Raymond Davis case: UK's Telegraph reports, he 'was acting head of CIA in Pakistan'

[VCheng]

As I have said before, RD's link to CIA are independent of his diplomatic immunity:

from: CIA link does not affect Davis`s immunity: US | Newspaper | DAWN.COM

WASHINGTON: Raymond Davis` activities in Pakistan do not affect his diplomatic immunity, says the US administration while commenting on media reports that the man was actually the head of a CIA operation in Pakistan.

“If reports in the New York Times and Washington Post linking Mr Davis to the CIA are true, does his diplomatic immunity become void?” a senior US administration official was asked at a briefing.

“The only relevant question is: Was he notified as a member of the administrative and technical staff upon entry to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? And the answer to that question was yes. At that point, he acquired privileges and immunities,” the official replied.

Addressing the same briefing, US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P. J. Crowley said: “The question here is whether he was properly notified as a member of the diplomatic mission under the treaty” and he was on Jan 20, a week before his arrest. “We will not comment on his particular activity in Pakistan other than to say he`s a member of the administrative and technical staff of the embassy and has diplomatic immunity,” said Mr Crowley when asked to comment on Mr Davis`s CIA links.

The US official also expressed concern about Mr Davis`s safety. “We have had multiple conversations with the government of Pakistan regarding his current surroundings. They have told us that he is in the safest possible location in Lahore. And clearly we hold the government of Pakistan fully responsible for his safety,” he said.

Both Mr Crowley and the senior official said they understood why Pakistan found it difficult to resolve the issue.

“We are very mindful of the difficulty that the government of Pakistan faces in terms of public opinion in this case. It`s why we have, on an ongoing basis for the past month, engaged them constructively and forthrightly,” Mr Crowley said.

“But we remain concerned about him, and our message to Pakistan remains he should be released as soon as possible.”

Mr Crowley said since Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had told his parliament that there were differences of opinion between Pakistan and the United States on the interpretation and applicability of international and national laws in this case, the US administration felt it obliged to explain its position.

The senior administration official, who is an expert on diplomatic treaties, claimed that the international law was `very clear` on this issue.

“Under the international law, local law cannot be invoked as an obstacle to fulfilment of a country`s international obligations,” he added.

The official explained that articles 29 to 35 of the treaty governing diplomatic ties guaranteed “inviolability of person, inviolability of your private residence, inviolability of your papers, and immunity from arrest and detention, and immunity from criminal jurisdiction, including requirements to testify” once a person was notified as a member of the embassy staff. “There`s no requirement to look behind that, and you don`t look behind that. The whole point of it is to make it crystal clear up front. And once that`s done, it`s the end of the story.”

“At this point, we`re not contemplating any actions along those lines,” said Mr Crowley when asked if the US government may curtail its military or economic assistance to Pakistan to show its unhappiness at Mr Davis`s continued incarceration. “We`re building a strategic partnership with Pakistan. It`s important to the future of the region. It`s also important to the security of the United States,” he said.

“We are engaging Pakistan in good faith. We want to see this resolved as soon as possible so it does not become an impediment in our relationship and it does not measurably interfere with the work we are doing together in fighting extremism that threatens Pakistan and threatens us.”

 

[Developereo]

Remember there is also a case of defrauding the Pakistani immigration as to his true identity.

Every single visa application I have filled out says that if you lie on the application, your visa will be void. RD's is in the country on an invalid visa, i.e. no diplomatic immunity.

 

[Developereo]

Asim when sometimes back some analysts and quarters in Pakistan were talking about such a possibility and false flag by CIA many pro-US media people and many on this very forum were calling it Conspiracy theory .


i guess this abused word conspiracy theory should be banned altogether as its now clearly becoming a hiding place for apologists

Check out this tweet by Nadeem "Fruitcake" Paracha:

Twitter / Nadeem F. Paracha: What if Raymond Davis conv ...

What if Raymond Davis converts and starts calling himself Raymond Qadri. Will then the abuses turn into rose petals?

The anti-Pakistan crowd still hasn't wrapped their mind around this one...

i think american eagle is now finally tired of speaking immunity, robbers, mr.davis, freedom etc he needs a rest

AE wanted us to focus on the bigger issue of terrorism. And we are. RD was scoping out sites for planned terror attacks in conjuction with the extremists.

 

[Developereo]

I dont understand what you are talking about, maybe the language barrier is confusing me. If my 6th post American is really an American? What are you talking about?

I usually ignore obvious Indian trolls like yourself, but you managed to squeeze a few replies out of gullible Pakistanis. Good job!

