Diplomat arrest: US has no plans to drop charges against Khobragade Washington

[Bang Galore]

Don't you see? The charges against the Indian diplomat were entirely the work of New York prosecutors. The US State Department, the US Government had no idea this was going to happen. There is no intention on the part of the USA to demean India. However, in the US, the Federal Government cannot subvert local legal proceedings for political or diplomatic reasons without paying a huge political price because of exposure by our free press. The very best "solution" for this is for India to recall their diplomat, refuse to have her appear in US Court, and expel some US diplomats in retaliation. After one month, things can return to normal.

I agree with the gist of what you have said above but I'm a little surprised that the state department got into action to prevent Bharara's office from going after Russian diplomats, many who were junior when compared to this Indian diplomat, yet seemed to participate here. Where that decision was taken is not clear but some state department official seemed aware of it.

However Indian reaction, while sometimes a bit overboard(including by many here) is founded on the right idea. Diplomacy works on the principle of reciprocity. Regardless of who initiated what, the matter must be brought to a swift conclusion, one way or the other. There has been unnecessary bad blood & there will probably be more damage if this thing doesn't go away & quick.

The statement by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara appeared to have taken much of the Obama administration, including his own Justice Department bosses, by surprise.

“We didn’t know it was coming,” said a senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters.

It appeared that no one in the administration wanted to seem cavalier about the mistreatment of foreign workers or to override law enforcement. But there was a widespread feeling among officials that, as Secretary of State John F. Kerry said in a conversation Wednesday with India’s national security adviser, “certain courtesies were not extended” in the case.

“The fact here is that we are respectful of the law enforcement process,” the senior official said. “We also have to be respectful of the fact that how these things are handled can have enormous repercussions, especially in a country with sensitivities like India.”

Relevant officials in the administration have known for months that an investigation was underway, but “nobody knew this was going to happen,” another U.S. official said. Referring to Khobragade’s arrest, made after she dropped her children off at school, and her booking, strip-search and incarceration in New York, the official said, “That’s not the way these things are done.”

“If they wanted to throw the book at her,” the second official said, the United States could have protested to the Indian Embassy in Washington and “made her leave the country. That’s the way these things are done,” particularly in cases in which no physical abuse is alleged.

 

[TruthSeeker]

usa has to find a pretext to send her back and maybe then proclaim her as a criminal but she cannot be prosecuted as she is in india.

She is not now in the custody of US authorities. I do not know if she has the ability to leave the country on her passport without permission of the New York DA. That is a key question. Would US passport control let her leave? If so, she should do so, even if she feels that it is an unjust black mark, and will forever harm her chosen career as a diplomat. If not then the US State Department should grant her a "waiver" to leave over the objection of the New York DA in the interest of USA national security, i.e., friendly relations with India.

 

[he-man]

She is not now in the custody of US authorities. I do not know if she has the ability to leave the country on her passport without permission of the New York DA. That is a key question. Would US passport control let her leave? If so, she should do so, even if she feels that it is an unjust black mark, and will forever harm her chosen career as a diplomat. If not then the US State Department should grant her a "waiver" to leave over the objection of the New York DA in the interest of USA national security, i.e., friendly relations with India.

yup pretty much whats possible.

if no then i think this relationship will suffer and go back years all
together.

i hate obama for giving 0 priority to india,absolutely 0
bush though way less intelligent than obama understood the importance of engaging india.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I agree with the gist of what you have said above but I'm a little surprised that the state department got into action to prevent Bharara's office from going after Russian diplomats, many who were junior when compared to this Indian diplomat, yet seemed to participate here. Where that decision was taken is not clear but some state department official seemed aware of it.

You have to understand that for the Obama administration, "women's" rights are hugely important to their political base. So, IF the arrest was floated by the Obama State Department before the actual action, then I would suspect it was portrayed as a blow against the subjugation of "women" (i.e. poor third world women held as virtual slaves by evil third world elites). Unfortunately, the Obama Administration is plainly incompetent in foreign (and domestic) affairs.

 

[Bang Galore]

You have to understand that for the Obama administration, "women's" rights are hugely important to their political base. So, IF the arrest was floated by the Obama State Department before the actual action, then I would suspect it was portrayed as a blow against the subjugation of "women" (i.e. poor third world women held as virtual slaves by evil third world elites). Unfortunately, the Obama Administration is plainly incompetent in foreign (and domestic) affairs.

So what is it to be? They didn't know that this action was to be taken against the diplomat or simply didn't know what the reaction would be? This does smack of some incompetence, anyone should have know what the Indian reaction was likely to be. Senior officials in the state department were probably cringing with term "standard procedure" realising that it is not only Indian diplomats who have cavities that could be searched. A very dangerous & foolish precedent to set. There are other countries(leave alone India) whose "standard procedures" may give U.S. diplomats sleepless nights.

