According to a just-released article in the Washington Post, U.S. officials have confirmed that Raymond Davis is a contract employee of the CIA, responsible for security at a safe house in Lahore. According to the article, a U.S. official presumed that the Pakistani government has known the nature of Davis's work and that today's official confirmation will "make it a hell of a lot harder to get him out." U.S. officials are also concerned about Davis's safety and health while he remains in pre-trial confinement.
Left unsaid was why exactly U.S. officials decided to confirm Davis's status. What this confirmation will mean for Davis and other U.S. government employees in Pakistan, and for the achievement of U.S. objectives in the region, remains to be seen.
---------
16 Feb 2011
In 1999, Gen. Charles Krulak, USMC coined the term "strategic corporal," referring to a low-level soldier whose battlefield decisions could have strategic consequences. Raymond Davis, an "administrative and technical staff" employee at the United States consulate in Lahore, may soon be inducted into the "strategic corporal" Hall of Fame. Davis, now jailed in Lahore and awaiting trial for allegedly murdering two Pakistani men whom Davis claims were attempting to rob him at gunpoint, may accomplish what Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and ISI scheming have failed to do, namely cause a fundamental break in relations between the United States and Pakistan.
U.S. State Department spokesmen have called for Davis's release under the terms of diplomatic immunity. The Pakistani government has thus far refused and continues to process Davis's criminal case while it reviews his diplomatic status. Meanwhile, authorities in Lahore leaked the police investigation to the local media, which seems to have further inflamed public outrage against Davis and the U.S. government. The U.S. government has cancelled a Feb 23rd meeting with Pakistani and Afghan officials. Activists in Pakistan are threatening Cairo-style protests if Davis is set free.
Davis's case is only the latest in a long line of complaints the U.S. government has against the Pakistani government, most of which center around Pakistan's reluctance to fully cooperate with the U.S. campaign plan in Afghanistan. The U.S. government no doubt already knows that its ability to spring Davis from captivity is inhibited by the same constraint that has limited its ability to compel greater Pakistani compliance concerning Afghanistan. Pakistan's control over supply lines into Afghanistan is a trump card that seems to rank even higher than the billions in aid the U.S. supplies to Pakistan every year.
Pakistan had an opportunity early in the Davis affair to label the two slain men as street thieves and miscreants and to whisk Davis out of the country. The authorities didn't follow this course due to very legitimate fears of a strong backlash from the street, or because some policymakers saw an opportunity to leverage the Davis capture to extract something more from the Americans. With the case having now boiled for over two weeks, it will be extremely difficult for the Pakistani authorities to back down.
The easiest path for U.S. policymakers would be to throw Davis overboard. But they obviously realize that that would set a terrible precedent. The long-term U.S. government strategy for "Af-Pak" contemplates larger long-term diplomatic staffs on both sides of the border, which will include security force assistance trainers and advisors, many of whom will be contractors. If Davis is tossed away, it will become much more difficult to recruit quality individuals for these positions and for those working in the field to be effective at their jobs. If the U.S. government has to pay some sort of ransom to get Davis back, such a payment could create an incentive to arrange more such incidents in the future. Such a downward spiral would cripple the U.S. government's plans to have its diplomats and contractors in the field improving local security in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
What is most surprising about the Davis incident is not that it occurred but that such an incident hasn't happened sooner or more frequently. The Davis incident shows the difficulty the U.S. government has operating inside a country that is hostile to it. Plans to expand that presence will only multiply the risks.
Comments
I've been following Omar's commentary for some time, and I think his analysis of Pakistan is the best that I have seen on any blog sites.
As for Editor Sahib's many less than credible assertions, the most ridiculous is the claim that the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad was not overrun in 1979. Two Americans and two local employees were killed in the sacking of the Embassy, and the only reason that the 130 or so persons who took refuge in the communications vault did not burn to death is because the demonstrators who were up on the roof trying to break open the access hatch to the vault finally gave up and melted away after nightfall, thereby allowing the escape of the trapped American and Pakistani employees.
Dear Editor Sahib:
Thank you for your energetic responses. They are quite valuable for what they reveal about the beliefs and attitudes of at least a portion of Pakistan's media.
Regarding this statement that you made "In fact Mr. "Davis" demeanor, mannerisms, body build and actions are that of a trained mercenary and killer." though, I don't know what the demeanor and mannerisms of a trained mercenary and killer are but I do know that going to the gym and working out are normal activities for a lot completely harmless people in the US. If somebody is all pumped up, it is most likely because he thinks chicks dig it rather than as a pre-requisite for mayhem.
A good article by liberal columnist Cyril Almeida: http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/18/the-m... continues.html
Though I would not characterize the Pakistani security establishment as myopic in exactly the way Cyril does. Its not that they want a relatively liberal and progressive Pakistan and underestimate the risks of encouraging the religious right. That is too charitable a view (though its still sensible compared to the nonsense the average Pentagon General seems willing to swallow everytime he goes to have tea with Kiyani sahib). They DONT want a liberal Pakistan. They really DO want a hypernationalist, anti-Indian, Islamist and fascist Pakistan (though they may be willing to allow some "basic democracy" at the grassroots... this has been one of their dreams from the 1950s; strongly centralized rule at the top, but partyless democracy at the grassroots, its never worked, but that has never stopped them from dreaming). Other components of their dream include providing the muscle for Gulf Arabs willing to pay for muscle, acting as Americas and now Chinas gun for hire in the region, dominating Afghanistan and Central Asia, and so on.
The myopia consists in not realizing that these aims are a recipe for disaster.
As another liberal columnist (Kamran Shafi) has said repeatedly: they are getting ready for another high jump.