 

[A1Kaid]

What if Raymond Davis converts and starts calling himself Raymond Qadri. Will then the abuses turn into rose petals?

What an asinine assertion.

There is a whole history behind Raymond Davis and CIA's treacherous involvement in Pakistan. CIA and Raymond Davis have caused Pakistan more harm than Qadri ever will, some people believe Qadri has assassinated a corrupt, criminal, and unjust, ruler (others also think differently). On the other hand Raymond Davis is believed (mounting evidence to support this) to be involved in covert CIA operations undermining and violating Pakistan's sovereignty, security, rule of law, and peace of mind.

 

[Developereo]

What an asinine assertion.

That's the problem with this 'blame Pakistan first' crowd. After decades of parrotting Western propaganda, they are so intellectually bankrupt and devoid of original thought that they turn every issue into a mullah-bashing activity.

Nadeem "Fruitcake" Paracha is unable to string two sentences together without mentioning Islam or mullah in it somewhere.

 

[GODLAX]

I usually ignore obvious Indian trolls like yourself, but you managed to squeeze a few replies out of gullible Pakistanis. Good job!

Lol Indian trolls? Im pure American, would you like me to take a picture with your name written on a piece of paper next to my Mercades next to my $750,000 mansion? I will gladly do that for you

You wont find those in India

 

[Developereo]

Lol Indian trolls? Im pure American, would you like me to take a picture with your name written on a piece of paper next to my Mercades next to my $750,000 Mcmansion? I will gladly do that for you

You wont find those in India

Fixed it for you, my Indian troll friend. And there are plenty of Indians in USA, so no dice...

 

[Roybot]

Lol Indian trolls? Im pure American, would you like me to take a picture with your name written on a piece of paper next to my Mercades next to my $750,000 mansion? I will gladly do that for you

You wont find those in India

what a tool.

 

[GODLAX]

Believe what you want to believe, deny ignorance

 

[Luftwaffe]

GODLAX, I can verily take out the errors in your post, an American or Canadian would not pen down in such a manner. As Irfan pointed out take off that flag place yourself under real flag to minimize damage to your personality.

 

[GODLAX]

Take out the errors in my post? Sir you are wrong, 100% Italian heritage born in America and proud to be an American. You "think" you know it all, you don't. Get your facts straight, I do Ignorance my friend

 

[SMC]

‘CIA agent Davis had ties with local militants’
By Qaiser Butt
Published: February 22, 2011

Phone records of Davis show that he had ties with 33 Pakistanis, including 27 from TTP and LeJ. PHOTO: FILE


