subject: Why was America Desperate to take Raymond Davis out of Pakistan [print this page] Why was America Desperate to take Raymond Davis out of Pakistan
By now everyone knows that Raymond Davis was a CIA operative. He along with others was in Pakistan on some special mission assigned to him by the agency. This fact has been confirmed by International media including American news papers. When questioned, the White House spokesman was reluctant to disclose the credentials of Raymond and skipped the question saying he cannot reveal the exact job description of Davis. Anxiety displayed by the American diplomatic staff in Pakistan, specially the Ambassador Mr. Cameron Munter and the Councilor General Carmela A. Conroy showed how desperate American were to take the physical custody of Raymond before police could investigate the matter. Every single minute delay made them uneasy and in frustration many in America issued threats to Pakistan of dire consequences if Raymond was not released. Americas' rhetoric behavior was not an instant reaction to the event, rather was a well thought-out strategy adopted by Raymond's bosses. Being responsible diplomats, the way both handled the sensitive matter was against the decent diplomatic norms, their engagement with Pakistani establishment on the issue was unprofessional that resulted in damaging the already trust deficit relations between Pakistan and America. The matter aggravated further once President Barrack Obama commented on the issue, should he have spoken when senator Carry was in Pakistan negotiating the issue? Involvement of high profile people into the Raymond matter is strange and has raised suspicions in the minds of Pakistani public. "Why was everyone in America desperate to take Raymond out of Pakistan"? Moreover, why were the Americans asking for diplomatic immunity for an established non-diplomat once their former secretary of states' Condoleezza Rice in March 2005 had informed the UN Secretary General Kofi Anan of her administrative decision to withdraw from the protocol of Vienna Convention on counselors' rights? A protocol signed in 1963, for Americans the protocol does not exist.
Spy network of America is spread around the world operating in almost every country. It maintains good relations with the intelligence setups of many countries, especially with the agencies of its allies. In our case the relations between CIA and ISI are believed to be good because both the countries have worked closely for the common objectives since the time Russia invaded Afghanistan. Today, no one party is blaming the other for not cooperating or for not sharing strategic information with the other. With such cordial relationship between the two agencies, why America felt the need to have its own independent intelligence network inside Pakistan and employ trigger happy gun runners like Davis to operate it? More astonishing is the fact, Pakistan's foreign office issue number of visas to men like Davis and the ministry of interior allowed these men to slip into very sensitive parts of the country to weave an intelligence web for America? This fact is even more serious than the issue of Raymond killing two men in Lahore. The killing incident has raised serious concerns about the security of the country as the same has been put in jeopardy by some government officials in the ministries and agencies meant to guard the national interest.
Today Mr. Shah Mahmood Qurashi ex-foreign minister is voicing concern over the presence of men like Raymond Davis in Pakistan, if he is right than I suggest he should tell the nation, why he permitted foreign office to issue visas (514 visas in all) to such unauthenticated men without establishing their credentials, their scope of work and the parameters of their assignment in Pakistan. In case he knew their actual scope of work before dishing out the visas then, will he like to reveal the names of those who stressed to issue visas? Did the President or the Prime minister compel him to issue visas or was he the one eager to earn Hillary's confidence. Whatever the case may be, the officials of both the governments have to answer many questions to their people who were kept unaware of underhand deals.
The operating procedures of CIA are believed to be mature and efficient, being old and rich organization having global exposure of working in every part of the world, it recruits best men for the job, trains them well, pays them well, closely and effectively monitor the activities of its operatives. With all the professional checks in place, why did Raymond behave erratically and why did the US diplomats and the government respond insensibly? Was Raymond a high profile CIA agent? Was he handling a strategically sensitive intelligence matter that needed to be kept secret from Pakistan and the world? Was he mentally disturbed at the time of incidence and failed to exercise self-control under stress? Were some bosses of Raymond pushing him too hard for quick results or did he fear intelligence compromise? These are some question that Davis' controlling bosses in Pakistan will have to answer if the matter goes to American public. Still the people in America and Pakistan are unaware of Raymond's' episodes. So far western media is being told to shut up. Fearing public backlash, the Raymond's bosses pushed their diplomatic staff in Pakistan to arrange his quick exit. Actually they were the ones who compelled their diplomats and the government to swiftly react denying them enough time to assess the sensitivity of the incidence and workout a proper course of action.
