Pakistani woman commits suicide after US shooting

[bobthedrummer]

Source: by Babar Dogar/AP via Guardian

The wife of a Pakistani man shot and killed by a U.S. official committed suicide by eating rat poison Sunday, explaining before she died that she was driven to act by fears the American would be freed without a trial, a doctor said

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9487468

---

She left this world by the leading cause of death of our military-suicide.

[bobthedrummer]

1. And this "U.S.official" Mr. Davis is either a subcontracted mercenary or CIA.

Or both or neither....

[ManiacJoe]

4. Well, you covered all the bases....

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. I hope this gets wide airplay.

We just invaded Pakistan with hardly a murmur last year(?)...Iraq all over again, or Afghanistan all over again.
The arrogance leaves me breathless.

[molly77]

20. We have never been given a reason for the invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan or Pakistan.

Obama is a right wing president for these wars and many many other reasons.

[bobthedrummer]

3. US official accused of murder is barred from leaving Pakistan by Andrew Buncombe

(2-2-11 Independent)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/us-official-accused-of-murder-barred-from-leaving-pakistan-2201469.html

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. Flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity

I am curious to see what the Obama administration does about it

[Nihil]

30. Yep - that's why he has to be prevented from fleeing the country.

.3> What appears certain is that Mr Davis is not a regular diplomat; a doctor
.3> who made post-mortem examinations on the men who were shot said they were
.3> hit multiple times in the head, back, arm, chest, kidney and abdomen.
.3> Mr Davis was apparently firing through the windscreen of his vehicle at
.3> the time.

.16> the scan copy of the visa clearly showed that Davis had a business visa,
.16> which meant there was no question of diplomatic immunity.

.17> US television network ABC reported that Davis is a private security
.17> officer with experience in the US Special Forces.

Davis was most definitely committing a "flagrant violation of diplomatic immunity"
and, as such, is even more of a flee risk than a senior manager.


> "He cannot be lawfully arrested or detained in accordance with the Vienna
> Convention," the US state department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters
> in Washington this week.

I think little Mr Crowley needs to go back and read the part of the Vienna
Convention regarding the carrying of firearms by "diplomats" ... before he
opens his mouth a little too wide and convicts his own agent by accident ...

:nopity:

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

39. Consular staff rarely have diplomatic immunity,

The embassy abruptly elevating the status of an arrested staffer will be viewed with much suspicion. If this guy is a third-party contractor he definitely doesn't have diplomatic immunity.

[Judi Lynn]

15. So glad to see the additional material you've posted.

It truly does encourage people to look beyond the immediate short headline offered so easily to the public here.

The Independent article provided far more depth. Thank you. Rec.

[Judi Lynn]

16. Malik should be tried for lying in Davis case: PTI

Malik should be tried for lying in Davis case: PTI
Published: February 05, 2011

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Tehr-eek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Friday requested to the judiciary to take serious notice of 'irresponsible' remarks of Interior Minister Rehman Malik on a sub judicial matter of Raymond Davis, the double murder accused.

The PTI, Islamabad, Information Secretary Sulaiman Malik said the Interior Minister tried to defend 'his American masters' by lying to the nation saying that Raymond Davis had a diplomatic passport.

He maintained that Rehman Malik should let the court make final decision as the case was already in court adding the nation believed in the independent judiciary of Pakistan and surely justice would be served.

The local media has already shown the scan copy of the non-diplomatic passport of Raymond Davis, he said. He observed that the contradictory statements of Raymond Davis and the US Embassy, Islamabad, had already exposed their lies. He said the Pakistani government tried to defend the American while foreign media was criticising the US and Davis for brutal murders. "This is a classic case of being more loyal than the king," Sulaiman stated. He said Rehman Malik should be tried for treason as he lied to the nation about Davis that he had a diplomatic passport, about the presence of Blackwater in Pakistan and other crucial matters of national security.

Sulaiman Malik maintained that the scan copy of the visa clearly showed that Davis had a business visa, which meant there was no question of diplomatic immunity.

More:
http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Islamabad/05-Feb-2011/Malik-should-be-tried-for-lying-in-Davis-case-PTI

[Judi Lynn]

6. Wife commits suicide over US official shooting

Source: Associated Press

Wife commits suicide over US official shooting
Last updated 09:51 07/02/2011

The wife of a Pakistani man shot and killed by a US official has committed suicide by eating rat poison, explaining before she died that she was driven to act by fears the American would be freed without trial, a doctor said.

The US has demanded Pakistani authorities release the American, saying he shot and killed two armed men in self-defence when they attempted to rob him as he drove his car in the eastern city of Lahore. He was arrested on January 27, and the US has said he has diplomatic immunity and is being illegally detained.