ISLAMABAD: As American newspapers lifted a self-imposed gag on the CIA links of Raymond Davis, in place on the request of the US administration, The Express Tribune has now learnt that the alleged killer of two Pakistanis had close links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The New York Times reported on Monday that Davis “was part of a covert, CIA-led team of operatives conducting surveillance on militant groups deep inside the country, according to American government officials.”
This contradicts the US claim that Davis was a member of the ‘technical and administrative staff’ of its diplomatic mission in Pakistan.
Davis was arrested on January 27 after allegedly shooting dead two young motorcyclists at a crowded bus stop in Lahore. American officials say that the arrest came after a ‘botched robbery attempt’.
“The Lahore killings were a blessing in disguise for our security agencies who suspected that Davis was masterminding terrorist activities in Lahore and other parts of Punjab,” a senior official in the Punjab police claimed.
“His close ties with the TTP were revealed during the investigations,” he added. “Davis was instrumental in recruiting young people from Punjab for the Taliban to fuel the bloody insurgency.” Call records of the cellphones recovered from Davis have established his links with 33 Pakistanis, including 27 militants from the TTP and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi sectarian outfit, sources said.
Davis was also said to be working on a plan to give credence to the American notion that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are not safe. For this purpose, he was setting up a group of the Taliban which would do his bidding.
The larger picture
Davis’s arrest and detention has pulled back the curtain on a web of covert American operations inside Pakistan.
The former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had cut a secret deal with the US in 2006, allowing clandestine CIA operations in his country. This was done to make the Americans believe that Islamabad was not secretly helping the Taliban insurgents.
Under the agreement, the CIA was allowed to acquire the services of private security firms, including Blackwater (Xe Worldwide) and DynCorp to conduct surveillance on the Taliban and al Qaeda.
According to The New York Times, even before his arrest, Davis’s CIA affiliation was known to Pakistani authorities. It added that his visa, presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in late 2009, describes his job as a “regional affairs officer,” a common job description for officials working with the agency.
American officials said that with Pakistan’s government trying to clamp down on the increasing flow of CIA officers and contractors trying to gain entry to Pakistan, more of these operatives have been granted “cover” as embassy employees and given diplomatic passports.
However, “The government and security agencies were surprised to know that Davis and some of his colleagues were involved in activities that were not spelled out in the agreement,” a source told The Express Tribune.
“Davis’s job was to trail links of the Taliban and al Qaeda in different parts of Pakistan. But, instead, investigators found that he had developed close links with the TTP,” added the source.
Investigators had recovered 158 items from Davis, which include a 9mm Gloc Pistol, five 9mm magazines, 75 bullets, GPS device, an infrared torch, a wireless set, two mobile phones, a digital camera, a survival kit, five ATM cards, and Pakistani and US currency notes, sources said.
The camera had photographs of Pakistan’s defence installations.
Intelligence officials say that some of the items recovered from Davis are used by spies, not diplomats. This proves that he was involved in activities detrimental to Pakistan’s national interests.
The Punjab law minister has said that Davis could be tried for anti-state activities. “The spying gadgets and sophisticated weapons recovered are never used by diplomats,” Rana Sanaullah told The Express Tribune.
He said some of the items recovered from Davis have been sent for a detailed forensic analysis. “A fresh case might be registered against Davis under the [Official] Secrets Act once the forensics report was received,” he said.
Sanaullah said that Davis could also be tried under the Army Act. To substantiate his viewpoint, he said recently 11 persons who had gone missing from Rawalpindi’s Adiyala jail were booked under the Army Act.
However, a senior lawyer said that only the Army has the authority to register a case under the Army Act of 1952 against any person who is involved in activities detrimental to the army or its installations.
“Such an accused will also be tried by the military court,” Qazi Anwer, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association said. He added that the civil authorities could register a case of espionage against any person.
But interestingly, despite all the evidence of Davis’s involvement in espionage, the federal government is unlikely to try him for spying.
“He will be prosecuted only on charges of killing of two men in Lahore,” highly-placed sources told The Express Tribune.
The Davis saga has strained relations between Pakistan and the United States, creating a dilemma for the PPP-led government.
More pressure
The pressure on the Pakistan government to release Davis has been steadily intensifying.
According to The New York Times, “there have been a flurry of private phone calls to Pakistan from Leon E Panetta, the CIA director, and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all intended to persuade the Pakistanis to release the secret operative.”

‘CIA agent Davis had ties with local militants’ – The Express Tribune

Thought I'd post this article from tribune.com.pk as it's a very commonly used Pakistani source, particularly from bharatis.

 

[Awesome]

Great article, I thought I'd point out the relevant parts:

‘CIA agent Davis had ties with local militants’
By Qaiser Butt
Published: February 22, 2011

Phone records of Davis show that he had ties with 33 Pakistanis, including 27 from TTP and LeJ. PHOTO: FILE


ISLAMABAD: As American newspapers lifted a self-imposed gag on the CIA links of Raymond Davis, in place on the request of the US administration, The Express Tribune has now learnt that the alleged killer of two Pakistanis had close links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The New York Times reported on Monday that Davis “was part of a covert, CIA-led team of operatives conducting surveillance on militant groups deep inside the country, according to American government officials.”

This contradicts the US claim that Davis was a member of the ‘technical and administrative staff’ of its diplomatic mission in Pakistan.

Davis was arrested on January 27 after allegedly shooting dead two young motorcyclists at a crowded bus stop in Lahore. American officials say that the arrest came after a ‘botched robbery attempt’.

“The Lahore killings were a blessing in disguise for our security agencies who suspected that Davis was masterminding terrorist activities in Lahore and other parts of Punjab,” a senior official in the Punjab police claimed.

“His close ties with the TTP were revealed during the investigations,” he added. “Davis was instrumental in recruiting young people from Punjab for the Taliban to fuel the bloody insurgency.” Call records of the cellphones recovered from Davis have established his links with 33 Pakistanis, including 27 militants from the TTP and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi sectarian outfit, sources said.

Davis was also said to be working on a plan to give credence to the American notion that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons are not safe. For this purpose, he was setting up a group of the Taliban which would do his bidding.

Davis’s arrest and detention has pulled back the curtain on a web of covert American operations inside Pakistan.

The former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had cut a secret deal with the US in 2006, allowing clandestine CIA operations in his country. This was done to make the Americans believe that Islamabad was not secretly helping the Taliban insurgents.