Americas' resource richness has prevented its population from interacting with the outside world. Very few in America know the real world; they are more focused on domestic issues and remain unconcerned about the happenings around the world, they do not have fair idea how uncomfortable/unsecure the world has become because of Americas' war against terror and how many innocent men, women and children have been killed by their army since 9/11. They have left the foreign relation matters to their government, they believe in what their state or media tells them, they hardly try to establish the authenticity of the reported matters. Despite cool attitude towards outside world, one quality of American people makes them different from others, when they know that their Government, their Lawmakers, their Security agencies or men in uniform have behaved in a manner unbecoming and have embarrassed them as nation, their reaction is swear. They question them and pursue the matter till defaulters are punished and justice is delivered. They have done it in the past and are expected to do it now provided American administration fails to keep the matter hidden from them anymore or we in some way reveal the Raymond story to them. Leakage of Abu Gharib jail story and challenging Bush administration decision to try Guantanamo Bay prisoners in military courts are two good examples of American public reaction to unjust behavior of state agencies.
On 27 January 2011 Raymond was arrested in Lahore-Pakistan on the charge of double murder. The story created to justify the act was rejected by the police authorities in the report presented to the court. Under any law he deserved capital punishment rather than sympathy from his bosses and his government. Taking advantage of relief provided by Islam to men like Raymond, he earned Pardon for him after paying blood money to the families of the victims. The court decision of 16th March, on one hand validates Pakistan's principle stand that Raymond was not entitled to diplomatic immunity, on the other hand convinced Americans to honor the laws of the host country and withdraw from their false claims. Raymond Davis has left Pakistan, what he did is now a matter of past, but still the people of both the countries would like to know who Raymond Davis was, why was he in Pakistan, what was he doing in Lahore on the day of incident, what pushed him to such extreme and who allowed him to freely operate in Pakistan? So far the American government has successfully contained Raymond story going public, but once it will be out, the American people, as their nature is may ask the some questions from their government. I advise all the readers to join the effort to educate the world especially American people about the incident. The public mood displayed after Raymond left Pakistan suggests that if the incident is repeated the people present on the site may not allow the killer to escape but will assemble a roadside court to execute the killer there and then by themselves.
Perception in Pakistan
Raymond's story has revealed some alarming but disturbing facts, since years some high ranking officials of foreign office and ministry of interior have been flirting with CIA, allowing its agents to freely work inside Pakistan. Actually they have covertly facilitated Americans to establish their intelligence network in Pakistan. In the past, on many occasions media reported the presence of foreign intelligence agents on Pakistani soil but every time Mr. Qurashi and Mr. Malik strongly denied such reports. Today people know too much about those who are bent upon jeopardizing the security of the country, it's time for the people to stand up and compel the government to cancel the visas issued to Raymond cult and expel them from Pakistan. There is also the need of Chief Justice of Pakistan to take a suo-motu notice of the matter and appoint a judicial commission to inquire the circumstances under which some people in the government over stepped their authority and allowed CIA to send its intelligence contractors to Pakistan and operate freely in the country. Any delay to exert now will allow the government to melt down under American pressure and permit Raymond mafia to keep its presence in Pakistan. Imagine, what will happen when they succeed to weave their intelligence web throughout Pakistan? The outcome will be:-
They will penetrate into different cadres of our military and bureaucracy.
They will cultivate their informers in our intelligence organization.
They will cultivate their operatives in banned anti-state outfits and keep them alive.
They will penetrate into the communication centers and have unlimited excess to all kind of information.
They will flirt with the politicians and keep dictating them their terms.
Some day stage a big drama in our country and deprive us of our vital strategic assets.
May work as intelligence facilitators for India.
"Are we willing to accept all this nonsense or do we standup now and organize ourselves to honestly defend the country's interest"? We all have responsibility towards future generations. Let's endeavor to hand over a safe Pakistan to our children.
S A Gardezi
Please add your valuable views to develop consensus on the issues and also educate the world, particularly the American public that we as a nation(Pakistan) are not involved in promoting domestic of international terrorism but are the real victims of terrorism being sponsored/promoted by men like Raymond Davis, after all the terrorist operating on our western borders along Afghanistan receive remunerations in US dollars. Who gives them US dollars?
