Raymond Davis–US Blackmail Tactics

By  Zaheerul Hassan

Double murder-convict CIA operator Raymond Davis has completed over one and half month  in Lahore jail but still the issue of his immunity is unresolved and under discussion in the local court . On March 14, 2011, Lahore High Court gave verdict that case of immunity regarding Davis will be decided by the trial court.  Islamabad government is determined to deal him under land laws since the crime was committed here in Pakistan. In this regard,        President Zardari also insisted many times that the case would be decided through court.  But at the same time, US is making effort to pull him out from the jail on the plea of diplomatic immunity. In this context American and western media has launched a campaign of his release instead commenting on Davis illegal activities in Pakistan. Thus, it is pity on the part of so called civilized US society which is irrationally demanding the release of a killer of two innocents’ young Pakistani boys.  It is also not understood that why US leadership is protecting that killer who   even kept on bluffing his own country by working as dual agent of RAW and CIA. Reportedly, the equipment recovered, pictures and information retrieved from Davis confirmed this assumption that he was a well trained CIA operator and also working for RAW too. The directorate of operations CIA was probably controlling Davis activities directly.

Anyhow, Americans postponed the US-Pakistan-Afghanistan Strategic Dialogues which was supposed to be held in February 2011. She has also as usually started blackmailing Islamabad and threatening the suspension of economic assistance to Pakistan. On March 11, 2011 number of Congress members asked their government for suspension of aid to Pakistan.  But on the other hand, US Sectary of State, Hillary Clinton has said that her country values its relations with Pakistan and wants to further strengthen the long-term strategic partnership with it. Thus, Hilary’s gesture and members of Congress statements clearly showing disparity and simply reflect the duality in US stance. Indian supported lobby in US Congress is continuously trying to build up political pressure on Pakistan in the case of Raymond Davis. Even, US President Barack Obama has also asked Islamabad to follow the Vienna Convention and release American diplomat. To put force in US president statement, Mrs. Clinton made a telephone call to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and discussed Raymond Davis issue with him. Meanwhile, US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman’s has also concluded his visit at this difficult time. Though he tried to defuse the situation between two allies of Global War on Terror but reportedly has made a deliberate attempt to talk on Davis case with Civilian and Military establishment during his visit.

According to various analysts the case of Raymond Davis led to the war of words between CIA and the ISI.  American and western media  criticism on Pakistan supreme intelligence agency  is part of tarnishing image of ISI since it is the only organization which exposed the covert design of design of creating instability and fomenting terrorism in Pakistan. It is a fact that Pakistani security agencies including ISI has played tremendous role in elimination terrorism in the country. The security agencies lost men and material during foreign sponsored war. It is also a reality that Pakistan’s economy is lurching towards the edge of the precipice due to incurring of heavy expenditures on GWOT. Pakistan is undergoing its worst era of history and political turmoil is on the peak. US leadership should know that Pakistani government might not be able to afford internal pressure couple with the American’s blackmail tactics in the name of release of CIA agent Mr. Davis. In addition, ethically and morally it is not possible for PPP Government to let a criminal go without trial and thus facing debacle in the coming elections. In short, American top brass has to decide whether she desires to have cordial rand close ties with her strategic ally of GWOT or lose her at the cost of one killer.

In fact, there is a common perception in the masses here that CIA, Mossad and RAW are sponsoring terrorism in Pakistan. The local public and think tanks are  connecting murder of Christen Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, car blast of Faisalabad and suicidal explosive of Peshawar with CIA and RAW.  Most of them are in the opinion that current terrorism wave has been launched by the US to bulldoze already deteriorated economy and peace further and force Pakistani government to take positive decision in the case of Mr. Davis. According to reliable sources probably Davis is a killer of CIA’S assassination squad. He was monitoring banned Lashkar-e-Taiba and on the mission of targeting some important personality of the Laskar. The potential aim of killing of Lasker’s leader could be to create unrest and sectarian clashes in Pakistan. It is quite possible that US top brass might not be aware of the hidden agenda of her core intelligence agency because CIA and US foreign office kept Obama under the dark regarding exact status of Davis. Therefore, US Foreign office and CIA has put Obama in embarrassment by feeding him incorrect information since Davis has never been mentioned as diplomat in the list forwarded prior to the occurrence of the murder of young boys. As we all knew that American secret agency too admitted that CIA has the history of pioneering of fabricated and factious reports. Now, it is open secret that CIA agency has initiated the factious report about the weapons of mass destruction and put the American and Iraqi nations, into an unending war. Now again this agency is determined to support Davis in a murder case illegally. The action of CIA will definitely widen the gap in Pak-US relations, which ultimately affect the GWOT.

Apparently, Raymond Davis case has become a test case between two allies. Mr. Grossman’s most immediate job could be to try and recover the dangerously strained Pakistan-US ties. Mistrust and suspicion between the two sides had been growing day by day. US instead of feeling ashamed over her agent activities has charged a Pakistani man (Mr. Akhtar)  with running a smuggling operation that shipped materials and equipment to the agencies operating Pakistan's nuclear program.  It is further high lighted here that earlier too an American court has reportedly asked ISI chief Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha and Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, head of UN-blacklisted group Jamaat-ud-Dawa, to appear next month in connection with the attack’s no secret. 

US strategy towards Indo-Pak relations and in Afghanistan is mired in confusion because of wrong US policies and using blackmailing tactics in resolving sensitive matters like Davis case, drone attacks and threatening allies by delaying economic assistance . However, the strategic dialogues forum is the right place to discuss controversial issues for bringing peace, stability and eliminating regional and global terrorism. Thus, it is evident from the under discussion topic that postponing of the talks just for one killer was not a wise decision and might not help America in attaining her long term strategic objectives.  Pakistan is enjoying strategic position and stability of the region is directly connected with the stability of it. Any such attempt of destabilizing Pakistan, will definitely gonging to affect the region in general and India in particular. Indo-US nexus are being focused with concern here in Pakistan. US   has to take some steps for revision of policies towards nuclear Pakistan. She has to stop CIA activities of fomenting terrorism in Pakistan. Moreover, Washington has to cease conspiring against Pakistan through controversial and blasphemy character. US should also realize that Pakistani government is not going to undertake such a decision which can become the cause of their political death. Pakistani government and masses have probably determined to deal with Davis through court .concluding I would like to suggest US leadership that America should try to win the masses hear while respecting local laws, stopping drone attacks, leaving the region, providing support for the settlement of the victims of GWOT, ceasing the support of India against Pakistan and last but not the least  that is teaching  her institutions to respect the dignities of other countries rather than summoning them in the court.