In this case, the disaster is going to be fueled by the fact that GHQ has drunk its own kool-aid and now believes (as a visit to Rupee News will confirm..editor sahib, I am not saying you are GHQ; but apparently you and GHQ seem to have a happy co-incidence of views in this matter; no doubt, purely by chance):
1. Pakistan is a very serious and unstoppable power. With 200 nuclear weapons, a better army than India, a better defence industry than any third world country, gifted by Allah with the finest location in the world and an incompetent dhoti-wearing pervert enemy, etc etc.
2. China is now the world's greatest power (not "will be one day" but "already is") and China is our favorite doting ncle and protector and friend and partner and student (we taught them how to make the JF-17 Thunder). Together, we will rule the world, but first there is the little matter of taking care of India and reconquering Afghanistan and so on, all will be revealed in due time.
After feeding these two stories to the intertubes in the morning, our Rommels and Guderians (to quote another semi-liberal columnist) read them at night and marvel at the wonderful things the world is saying about them.
I am always optimistic. But its becoming harder and harder to stay optimistic...
I've reached the end of my trail in regards to expectations that Pakistan will step up as a responsible member of the world community of nations. Time and time again, Pakistan plays the blame game, within its own government structure while playing both sides, in some cases more than two sides, against each other regarding serious issues.
The bottom line is that Pakistan's irresponsibility may have bought the "powers to be" some temporary respite but in reality put the country into a hole they will never dig out of. God bless Pakistan, we hardly knew ye.
America, and other Western countries, have been quite tolerant in past Pakistani shenanigans. I think the current state of affairs puts that country into the crossed a bridge too far category. Goodbye Pakistan; this one supporter has written you off.
Intel trooper, The billions will continue to flow for some time yet and when you finally leave (after paying for a soft exit) we will show the Chinese a thing or two. The Cantonese are said to be sharp businessmen, but we have been playing this game for 50 years and we are very good at it. And what is small change for the pentagon or the Chinese is life and death for GHQ, so we play with more commitment. You can easily guess who will be better at this exchange.....as editor sahib will no doubt agree.
Pakistani Law absolutely prohibits US diplomats from carrying weapons. The bullets of the gun were also of prohibited bore.
There is no obfuscation on this subject
You claim that he was a "security personnel assigned to your embassy"
Several badges were found on him. Several currencies were found on him. He had about half a dozen phones.
He identified himself on tape as a "contractor" (not a diplomat).
So was he a diplomat? a contractor? an employee? or a "security guard" or "Strategic corporal"? Which is it L Pierson.
According to the US Embassy statements, he was identified as someone who worked in Peshawar. Other statements said he was a contractor in Lahore. Other statements said he was employee in Islamabad. Which is it?
How could he hold so many positions? The chip on his GPS tracking devise tells a very different picture. The Pakistani press is having a heyday revealing the juicy parts.
You will be surprised the juiciest parts will be revealed later.
LPierson:
In 1979 there was pro-American euphoria in Pakistan.You couldn't find Anti-Americans if you looked for them. The entire country loved America. At the time the Americans could walk everywhere and anywhere and were welcomed by the common man and treated to sweets.
At the time Pakistanis were invited to the White House and the mujahideen were revered.
Of course that has dramatically changed today--because of the hubris of guys like "Davis" and the arrogance of the State Department that doesn't have a clue on how to deal with Pakistan
There was no "run over" of the embassy in 1979--a very small mob rioted and couldn't even cross the outer wall. The US Embassy is a fortress, it cannot be run over by a few students. The Diplomatic enclave is sequestered as it is.
A diplomat cannot hide his real identity. You may think this is a minor issue, but false identification, lying about basic information is a cause for denial of visa, expulsion from the country a rescission of any status. The US routinely deports folks for visa infractions less minor than that--in fact some are incarcerated for spelling errors on their names (eg Muhammad is spelled many different ways). Gitmo has folks who were "caught taking pictures of lakes which happened to be city reservoirs--read "Civil Rights in Peril" which lists all these absurd deportations.
The pile of 500 passports that was approved by the Pakistani Embassy without proper background check included the passport of Mr. "Davis". Mr. "Davis" was found snooping in the border areas, and took pictures of military establishments and sensitive area which are not in the routine tour of duty of a "diplomat". His GPS tracking device is not normal fair for most diplomats around the world.
Once the nefarious activities of Mr. "Davis" were discovered the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa (incidentally a very pro US government) threw "Mr. Davis" out of the province and declared him persona non-grata.
Then Mr. "Davis" continued his snooping activities during the day and at night in areas he had no business in.
He murdered two kids on bikes in cold blood by shooting them in the back. Then he got out of the car walked over and shot them at point blank range with with FIVE bullets. Certainly not self-defense, and certainly not the act of a diplomat.
You may also may think that the background and education of Mr. "Davis" is a trivial matter. However it is right on the money. Mr. "Davis" is a mercenary and a spy. He is not a diplomat and his training, his co-ownership of Hyperion Security Corporation, his activities as a security gun for hire, and education proves it.
The Times of India, and The Dawn (a very pro-US paper) report that Mr. Davis had links to unsavory characters and also had been directing Drone attacks on Pakistan. He lied about his whereabouts and without permission of the Pakistan government visited th border areas (like FATA) where foreigners are not allowed.
Please read the news and views beyond the local version and you will be able to comprehend what is going on.
Whether you think, that we know nothing about this or everything--is of no consequence. Our rather large readership knows what is going on. Unfortunately you are not privy to the large section of the Pakistani (Urdu) press and the 80 TV channels. If you had access to them you would see that the visa of Mr. "Davis" has been prominently displayed on almost all channels. It does not show a diplomatic visa. It shows a business visa.