Under the agreement, the CIA was allowed to acquire the services of private security firms, including Blackwater (Xe Worldwide) and DynCorp to conduct surveillance on the Taliban and al Qaeda.

According to The New York Times, even before his arrest, Davis’s CIA affiliation was known to Pakistani authorities. It added that his visa, presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in late 2009, describes his job as a “regional affairs officer,” a common job description for officials working with the agency.

American officials said that with Pakistan’s government trying to clamp down on the increasing flow of CIA officers and contractors trying to gain entry to Pakistan, more of these operatives have been granted “cover” as embassy employees and given diplomatic passports.

However, “The government and security agencies were surprised to know that Davis and some of his colleagues were involved in activities that were not spelled out in the agreement,” a source told The Express Tribune.

“Davis’s job was to trail links of the Taliban and al Qaeda in different parts of Pakistan. But, instead, investigators found that he had developed close links with the TTP,” added the source.

Investigators had recovered 158 items from Davis, which include a 9mm Gloc Pistol, five 9mm magazines, 75 bullets, GPS device, an infrared torch, a wireless set, two mobile phones, a digital camera, a survival kit, five ATM cards, and Pakistani and US currency notes, sources said.

The camera had photographs of Pakistan’s defence installations.

Intelligence officials say that some of the items recovered from Davis are used by spies, not diplomats. This proves that he was involved in activities detrimental to Pakistan’s national interests.

The Punjab law minister has said that Davis could be tried for anti-state activities. “The spying gadgets and sophisticated weapons recovered are never used by diplomats,” Rana Sanaullah told The Express Tribune.

He said some of the items recovered from Davis have been sent for a detailed forensic analysis. “A fresh case might be registered against Davis under the [Official] Secrets Act once the forensics report was received,” he said.

Sanaullah said that Davis could also be tried under the Army Act. To substantiate his viewpoint, he said recently 11 persons who had gone missing from Rawalpindi’s Adiyala jail were booked under the Army Act.

However, a senior lawyer said that only the Army has the authority to register a case under the Army Act of 1952 against any person who is involved in activities detrimental to the army or its installations.

“Such an accused will also be tried by the military court,” Qazi Anwer, former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association said. He added that the civil authorities could register a case of espionage against any person.

But interestingly, despite all the evidence of Davis’s involvement in espionage, the federal government is unlikely to try him for spying.

“He will be prosecuted only on charges of killing of two men in Lahore,” highly-placed sources told The Express Tribune.

The Davis saga has strained relations between Pakistan and the United States, creating a dilemma for the PPP-led government.
More pressure

The pressure on the Pakistan government to release Davis has been steadily intensifying.

According to The New York Times, “there have been a flurry of private phone calls to Pakistan from Leon E Panetta, the CIA director, and Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, all intended to persuade the Pakistanis to release the secret operative.”

‘CIA agent Davis had ties with local militants’ – The Express Tribune

Thought I'd post this article from tribune.com.pk as it's a very commonly used Pakistani source, particularly from bharatis.

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

Tragically---the condescending attitude towards the pakistanis got the worst out of Davis and landed him in the place where he is in now. He could have shot those two guys a couple of three times---but no---he had to show how he hated the pakistanis and he let them have it. His attitude of what he thought abpout the pakistanis was very evident on the clip that was posted here on the board.

Absolutely insulting and degrading towards the locale in the prison. But then it is what it is---when you are as powerful as the americans---you can look down upon anyone that you want to.

Now as for as Davis's release---it has become more uncertain now----with middle east in turmoil----bahrain ready to deal peace against the uprising---the future of american naval base in a possible jeopardy---it seems like that Davis maybe one of the unluckiest of the americans illegals working abroad. His timing couldnot have been any worse than it is.

Under the current conditions----the americans have no leverage over pakistan---I should change that to a minimal leverage. If the americans want to be aggressive with pakistan, the consequences of that in the world stock markets wouldnot be very favourable at this time.

The U S economy has just barely started to move ---they really really don't need a bigger headache than they can handle. The only problem is---what secrets is Raymond Davis holding in his head and on his cellular phone sim card. America has sacrificed many an operators before Davis and never raised an eye brow---what makes him special.

To my italian american colleague here---sir---I have to change my earlier position on the issue with great reluctance but it seems like that Mr Davis will be a state guest for a while.

As for the 9/11 bombers---they were your dogs---you trained them---and then left them to live in misery----they just flew home to show you how good you had trained them.