 

[he-man]

You have to understand that for the Obama administration, "women's" rights are hugely important to their political base. So, IF the arrest was floated by the Obama State Department before the actual action, then I would suspect it was portrayed as a blow against the subjugation of "women" (i.e. poor third world women held as virtual slaves by evil third world elites). Unfortunately, the Obama Administration is plainly incompetent in foreign (and domestic) affairs.

i agree here
all the leaders whoare of socialist credentials end up fucking most of the matters.

i seriously want hillary clinton next time as bill and her are pretty much pro india and will take the relationship to new level otherwise if the state of affairs continued,india will have to go closer to china and russia sooner rather than later

 

[Bang Galore]

WASHINGTON: The transfer of diplomat Devyani Khobragade to India's Permanent Mission at the United Nations would grant her full-diplomatic immunity temporarily and protect her from any arrest in the US, but the visa fraud case against her would go uninterrupted, a US official said on Friday.

"For anyone, it would apply for the length of time that they have that diplomatic status. But it doesn't retroactively wipe out past discretions," the state department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki said.

"Receiving diplomatic immunity does not nullify any previously existing criminal charges. Those remain on the books. Nor does obtaining diplomatic immunity protect the diplomat from prosecution indefinitely. It relates to the status of a diplomat's current status for the length of the time of that status," Psaki said.

Diplomatic immunity means, among other things, that a foreign diplomat is not subject to criminal jurisdiction in the United States for the time they are a diplomat, for the time they have that immunity, she said.

If this is correct it pretty much means the end of the case. They could proceed but the diplomat is not touchable .

 

[Developereo]

Of course not. For Raymond Davis there was no court of law available. Only the court of Pakistani xenophobia. I.e, the "court" that is well known to Indians who are not trying to score "debating" points.

Go cry me a river.

When a cold blooded murderer is apprehended red handed, all you can come up with is a victimhood lament of 'xenophobia'. The ONLY reason the murderer Raymond Davis escaped is because Pakistani politicians are a bunch of sellouts who would sell their own grandmother for the right price.

At least the Indians have a spine, even though I agree that the case against Devyani is solid.

 

[Developereo]

If not then the US State Department should grant her a "waiver" to leave over the objection of the New York DA in the interest of USA national security, i.e., friendly relations with India.

That's exactly what will happen.

And it makes a mockery of your sanctimonious blabbering about "political" v/s "judicial" justice.

American justice will be denied due to political meddling by the State department.

 

[he-man]

Go cry me a river.

When a cold blooded murderer is apprehended red handed, all you can come up with is a victimhood lament of 'xenophobia'. The ONLY reason the murderer Raymond Davis escaped is because Pakistani politicians are a bunch of sellouts who would sell their own grandmother for the right price.

At least the Indians have a spine, even though I agree that the case against Devyani is solid.

i was hoping that davis be hanged personally.

we may have differences with pakistan but we have 1000 times more things common with pakistan than the usa.

here usa was just plain wrong

 

[Developereo]

i was hoping that davis be hanged personally.

we may have differences with pakistan but we have 1000 times more things common with pakistan than the usa.

here usa was just plain wrong

Hypocrite rich country + Sellout politicians in poor country = Foregone conclusion.

This is a watershed event in India's rise. American justice is for sale (like in any other country).

The only question is: does India have the needed leverage to buy American justice?

When will the Obama administration decide that the damage to national interests is not worth a poor nanny? Rest assured that there are always loopholes or technicalities which can be exploited to subvert the legal process.

All the chest beating by the State department is for domestic consumption. When the spotlight moves away, there will be a deal under the table.

 

[he-man]

Hypocrite rich country + Sellout politicians in poor country = Foregone conclusion.

This is a watershed event in India's rise. American justice is for sale (like in any other country).

The only question is: does India have the needed leverage to buy American justice?

When will the Obama administration decide that the damage to national interests is not worth a poor nanny? Rest assured that there are always loopholes or technicalities which can be exploited to subvert the legal process.

All the chest beating by the State department is for domestic consumption. When the spotlight moves away, there will be a deal under the table.

its for obama to decide.

anyways i personally feel the guy is too dumb even though he gives impressive speeches.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

USA wanted India to go ahead against China at the expense of its national interest, but India refused to act as a pawn and cannon fodder.

Which Indian media is absolutely silent regarding this event? While just check their report about China. Then you can realize these "Indian" medias were bought by the US propaganda.

 

[FaujHistorian]

.... US State Department should grant her a "waiver" to leave over the objection of the New York DA in the interest of USA national security, i.e., friendly relations with India.

I don't think it is "friendly relations" thingy anymore.

If it was, NY DA would not have caught her in the first place. When you are going after a diplomat and NY is the center of diplomacy aka UN, DA must have cleared with State Dept. etc.

Peace

 

[he-man]

I don't think it is "friendly relations" thingy anymore.

If it was, NY DA would not have caught her in the first place. When you are going after a diplomat and NY is the center of diplomacy aka UN, DA must have cleared with State Dept. etc.

Peace

we don't even care if thats so

we have much much less to loose.
if usa dosen't even understand this then who is to blame buddy??