Rupee News,
You are going a very long way to make my point.
Stop lecturing the "raj" and shilling for a malicious political purpose. You need to actually think your statements through.
You make a number of charges. While they are eloquently stated, eloquence however, does not true a charge make. One of the most egregious is the charge of Mr. Davis using a pseudomnym. REALLY?!? Are you saying that the GoP didn't know about Mr. Davis' status, that he was able to hoodwink GoP officials?
Aren't you being highly discriminatory by denigrating the "educational credentials" of Mr. Davis? You could make the same charge of inadequate educational credentials about Hon. Ryan Crocker US Ambassador to Pakistan. Amb. Crocker was born in Spokane WA (Spokane was a mere wide spot in the road at that time), and educated in Walla Walla (an even smaller wide spot). Hardly a locale for an appropriate diplomat to be brought up.
It is highly likely that Mr. Davis is what he says he is; a security contractor brought in under "admin and tech" status. Perfectly legal, and accepted worldwide, in fact your own government sends similar individuals to your embassies. It is not unusual, or odd, or a means for mischief.
As far as weapons, depending on terms of reference, embassy security officials can be permitted to possess them. This is likely true of security personell assigned to your embassy in the USA.
Given that the USA has lost the use of several of its diplomatic facilities in Pakistan (Islamabad, 1979, US Embassy burned out and over-run because of A RUMOR is a glaring example); problems with GoP interferring with the local security and guard companys providing service to diplomatic facilities; and ongoing attempts to provoke confrontation, it is little wonder Diplomat Security require the services provided by individuals such as Mr. Davis.
To speak frankly, either you know more about this incident than what you are letting on, or, you know absolutely nothing about it and are as gullible and easily manipulated as the mob that destroyed the US Embassy in 1979.
Again, to remain somewhat on topic, Robert Haddick's comment that Mr. Davis is that "strategic" individual is accurate, and if it wasn't him it would have been someone else. And thats a fact.
So first you say that Rupee News is a "Governemnt site". Then you say that it is not a government site, but partial towards the Army and the ISI.
Make up your mind!
Mr. Omar Ali's delusions cannot be rectified. There are several articles on the site highly critical of the ISI and the Army. Our editors and writers come from all walks of like, including Bangladesh and there are several articles on the site critical of the Army's procedures and processes in East Pakistan as well as Swat, Karachi and Waziritisn.
Several Pakhtuns have written articles highly critical of the Army's handling of the situation in Waziristan.
Mr. Hamid Gul has been critical of the Army under Musharraf. Musharraf has been critical of the ISI and Hamid Gul. Nawaz Sharif has been critical of the army. The MQM has been critical of the army. Ahtizaz Ahsan has been critical of the Army. The PPP has bene critical of Zia Ul Haq. As fans of ZAB, we have been critical of Zia Ul Haq.Fatima Bhutto has been critical of the Army. All these have been reported on and commented on Rupee News.
One can wake someone who is asleep. One cannot wake someone who is standing. We do not wish to convince you. You can continue to believe what you like and you can continue to live in your own world.
A diplomat has to use his real name and his credential and identity has to be approved. The State Department has publicly stated that Mr. "Davis" was using a pseudonym. This is clearly a violation of any Vienna Conventions.
A diplomat is not allowed to carry arms. Mr. Davis did not have a license to carry arms in Pakistan.
A diplomat has "immunity" during the course of his work assignment. Mr. "Davis" was going to strange places on the border, took pictures of sensitive military establishments, utilized a GPS tracking devise and was armed to the teeth.
The Vienna Convention and "diplomatic immunity" is not universal and it is not a license to kill. The US itself has arrested Eastern European diplomats and prosecuted them in a court of law for committing murder. The placed a Saudi diplomat in jail for abusing and then killing his servant.
In fact Mr. "Davis" demeanor, mannerisms, body build and actions are that of a trained mercenary and killer. Mr. Munter is a diplomat--and looks it. Mr. "Davis" (or whatever his real name is) has none of the qualifications of a diplomat.
The area from which Mr. "Davis" was arrested in a slum area in Lahore. NO decent diplomat would be caught dead in the area during the day or night. Mozung is like Harlem or Bronx at night. Why would a diplomat be present in such an area in the wee hours of the night?
How many diplomats in the world are co-owners of Hyperion Security Agencies (a pseudonym for soldiers for hire). What are the educational qualifications of Mr. "Davis" Perhaps a degree in International Relations, or a "Political Science" would make sense. Mr. "Davis" credentials show a military background and his experience displays working for security agencies.
It is quiet obvious that Mr. "Davis" and his acolytes are spies, and agents who were part of the drone operations. It is pedagogical to note that since his arrest several days ago, there have been no drone operations and no suicide bombings in Pakistan.
Mr. "Davis" is not a diplomat. He has abused his stay in Pakistan. The court will decide whether he fired in self-defense or not. The Foreign Office of Pakistan has clearly stated that his name is not present on the list of diplomats that is kept in the Foreign Office. See statements of the Foreign Minister at the time.
The US Embassy has not turned over the driver of the vehicle that came to rescue Mr. "Davis". That vehicle drove rashly on the wrong side of the road and then mowed down an innocent bystander. The Embassy has not handed over that vehicle not revealed the identity of that driver either. Was he a diplomat too? Clearly these types of "diplomats" need driving lessons! are not needed in Pakistan.
Bob Woodward in his book clearly describes the 3000 strong "CIA Army" present in Pakistan. Mr. "Davis" is part and parcel of that army that has been subcontracted to unsavory characters like Mr. "Davis". Several times during the past months, characters like Mr. "Davis" have scuffled with the local police and then gotten away. This time he was caught. If 3000 of these are running around in Pakistan--then there will be many more incidents like these.
