Adil Najam
UPDATE POST HERE: March 16, 2011: Raymond Davis Released! This Story Ain’t Over Yet!
Strangely, the more we get to know about the case of Raymond Davis, the less we seem to know. Even more strangely, the fact that the entire incident happened in broad daylight and in front of dozens of witnesses seems is itself confusing the facts rather than adding clarity. Moreover, it seems that no one seems to want to get much clarity either; although different parties may want different parts of the story to ‘disappear.’ The incident was rather eerie and disturbing to begin with; and it continues to become more so.
Here is what one does know. Raymond Davis, a staff member of the US Consulate in Lahore shot two Pakistani men dead on Thursday in a crowded part of Lahore (Mozang Chowk), according to him in self-defense. A US Consulate vehicle that rushed in to ‘rescue’ Mr. David then ran over a third person, who also died. A murder case was then registered against Raymond Davis, who was handed into police custody. A case has also been registered against the driver of the US Consulate vehicle that ran over a third person, but the driver has not yet been apprehended. After a fair deal of scrambling by both US and Pakistani officials on what to do or say, the positions of both have now started becoming clear and they have taken the stance that is usually taken in such cases: the US is asking that Raymond Davis, as a diplomatic functionary, should be handed back to them; Pakistan seems to be responding that the matter is sub judice and should take its course.
Beyond that, there are more questions than answers. For most part, these questions fall into three categories: (1) Questions about who is Raymond Davis? (2) Questions about exactly what happened at Mozang, Lahore? (3) Questions about what should happen now ?
On the first question, earliest reports suggested that Raymond Davis was a “technical adviser” and a “consular” official. More recently, US Embassy officials have described him as a “functionary” of the Embassy assigned to the US Consulate in Lahore and carrying a US Diplomatic passport. Reportedly he was hired at the US Consulate in Lahore as a security contractor from a Florida-based firm Hyperion Protective Consultants. All of this has material relevance to whether he would enjoy diplomatic immunity or not, but even more because of the apprehensions of many Pakistanis that he could be linked to the CIA or to the infamous firm Blackwater (later renamed XE Services).
And that leads squarely to the second question: what exactly was happening at Mozang? Very much in line with the immediate knee-jerk reaction of many Pakistanis, an early commentary by Jeff Stein in The Washington Post seemed to suggest rather fancifully that the shootout could have been a “Spy rendezvous gone bad?” That would be a conspiracy theory, but not an entirely implausible one. Mozang is not a part of town that you would expect too many foreigners, let alone a US official, visiting; and certainly not in what was reportedly a rented private vehicle. And while Pakistan today is clearly an unsafe place, the question of just why an Embassy official was carrying a firearm be wished away. On the other hand, however, Mr. Davis claims that he shot in self defense as the two men on the motorcycle were trying to rob him at gun point. Anyone who knows Pakistan knows all too well that this, too, is entirely possible. TV footage and reports coming immediately after the incident showed one of the young men lying dead with a revolver and wearing an ammunition belt. And certainly, the question of why at least one of the two young men on the motorcycle was carrying a loaded firearm cannot be wished away just because he had “dushmani.” Indeed, serious questions need to be asked about just who the two young men on the motorcycle were, just as they need to be asked about who Raymond Davis is. There just seem to be too many unnecessary weapons in too much proximity in this story. All of the many explanations that are floating around are very disturbing, but also very plausible. Which is exactly why this story is even more dangerous if left unresolved.
Finally, the third question – which is now getting the most attention – about what should happen now. Much is being made – maybe too much – about the Vienna Convention and its implications for diplomatic immunity. Familiar diplomatic games about the minutia of vocabulary are being played and will in most likelihood result in all too familiar results. That is exactly what one would expect in any such situation anywhere. But this is not ‘any‘ situation’; and this is not ‘anywhere‘. This is about US-Pakistan relations: there is just about nothing that the US can say or do which Pakistanis are likely to believe, and there is just about nothing that Pakistan can say or do which Americans are likely to trust. Which is why getting stuck in the intricacies of the Vienna Convention of 1963 is the exact wrong place to get stuck. This is a time for public diplomacy: certainly from the US and maybe even from Pakistan. It is not in America’s interest to be seen to be standing in the way of justice and due process. And it is not in Pakistan’s interest to be seen to conducting a flawed process of justice. There are too many people on the extreme in both countries who will not and cannot to change their opinion and apprehensions about the other. But there are even more people in both countries who could all too easily be swayed to the extremes on distrust if this delicate case is not handled with clarity and transparency by both countries. Doing so will probably bring with it more than just a little diplomatic embarrassment. Not doing so can only bring worse in the tinderbox that is US-Pakistan relations.