The shootings have stoked anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, feelings that could be further inflamed by Shumaila Kanwal's suicide. She died several hours after being rushed to a hospital, said Ali Naqi, the doctor in Faisalabad city who treated her.

"I do not expect any justice from this government," said Kanwal in a statement recorded by the doctor before she died. "That is why I want to kill myself."



Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/4625116/Wife-commits-suicide-over-US-official-shooting

[Taverner]

7. Call me suspicious and heartless, but I am not 100% convinced it was suicide

Then again, she might have chosen to die.

Something I can't put my finger on just doesn't sound right.

[Gato Moteado]

8. and eating rat poison?

is that how they're killing themselves in pakistan these days?

[Taverner]

10. Exactly - that's one of the more painful ways to commit suicide

In poor countries where guns are a luxury, usually folks will lay their heads on the train track and wait to be decapitated.

If they have access to guns they usually use those.

[AzNick]

13. Methods of suicide are very particular to certain cultures too.

n/a

[timo]

23. in india

and the middle east eating rat poison, and fumigant tablets phostoxin is one of the main ways they kill themselves...has been for many years.

[Taverner]

27. Ouch! sources (not that I don't believe you but as a formality)

[timo]

29. no problemo

I understand it does sound weird but here ya go

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CCwQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAluminium_phosphide&ei=UsNQTeP7E4u_gQfM79zrCA&usg=AFQjCNGLfxY_hBmj-nlxkzPQDb5UiOmd7g&sig2=OC6TnZVUSj2mVepDEqFKOA






http://www.jkscience.org/archive/volume31/Aluminium%20phosphide.pdf
Abstract
Aluminium phosphide is one of the commonest poisons used for suicides in northern parts of India. A study has been conducted on the cases of aluminium phosphide poisoning brought for autopsy at the mortuary of U.C.M.S. & G.T.B. Hospital, Delhi. It was observed that males are commonly involved than females. Incidence is more common during 3rd decade of life and is rarely used for homicidal purposes.

http://toxipedia.org/display/wlt/Suicides+from+Pesticide+Ingestion

Estimates for pesticide suicides in South East Asia are dominated by patterns of suicide in India (SE Asia mortality stratum D), whose population (1,050 million) accounts for 81% of the 1,293 million people living in stratum-D of the region. Official data for 2005 suggest that 19.6% (n = 22,327) of India's 113,914 officially recorded suicides were self-poisonings with insecticides<58>. A particular feature of self-poisoning in northern India is the frequent ingestion of aluminium phosphide, a fumigant used to protect grain stores, with an associated case fatality in excess of 70% <12>. The WHO estimate that 55% of suicides in Bangladesh (SE Asia-D), the third most populous country in this region (population 144 million), are by self-poisoning<59>. Data from other sources indicate that a large proportion of these fatal poisonings are pesticide ingestions<60,61>. Our estimates for stratum-D are based on official suicide statistics from India<58> and, using data presented in Table 2, an estimated range in the proportion of suicides that employ pesticides in India of 20% to 30%.





we used to use it in grain storage bins its stinks to high heavens of garlic/chemical smells, I cant even imagine drinking or eating it!!

[snagglepuss]

19. I agree that something seems very fishy. nt

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Demeter]

11. I Grieve for the Couple, Their Nation and What's Left of Ours

there can be no satisfaction in this situation.

[slackmaster]

12. Very sad. It seems her husband got involved with the wrong crowd, and made some poor choices.

She's another victim of his crimes.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Wife of Pakistani shot by US gunman commits suicide

Wife of Pakistani shot by US gunman commits suicide
(AFP) – 5 hours ago

~snip~
Washington says its employee belongs to its US embassy's "technical administrative staff" and is therefore entitled to "full criminal immunity".

US television network ABC reported that Davis is a private security officer with experience in the US Special Forces.

A Pakistani court on Thursday defied pressure from Washington for his release and extended his detention for eight more days pending investigations. Public prosecutor Abdul Samad said he would be produced next in court on February 11.

In last month's incident, a third Pakistani was knocked down and killed by a vehicle from the US consulate in Lahore that tried to rescue Davis.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jqU3F90e5vYy80Yp9saQidRH5zsA?docId=CNG.53c07fe961abc34cc2f173062bc55b35.3e1

[4saken]

18. Her scriptural principle has failed her.

If the guy is not shown to be guilty of murder, she has taken steps to get him killed without evidence. Possibly recreating, and subscribing to the same line of reasoning that she was originally reacting to(a possible unjustified killing).