Mr. Omar is delusional. Some clarifications--Rupee News is not an official anything of any government--least of all the Pakistani Government.
Critical analyst of Mr. Zardari and his cohorts on our site will clearly reveal that we don not conform to any government.
The Pakistani Government has never accepted Mr. "Raymond Davis" as a diplomat. Former Foreign Minister who was on the post has refused to declare Mr. "Davis" as a diplomat because he was not designated as such on the rolls. Mr. "Davis" was not performing his duties in the slums of Lahore. What was he doing? His visa cleary shows him on a business visa. The US Embassy has changed its story several times. Mr. "Davis" accepted that he was a contractor. He was declared Persona Non-Grata in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa.
The Pakistani government has never accepted the diplomatic credentials of Mr. "Davis" and he is not a diplomat. In fact the INfomation Minister Ms. Fauzia Whab who made a statement in her personal capacity was fired yesterday.
Filing a request does not mean automatic confirmation. What type of diplomat carries guns, GPS equipment and all sorts of heavy arms? What type of diplomat shoots motorcyclists through the window of his car, then steps out and pumps five bullets into the civilians and then makes a video of it laughing about his act!
How many of these mercenaries disguising themselves as diplomats are out there?
If this is the definition of a diplmat, certainly Pakistan doesn't need 300 of them running amok in the cities.
No he clearly isn't a spook. The gear he was carrying is the same stuff PSD personnel use when doing prep-work before executing a movement.
Bullet holes through the car windows, doubtful that Mr. Davis just thought this up so he could commit "cold blooded murder."
ISI scheming, could well have been. Getting the head agency guy tossed didn't work, so whats next...? I think we may have seen "next." It is plausible that Mr. Davis' incident could have been choreographed around the death of a livestock animal, the predictable hysteria and consequent organized political violence would ensue regardless.
I wouldn't rule GofP giving the head nod this event, nothing has success like cutting you own nose off to spite someone else's face. Victimology at its finest.
The second link Anonymous posted to the local Pak news was not only indicative of why we are losing the P.R. war there, but its also hella funny. You can totally tell a Pak wrote that... I can even feel my head moving from side to side as I read the tone and cadence of the dialogue, like Apu from the Simpsons.
1) No American refers to anyone as a "bloody bastard", its not that were above cursing, just that we dont use that particular epithet... ever.
2) No American ever expects to be "served" anything in prison. That is a remnant of the old Pak-Brit colonial degradation; Chai boys and all that. That portion was so telling it literally sounded Punjabi.
3) The dude is clearly a spook and we all know it, just quit playing the P.R. bs and start negotiating for his release already. You caught a big fish, good for you... just dont overplay your hand. Americans could care less if a hundred Pakis are killed each day in drone strikes until hes released. Remember, the opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.
Some Pakistanis want Aafia Sidiqque in return for Davis.
Here is the video of Raymond at the police station.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o10sPS6QPXk
Omar,
How about this one?
http://www.sify.com/news/pak-jail-loudspeakers-muted-as-davis-complaine…
and then the American response
http://www.sify.com/news/us-embassy-denies-reports-about-davis-rude-beh…
Dr. I. N. Khan:
What you said is NOT true. He was registered as a diplomat, the proper paperwork was filed with Pakistan, and subsequent to this incident it's been re-produced to what should have been the satisfaction of Pakistan.
Get your facts straight. I realize you might have to look at something other than the lies of Pakistan's political press, but what you stated was utterly false.
There is plenty of very clear evidence that he enjoys diplomatic status, even the government of Pakistan has admitted as much.
Just because you say the lie a bunch of times doesn't make it true.
Mr. Haddick made this statement "Davis, now jailed in Lahore and awaiting trial for allegedly murdering two Pakistani men whom Davis claims were attempting to rob him at gunpoint, may accomplish what Osama bin Laden, the Taliban, and ISI scheming have failed to do, namely cause a fundamental break in relations between the United States and Pakistan."
If that does happen, I wonder if that might not be as good for the US in the long run as it could be bad in the short. It might force us to stop trying to square a circle and see the most important component of the enemy is the Pak Army/ISI and it might force them to be open about what it is they want and are trying to do. They would have to decide if they want to continue to be part of the enemy.
At the very least we might stop giving them so much money to use against us.*
*Keep up the officer exchanges and education and give them Mi-17s though.
On the face of the facts, the US Consulate in Lahore screwed up things and the Pakistanis in attempt to please is US paymasters and placate its public at the same time compounded the problem by not coming out with the truth.
US Consulate:
1. Initially stated Davis was a Consulate technical employee
2. Davis himself stated he was a consultant at the consultant
3. Consulate, three days after the incident, came out with the statement that Davis was attached at the enbassy in Islmabad with substantiating this with documents
4. No evidence from the Pakistan Foreign Office has been produced to show that Davis has immunity
Strategic Corporal Indeed!
Unfortunately, some key points are missed here:
1 - Pakistan is a political mess, and the US has played a big role recently in getting it to that point. The (US-appointed) government is very weak, and it's walking on very thin ice, as you pointed out.
2 - if the US wants to get a lot of "high quality trainers" in the country, and let them mingle with the populace and shoot them at random, the moment they feel threatened, it should negotiate a SOFA allowing such rights. These trainers can't be all diplomats, can they? Otherwise they will all become strategic corporals.
3 - Supply lines a problem? Actually, according to some sources, a large part of the fuel transported to Afghanistan is bought, through intermediaries, from Iran. The Iranians then send hired hands to blow up the fuel tankers...