Why is it that the media is not asking any questions about the two men on the motorcycle. Raymond Davis was nearly certainly CIA type. But who were they? They seem even more suspicious to me than him.
Well this Raymond Davis (007 in Pakistan) is not a new character in Pakistan, such activities have been happening longtime back. Mr Davis was actually caught at wrong place wrong time and worst than that the Media Mafia is alway there like a ginie telling everything spiced up and sometimes false even. But this time as most of the time Media came out with responsibility and care and we found no exaggeration of any type.
Im my opinion the court should either give him a life sentence in Pakistan or the death penalty because the way they were fired at does not show that he had the shoot out in Self Defence. And it is further more evident from his physique that he is either a marine or a mercinery or a member of the Notorious Black Water.
We can also make a deal Dr. Afia Siddiqui for this Davis character, but should also try to get his info done so that we know who actually this guy was.
But deep inside me I have a hunch that nothing big is going ro happen in this case. Davis gone to the American, Parents of the dead will forget the dead in a short period of time, all other Pakistanis will be busy fighting to survive and one day we hear that it had been a year since Raymond Davis killed two Pakistanis in Mozang Lahore and nothing had been done yet.
Who is Davis?
He’s someone so highly trained that he can rapid-fire nine rounds of ammunition and hit EVERY shot on target. Anyone with any experience of handling handguns will know that is an extremely difficult task to perform, particularly in a hurry and a state of high tension. So, he is no ‘diplomat’ … that much is certain.
Who are the two dead boys?
They were a pistol packing, motorcycle riding duo, who had several mobile phones… we all know what the heck they were up to.
They picked the wrong guy to rob this time. Bad scum, Good riddance.
What will happen?
A lot of hu ha from all sides and a lot of hot air and smoke for now. Then eventually the family of the dead robbers will accept ‘khoon-baha’ (blood money) in accordance with Shariah Law and the CIA agent will walk away free.
What SHOULD happen?
(This won’t ever happen, but I wish it could.)
1) At first, Pak gov makes a big issue out of it and after a speedy trial (in a shariah court) the judge passes a death sentence against Davis… That makes World News Headline and everyone gets hyper-excited.
Then the Pak diplomats in Washington ‘negotiate’ a deal with the American to get some concession as a quid-pro-quo to arrange Davis’ release. In the process they make a politically very popular move by getting someone of great symbolic significance (but low strategic value) released and returned to Pakistan (in an informal, under-the-table exchange) and then Davis’ family (with US backing obviously) offer a handsome amount of blood money to the robbers’ next of kin who then ‘forgive’ Davis and let him go…
2) Raymond Davis, before he returns home, should be thanked and given a gold medal on behalf of the tens of thousands of victims of routine robbery in Pakistan’s cities and towns…
He did much the same as the owner of the car dealership on Jail Road, Lahore, did who shot dead the motorcycle riding duo who tried to rob him some time ago. That robber turned out to be a criminal whom the police had been looking for… these scum deserve to run into nuts like Raymond Davis.
I believe there are no juries in pakistani legal system, just same old judge who sits for decades. If so then Mr Davis is in a strong position, not only did he kill the two muggers in self-defense, but whatever judge who presides over his trial can find him innocent for the same reason that they set terrorists free all over Pakistan “Not enough evidence”.
@Musalman:
I don’t know how much pain you would have suffered to say all this but since this time you have no room so you had to say that. I am glad some left wing gotta agree that there’s need to clear up the filth in their own ranks.
Now what you are asking me, I was asked by several liberal kids here and when I endorsed their reasons, they ran away, so for you, I am also saying that any kind of extremism exhibited by religious parties/person; b in form of killing an individual like Taseer or any one else should not be practiced or greeted by any individual.
Now, how does it feel? Sounds surprising? may be, but those who spent their lives on this forum know quite well what’s my actual stance. Today one left wing admitted the extremism in his own community, I believe other would do same , specially oldies here. The day lefts and rights started to realize the filth in their own ranks, they won’t get time to pin-point others mistake.
I don’t know who ‘monano’ is just like I don’t know how many different alias you use while you reply to me. *grin*