She said "The way my husband was shot, his killer should be shot in the same fashion."
An eye for an eye, emotionally fulfilling(revenge fantasy), mentality supported by the Qu'ran that is just lazy, and an impedance to rational justice.

This story points out one of the flaws in developing a sense of justice based on an eye for an eye mentality. The thought of her not getting that emotional fulfillment from the revenge she expects, made her very own life become secondary to it. It also shows a more general flaw in accepting a certain set of principles as if they could apply to all situations(particularly through God's so called decree), a seclusion of reason. Something the Qu'ran and the Bible attempt to do.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[No Elephants]

22. Do you know of many instances of married Pakistani women (or widows) engaging in

suicide bombings? Do you know of many suicide bombings by any women wearing burqas? Do you know if this widow ever wore a burqa in her life? Or are you resorting to stereotypical caricatures, CJvR?

And, speaking of unusual, CJvR, most folks see suicides of a widow after killing of her husband as sad (if indeed this was a suicide).

[CJvR]

24. Heard of the Black Widows?

"Do you know of many instances of married Pakistani women (or widows) engaging in suicide bombings?" - Haven't gone looking for them but it is fairly frequent in Chechnya.

"...most folks see suicides of a widow after killing of her husband as sad (if indeed this was a suicide)." - Yeah, but then I doubt most suicidal widows are suicidal out of desperate bloodthirst.

She was so worked up over this fellow perhaps not being executed in a sufficiently gruesome manner that she killed herself, I maintain that we are fortunate some Jihadist didn't slip her a bomb and pointed her at a target.

[Violet_Crumble]

54. I have, and they're in Chechnya...

Chechnya and Pakistan are different places.

I find it a bit disturbing that you cast the woman as some sort of 'Jihadist' and call her fear and desperation that the murderer would be freed 'desperate bloodthirst' when many families of murder victims want justice done for their loved ones. Am I missing something, or is it merely because this woman is Pakistani that it can be implied that she's some sort of wannabee suicide bomber?

[bobthedrummer]

25. ^

[nalnn]

26. Need more info

Does anyone have any links to any evidence in these cases? I cannot seem to find much more than descriptions of where the Pakistanis were shot and how this poor woman killed herself.

[Taverner]

28. Yes I want more info!

[Judi Lynn]

46. Here's a very "lite" account of the shooting:

‘Rambo goes berserk’

Demonstrators later gathered outside the police station where the foreigner’s car – a white Honda Civic with a Lahore registration plate – was impounded.

Details of the shooting are still unclear, but a salesman, Mohammad Ramzan, told Dawn newspaper that he had seen a foreigner rushing from a car holding a gun.

“Within seconds he trained his gun at two motorcyclists standing at the Qurtaba Chowk traffic signal and opened fire,” Mr Ramzan said.

Police said that the foreigner had used a radio to call colleagues for help immediately after the shooting – and that a second consular car turned up to rescue him.

It is believed the third person killed was run over by the vehicle as it sped to his aid.

The foreigner had tried to flee the scene, but two traffic wardens chased and detained him nearby before handing him over to police, chief traffic officer Ahmad Mobeen told Dawn.

One of the shot motorcyclists has been identified in the Pakistani media as Faizan Haider, who was thought to be in his early 20s.

His older brother reportedly said the dead man had only ever carried a pistol for personal protection, and that the firearm was licensed.

“My brother was innocent, he was not a criminal. We need justice,” he was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.

http://nigershowbiz.com/?p=3687

[bobthedrummer]

31. US ups pressure on Pakistan over detained American (by Nahal Toosi 2-8-11 Guardian)

"The United States may scrap upcoming talks with Pakistan about the war in Afghanistan to further pressure Islamabad to free an American who shot dead two Pakistanis, U.S. officials said."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9490534

[bobthedrummer]

32. Today a Pakistani prosecutor filed a forgery charge against Raymond Davis claiming this is not his

real name, there are other reports linking Raymond Davis to an Orlando based security firm Hyperion Protective Consultants LLC
http://hyperion-protective.com/contact_us.html

There is a Wikipedia page on him, the page may be shut down.
The Raymond Allen Davis Diplomatic Incident
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Allen_Davis

Suicide is the leading cause of death among our troops regardless of how the Pentagon manipulates the statistics, the woman that chose to take her own life due to her fear that Davis would be freed without a trial now has set in motion rapidly expanding politicized events.

