have been another party against hindi

Pakistan is a failed state and will literally fail when aid is stopped....they have only 1 use and that is to be used by other countries like a puppet to contain India.