As they used to say: "Is this the way to run a railroad?"
Seems like we had diplomatic immunity problems with Iran in the past,again we have a country holding US diplomat hostage. What was the solution US used for the captives
Iran was holding?
Guess we have to dig up Ronnie, FEAR can be an effective diplomatic tool.Who fears Obama, ummm I'm thinking, somebody must fear him? Get back with you on that
Gerald
Anthropologist
Go to http://rupeenews.com/?p=35639 to see the "official" Pakistani version of this relationship. If you doubt the "official" nature of this site, check it out in detail, see the other sites linked there, and reach your own conclusions.
Obviously I have no idea what the inner details of this strange case really are. Did Davis shoot two robbers? did he shoot two intelligence operatives? Was he there working with the Pakistani security establishment or against them? And if he was working against them, was that a smart idea? After all, Pakistan is not a banana republic in the true sense of the word. Its a large country with a very large and disciplined army and effective intelligence agencies and foreign patrons in addition to the US (China and Saudi Arabia, now maybe also Turkey). The security establishment also has a strategic vision that is very different from what the US may desire (not that I can claim to know what the US desires. "The US" is not a person. Its policy makers may be up to stupidities and schemes of individual aggrandizement that are not congruent with the interests of the majority of the American people). To send strategic corporals to such a place does not sound like a smart idea.
My usual thought at this point is that no great power can possibly be THAT stupid, so obviously I just don't know what is going on. But then the thought does come that we are all human beings and we are not a particularly wise species. Maybe the emperor has no clothes?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/20/cia-agent-lahore-civilian-d…
Pakistani police escort an armoured vehicle carrying Raymond Davis to a hearing in Lahore last week. Photograph: Arif Ali/AFP
The western spy of the Hollywood thriller storms through cities of the developing world with blithe abandon - battering vehicles, dodging local police, cutting down enemies with bursts of expertly aimed gunfire. Real life, it turns out, can be like that too, with one difference: the aftermath is more complicated and costly.
On 27 January Raymond Davis, a bulky 36-year-old CIA agent with a shock of grey hair, was winding through the chaotic Lahore traffic when he stopped at a red light. A motorbike carrying two men, coming from the opposite direction, swerved in front of his Honda Civic. The pillion passenger, police established later, was carrying a gun. Davis, a former special forces soldier of 10 years' experience, whipped out his 9mm semi-automatic Glock pistol and, still behind the wheel, opened fire. Five shots sliced through the windscreen. Muhammad Faheem, a 19-year-old street criminal, fell dead.
His partner, Faizan Haider, leapt off the motorbike and started running. Davis got out of his car, levelled his Glock and fired another five shots. All of them found their target. Haider fell to the ground, having run 30ft from his bike; a postmortem indicated he had been hit three times in the front and twice in the back.
Davis returned to his car, took out a military-style radio, called for help, then photographed the dead men. Anwar Khan watched from his restaurant across the street, amazed at Davis's sangfroid. "He was very peaceful and confident. I was wondering how he could be like that after killing two people," he said.
The American rescue team consisted of a Toyota Land Cruiser that careened through the streets towards Mozang Chowk, the intersection where the shooting took place. The driver realised the road was jammed with people and traffic, so he ramped the vehicle over the central reservation and continued at speed against the flow of vehicles. About 500 metres before Mozang Chowk the Land Cruiser hit and crushed a man on a motorcycle, Ibad ur Rehman, then pressed on. But Davis was gone.
Apparently panicked by a crowd that had gathered, he had taken off towards central Lahore, ignoring trafficpolice who tried to wave him down. At Mozang Chowk, a trafficwarden tried to stop the Land Cruiser. Witnesses later told police one American swung open his door, brandished his rifle - probably an M-16 - and threatened to fire on anyone who got in his way. The Toyota took off down Queen's Road, towards the US consulate, jettisoning a number of items along the way including four magazines containing 100 bullets, knives, gloves, a blindfold and, oddly, a piece of cloth with an American flag.
About the same time police caught up with Davis in the crowded bazaar of Old Anarkali, about two miles away, where he was arrested. Police drove his bullet-pocked vehicle to a nearby station.Outrage started to course through the streets of Lahore; an enraged crowd burned tyres in the street.
The "Lahore incident", as Senator John Kerry called it this week, has riveted Pakistan for over three weeks now - triggering a media firestorm, plunging the clod-footed government into fresh crisis, and highlighting the deep lack of trust between rival spy services that raises majorquestions about the hunt for al-Qaida in the tribal belt.
A growing cast of characters has become part of the drama. Last week Barack Obama waded in, urging Pakistan to free "our diplomat" under the provisions of the Vienna convention. "We've been very firm about this being a priority," he said. Pakistan's foreign minister, who opposed the US position, lost his job over the affair. And the widow of Faheem killed herself by swallowing rat poison. From her death bed she gave an interview to a television news channel in which she prayed Davis would be brought to justice.
One morning last week a scrum of black-suited lawyers gathered in a Lahore high court, a majestic colonial-era building with high wood ceilings, to shout their protest against Davis. "He is enjoying all the facilities, including sharab [wine]!" one lawyer cried. "He should be charged with espionage!" said another. Perhaps Raymond Davis was not even his real name, suggested a lawyer for the Punjab government.
The judge, sitting quietly under a small lamp, listened carefully then issued an order that Davis should be identified by photo at Pakistani border posts to prevent him fleeing the country.
On the streets outside, many Pakistanis argued Davis should pay for his crime, blood for blood. Giant posters of the three slain men stare down from street corners in Lahore, the largest being that of Rehman, the 26-year-old motorcyclist mowed down by the American 4x4.
"All Pakistanis agree: Davis should be tried and hanged," said Muhammad Ali, a 21-year-old taxi driver, sipping tea in a dingy café by Mozang Chowk. "The people want to see the decision of the court - soon."
Davis awaits his fate inside the sprawling Kot Lakhpat jail. He is refusing to answer questions, but shortly after his arrest he gave police a written statement in which he explained his actions. He had opened fire, he said, in self-defence against a pair of unknown robbers. He had just withdrawn money from an ATM; perhaps they were after that. He fired because Faheem cocked his 30-bore pistol in front of him, he said.
There is some evidence to support this. Police say both men had records for petty crime. "Robberies, small-time muggings, that sort of thing," said a senior official. A warrant had been issued for Faheem's arrest, and five mobile phones were found on their bodies, two of which had been stolen. Both men were carrying unlicensed weapons; the photos taken by Davis showed Faheem had indeed drawn his gun.
But then other facts emerged that caused Pakistani prosecutors to pause. They questioned why Davis fired on his assailants 10 times, and why he leapt from his car to shoot one of them, apparently as he fled. Then, the police say, they discovered that Faheem's gun contained no bullet in the chamber - meaning it could not have been cocked. Davis has been charged with two counts of murder and one of illegal weapon possession. "He used force that was not commensurate with the threat, that much is clear," said a senior police official.
Pakistanis see the episode as more evidence of imperialistic arrogance. For years the press has been filled with conspiracy-laden speculation about Blackwater - now known as Xe - the American military contractor with a reputation for violent ruthlessness, in their country. Papers have been filled with stories of armed Americans roaming the streets with disdain for the law and innocent life. The US denied the stories. But now Blackwater has been made flesh.
Press coverage zings with unlikely stories about Davis - that he howls in his prison cells when the five-times daily call to prayer rings out; that the CIA plans a "Hollywood-style heist" to spring him; that he is the linchpin of the CIA's drone programme. "CIA Spy Captured Giving Nuclear Bomb To Terrorists" read the headline in one small paper, suggesting he tried to arm al-Qaida with nuclear weapons "to ignite an all-out war to re-establish the west's hegemony".
One popular suggestion has it that Davis should be swapped for Aafia Siddiqui, the US-educated neuroscientist jailed for 86 years in 2010 on charges of attempting to kill American soldiers and FBI agents in Afghanistan.
The embattled US embassy finds itself fighting this media tide, arguing that Davis should be released under diplomatic immunity. The tone has veered from aggressive to conciliatory. "We all feel the pain and the anguish of families who have lost loved ones," said Kerry on a visit last week, in which he promised that Davis would be subject to a criminal inquiry if sent home.
A furious debate has erupted over whether Pakistani law dovetails with the Vienna convention of 1961, and whether Davis qualifies for immunity. The US insists he does, although the story has changed. Officials initially described Davis as an employee of the Lahore consulate - a statement that places him under a 1963 treaty for consular employees that would expose him to prosecution. A day later the US said he was, in fact, accredited to the Islamabad embassy. "We made a mistake," admitted a senior US official.
What the US has not, or cannot, explain, however, is who Davis really is. Born in Wise, Virginia, he was in the army for 10 years, serving in Macedonia in 1994 and eventually joining the 3rd Special Forces group until he left in 2003 to become a private contractor. According to a senior ISI official, he worked for Xe. The ISI official could offer no more detail. Later, he joined the CIA.
Like many spies, he entered Pakistan on a diplomatic passport, and served for a time in Peshawar before moving to Lahore, where he lived in a large, house in Scotch Corner, an upmarket neighbourhood off the colonial-era Mall road. He got his first visa in 2009; and most recently entered the country on 20 January.
When he was arrested a week later, Davis was carrying a 9mm gun and 75 bullets, bolt cutters, a GPS unit, an infrared light, money, a digital camera, an air ticket, two mobile phones and a blank cheque drawn on the Federal Savings Bank. According to the provincial law minister, Rana Sanaullah, the camera contained photos of "prohibited areas such as installations along the border with India ... This is not the work of a diplomat. He was doing espionage and other activities".
A senior Pakistani police officer said he believed the armed men in the 4x4 who came to Davis's rescue - killing the motorcyclist Ibad ur Rehman - came from the same Scotch Corner house where Davis lived, suggesting they were also part of the same CIA team. The Islamabad embassy refused to allow Pakistani authorities to question the Toyota occupants - two men have since fled the country - and refused to answer questions about Davis's background, insisting only that he is a diplomat. "The Pakistanis gave him a visa, he came on a diplomatic passport, and that's all it takes. There's nothing more to it," said a senior official in Islamabad.
Pakistani spies also operate under diplomatic cover. In 2001 the Indian media reported that an official at the Pakistani embassy in Nepal was found to have 16kg of explosives in his home. The official claimed diplomatic immunity and was expelled from Nepal.
In Pakistan the Davis debacle has exposed the lack of leadership in government, whose handling has been characterised by bungling and division. "Our people have a funny way of fighting a fire by pouring oil on it," said one dispirited senior official. One winner might be the ISI, which has its rivals in both the US and Pakistani government on the back foot.
The solution may ultimately hinge on a financial settlement to the families of the dead, with the courts quietly dropping the case and Davis being expelled from Pakistan, although this would involve the Americans admitting guilt. But nothing is certain.
And the furore has done considerable damage to the Pakistan-US relationship.
Just curious. L Pierson--what are you trying to say?
You yourself are part of the jingoistic hyper-nationalism you are condemning.
You write a lot--what what are you saying?
This mercenary is not a diplomat and is a CIA spy. The British Press, the Indian press, the Russia security agencies all confirm this through independent investigations.
His consorts were also mercenary spies.
Are you denying this?
Carrying arms is illegal and a violation of laws of many countries. You trivialize this.
Anyway--you have not presented any information.
State your position clearly.
Suzy
hmmmmmmm
Seems like Pierson is locked horns with everyone on this site. Either Pierson is wrong or EVERYONE is wrong.
Obviously Pierson is not a neophyte--but it seems has no clue about Asia.
It is apparent this this hunk of a guy is a mercenary...just get the hots thinking about him. I should play hide the salami with him.
Why is he going around killing folks?--such a waste of talent when he could be doing constructive things.
A lot of talent wasted on politics--can some on join me for ....you know!!
Mary
Several American news outlets have reportedly learned of Davis true identity but did not report it under pressure from the Obama administration. A local news station in Colorado, 9News, became aware that Davis was a CIA agent after interviewing his wife. They reported the information on their website, but later removed any mention of the CIA after they received a request from the government. "Because of the safety concerns, we decided to amend the story," 9News executive producer Nicole Vap told the Guardian. "But it remains accurate."
http://dailycaller.com/2011/02/20/report-american-diplomat-charged-with…
Seems like this dude is a spy and not a diplomat!
US official held in Pakistan 'is CIA': UK Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8337315/US-offi…
Dr. I.N. Khan
@ Mary-Beth;
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm,
It seems I have locked horns with "everyone here" from GHQ'S press organs. And it seems, according to BG Sharaf whose veracity is supposedly impeccable, that Mr. Davis didn't just go around killing folks. He killed two individuals who were trailing him for an hour. So says the good Brigadier.
Really, I may have just one clue... about Asia.
@ Just Curious Suzy;
There is plenty of information to go around on this thread.
My position is quite clear. Mr. Davis just may be what he says he is. Wasn't it Dawn News which published Mr. Davis' GoP issued visa? Or did they conspire to fabricate?
The hysteria regarding illegal firearms is laughable. I trivialize nothing, rather "everyone" has careened away from the reality of Pakistan.
@ Pedigogical Ashish;
I can't help you.
@ Jenny;
"L" can stand for anything you want "darling"
@ TruthMonger;
Thank you for restating the Guardian article, however, it was a waste of your effort. It is highly likely all of us to include "everyone" has read it numerous times.
@ Raj Kumar;
The link you provide is just another version cut from the one provided by the TruthMonger's link to the Guardian. But thank you anyway.
Gentleman please,
This thread began with Mr. Haddick's article regarding the "strategic corporal." His thesis is correct. One individual, a Raymond Davis just may have caused the shroud to be torn away, for good, that concealed the weakness and dishonest state of US/Pakistan relations.
It has however, devolved into something quite less. I have particpated in this "discussion" freely, based on the information presented, almost all of which was presented by a single source. What you have experienced here is open and spirited.
IF that is "hyper-nationalistic" on my part, I am unapologetic. (Although I am having some difficulty putting my head around the accusation that I am...)
I came here because of the pingback link on Rupee News (http://www.rupeenews.com) which has multiple detailed articles on the subject.
I read RN everyday--so I guess that would make me a sock-puppet.
I am sure this will tickle you
http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Polit…
If you have already read it--my apologies!
"Raj" -- That article is so poorly translated as to be nearly unintelligible. Not to mention the details cited conflict with several other Pakistani claims about Davis's identity.
Anyway, I really doubt any self-respecting American was demanding naswar. Such a claim is hardly establishment of bona fides.
Brig. Gen. Sharaf:
There are only two ways American drones would be able to make attacks in Pakistan. The first is with the approval of Pakistani authorities. The second would be if the Pakistani Air Force were incompetent. The Pakistani Air Force is not incompetent.
Omar:
If you are there, I guess we didn't have to go to the Pakistani internet, it came to us.
Rupee news version of the "Nation" article is even more fun: http://rupeenews.com/?p=35833
This kind of circular reporting is very popular in the rupee news universe. First, the "Daily Mail" or the "London Post" publishes an article, then all the other components of the Universe pick it up, then the Daily Mail or London Post quotes the other websites in a second round of coverage....
Of course, the irony is that none of these methods are "Indus valley" in origin. People probably learned them attending a psyops course in America. Even if it is in decline, the US still provides a disproportionate share of the ideas (good and bad) at work in our world.
Very good points Omar. However, while tools may be obtained from a variety of sources their application will vary according to the user.
In other words, everyone is responsible for their own behavior.
I want to restate some of what I wrote in my previous comment. I wonder if it comes across as borderline, or full-on, Orientalist? Perhaps it is.
Let's use another term for the "raj" lecture that is applicable to behavior found in the States and elsewhere: <strong>rent-seeking</strong>
I don't mean to indict an entire culture but to point out a dysfunctional relationship among elites and decision-makers, between our defense community and the Pakistan defense community.
As a reminder from previous comments I've made here:
<em> I wondered whether the Quaid-i-Azam considered his new state only as an armored buffer between opposing major powers. He was stressing Americas military interest in other parts of the world.
"America is now awakened," he said with a satisfied smile. Since the United States was now bolstering up Greece and Turkey, she should be much more interested in pouring money and arms into Pakistan.
"If Russia walks in here," he concluded, "the whole world is menaced."
In the weeks to come I was to hear the Quaid-i-Azams thesis echoed by government officials throughout Pakistan.
"Surely America will build up our army," they would say to me. "Surely America will give us loans to keep Russia from walking in."
But when I asked whether there were any signs of Russian infiltration, they would reply almost sadly, as though sorry not to be able to make more of the argument, "No, Russia has shown no signs of being interested in Pakistan."
This hope of tapping the U. S. Treasury was voiced so persistently that one wondered whether the purpose was to bolster the world against Bolshevism or to bolster Pakistans own uncertain position as a new political entity.</em>
Excerpt from Margaret Bourke-Whites 1949 book, "Halfway to Freedom".
<em>Pakistan threatened to give nukes to Iran, ex-officials say
Appeared in USA Today, February 27, 2004
The clearest evidence of the Iran link came in January 1990, when Pakistan's army chief of staff conveyed his threat to arm Iran to a top Pentagon official. Henry S. Rowen, at the time an assistant defense secretary, said Pakistani Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg issued the warning in a face-to-face meeting in Pakistan. "Beg said something like, 'If we don't get adequate support from the U.S., then we may be forced to share nuclear technology with Iran,'" said Rowen, now a professor at Stanford University. Rowen said former President Bush's administration did little to follow up on Beg's warning. "In hindsight, maybe before or after that they did make some transfers," Rowen said. Rowen said he told Beg that Pakistan would be "in deep trouble" if it gave nuclear weapons to Iran. Rowen said he was surprised by the threat because at the time Americans thought Pakistan's secular government dominated by Sunni Muslims wouldn't aid Iran's Shiite Muslim theocracy. "There was no particular reason to think it was a bluff, but on the other hand, we didn't know," Rowen said.</em>
Tread carefully, defense planners.
Incidentally, this is why I see red when American military types complain about Indian provocations to the nuclear detente in South Asia or I get a whiff of what I call the "Pak-Mil apologia" of the American defense establishment.
Please. Who are we to lecture anybody on this topic?
And please keep an eye on the real prize. Protecting American life and American interests, not moaning on about "important relationships." The relationship outside a sound strategy is just useless motion.
http://fsi.stanford.edu/news/pakistan_threatened_to_give_nukes_to_iran_…
OK! After the NY Times, Fox News is also confirming that "Raymond Davis" was a CIA operative--who used to work for Backwater/Xe.
CIA operatives do NOT qualify for diplomatic immunity.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/21/american-jailed-pakistan-cia…
Regarding the update for today, I wonder if the powers that be inside the beltway have decided to cut Mr. Davis loose, after all he is a contractor, not really one of them. Or, perhaps the ISI sold them a story to effect that if his status is admitted they'll work some kind of deal to get him out, which they will then renege on. Or maybe it is both.
Such are the musings of this completely unqualified observer from afar.
Omar ali:
Can you give us a live example of the "circular reporting"?
Is it like Fox reporting on the NY Times and the Telegraph reporting on the Guardian--very sinister, I must say!
Here is an example of the diabolical plot
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/21/american-jailed-pakistan-cia…
Here is another
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8337315/US-offi…
Must be a "vast right wing conspiracy" to indict "Raymond Davis"!
Omar-jee, and "L" (since you want it to be anything we will call you Lund)
Here is more evidence of the "vast right wing conspiracy"
"The Universe" you mentioned seems to be universal. The guys you pointed out must have links in high places, because after the Guardian,Independent, Telegraph, NY Times, Fox News, here is Reuters confirming that "Raymond Davis" was a CIA agent
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/21/pakistan-usa-davis-cia-idUSN2…
WASHINGTON | Mon Feb 21, 2011 1:17pm EST
Feb 21 (Reuters) - Raymond Davis, the American held in Pakistan on double murder charges for an incident in Lahore last month, is employed by the CIA as a contractor, U.S. sources closely following the case said on Monday.
Davis, who is being held in a Lahore jail amid a diplomatic dispute on whether he has diplomatic immunity, was working as a "protective officer," the sources said.
(Reporting by Mark Hosenball, Editing by Frances Kerry)
Oh! Oh! Here is ABC joining the "conspiracy"--
CIA link emerges in Pakistan double murder
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/22/3145034.htm?section=world
This is just the beginning--the flood gates are about ready to opened on this case.
It seems the Washington Post seems to have joined the conspiracy too!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/21/AR20110…
The American who fatally shot two men in Pakistan last month and who has been described publicly as a diplomat is a securitycontractor for the CIA who was part of a secret agency team operating out of a safe house in Lahore, U.S. officials said.
....But in fact Davis has spent much of the past two years working as part of a group of covert CIA operatives, whose mission appears to have centered on conducting surveillance of militant groups in large cities including Lahore.
At the time of his arrest, Davis was based at a house with five other CIA contractors as well as an agency employee, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
The official said the impact of the disclosure that Davis is a CIA employee "will be serious."
Raj, You missed my point. Circular reporting involves making up a story in one publication (usually an internet publication) and then picking it up in more reputable places as "news" and then picking up that news as further news about the same made-up story. If you want, you can google "Daily Mail" and see what I mean. Someday when I have the time or the inclination, I will also send along an actual example. Till then, believe it if you wish and look it up if you wish..
About Raymond, I have always thought he is probably involved in some spook activities and like everyone else here (except editor Rupee news), I have no idea what actually happened on that particular day. My interest is more along these lines:
1. If he was there as a spy with Pakistani govt aware, then why did the govt go after him in a big way after this incident? Its not like they did not know who he was. Did he do something they did not like before he shot these two people? what does that tell us about relations between the two "allies"? and so on.
2. If he was there without the Pakistanis knowing what he was up to, then that is a bit foolish because Pakistan is hardly the kind of place where a foreigner can just rent a house and start spying without getting attention from the ISI. What was CIA thinking? and if he was "trapped" by the ISI, then what was ISI thinking? could they not just get him to leave the country through normal channels? Are there such big splits between major sections of the Pakistani govt? and between ISI and CIA? and so on...