[Judi Lynn]

33. Good grief, this is odd! From the Wiki, still up for the m,oment:

On Feb, 2, 2011, about a week after the shooting, an article appeared in the Denver Post <27> saying that Raymond Davis lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and had previously lived in Las Vegas, Lexington, Kentucky, Vail, Arizona, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina. This contradicts Philip J. Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State, who in two Department of State briefings to the press, indicated that Raymond Allen Davis was not his real name.<28><29>

On February 8, Barrister Iqbal Jafree filed a petition to the Lahore High Court claiming Raymond Davis is not the real name of the accused, and that the accused should be tried for forgery. The petition also asserts that a forged passport cannot be the basis for immunity from prosecution.<30>

Thanks for adding important information, bobthedrummer.

[bobthedrummer]

34. Thanks for posting that, my friend. n/t

[karynnj]

38. Your wikipedia link has an interesting external link worth reading

http://thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=28894&Cat=9

Thanks for your links - this really is something that gets weirder as you read more.

[bobthedrummer]

35. From UPI-U.S. diplomat Davis faces forgery charge (2-8-11)

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/02/08/US-diplomat-Davis-faces-forgery-charge/UPI-62591297193981/

[Judi Lynn]

36. So they are going to focus on the fact he's using a false name. Hey, no one's perfect!

Why should they dwell on the fact he's lying about who he is? They should let by-gones be by-gones. what a bunch of party poops. They'd better expect an invasion by more "security" men.

If he has been there under a false identity, doing cruel things, no wonder he called the mercenaries who tore out like bats out of a mailbox, killing someone in the process to grab him before someone could set him on fire, as it happened in Fallujah.

Your last link, dated today, ended this way:

Lahore court said it was seeking additional charges of forgery, accusing Davis of using a false name to apply for a visa, the Associated Press of Pakistan reports.

The newspaper report added that Pakistani Interior Ministry Rehman Malik said he had the complete record of Davis in his possession. The Lahore court asked for a provincial and federal response by Feb. 17.

Washington wants Pakistan to accept Davis's immunity as the U.S. State Department says he holds a diplomatic passport.

Reports circulated Monday that the two Pakistani men killed in the incident had connections to Pakistani intelligence agencies.

[Nihil]

40. Shame that they didn't focus on the blatant double murder aspect ...

>> The two men on the motorcycle were parked at the light in front of Davis' car.
>> Davis shot them through his windshield, firing a total of nine rounds.
>> One man was hit by 5 rounds, while the other was hit by 4 rounds.
>> Of the 9 rounds, 8 hit the men from the back.
>> Police confirmed that the two men that were shot by Davis, identified as
>> Faizan Haider and Faheem Shamshad, were carrying unlicensed sidearms but
>> that no shots were fired from these weapons.

Whilst it is obviously true that carrying a false passport is a problem,
I would have thought that two people fatally shot in the back in cold blood
would be more newsworthy ...?

[Judi Lynn]

44. Dangerous criminals, getting the jump on this fine man by having their BACKS to him!

How sneaky could they be? He had to mow them down. :eyes:

This would be such a noisy story were the nationalities reversed.

[Nihil]

59. Good point ...

> This would be such a noisy story were the nationalities reversed.

It would be a Hell of a noisy story just for the part where the "rescue driver"
committed the fatal hit & run, never mind the cold-blooded double murder.

:wtf:

Thanks for keeping this updated!
:toast:

[bobthedrummer]

37. Her name was Shumaila Faheem-her suicide isn't mentioned in US MSM "reporting"

Widow of Pakistani shot by Raymond Davis kills herself (2-7-11 BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12379038

Widow of man killed by Davis commits suicide (2-7-11 Pakistan Daily Times)
http://dailytimespakistan.com/widow-of-man-killed-by-davis-commits-suicide/

[bobthedrummer]

41. There's a lot going on all over the world, whoever can add to this thread please do so. n/t

[bobthedrummer]

42. 2-11-10: US calls for release of American held in Pakistan by Babar Dogar/AP via Guardian

"A top U.S. diplomat in Pakistan is calling for the immediate release of an American in the shooting deaths of two Pakistanis..."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9496654

Ms Conroy earned her MA in Strategic Studies from The Naval War College, she's been around alot of "hot spots" in her career as linked below
http://www.asia.umuc.edu/areas/article.cfm?areaID=5&SID=472

Shumaila took her own life, like so many of our military do; Mr. "Davis" shot and killed 2 men, Ms. Conroy is working on his "case"-which is to "diplomatically" exfiltrate him now imo.

[bobthedrummer]

43. This is one of those important stories that get overlooked when other events are focused on.

Add updates, other relevant posts this weekend.

Kick.

[Judi Lynn]

45. Apparently the people of Pakistan have seen this story without the blinders from the first!

Activists of Pasban Pakistan hold placards and toy guns as they demonstrate during
an anti-US protest against alleged US consulate worker Raymond Davis in Karachi. PHOTO: AFP






Pakistan: walking a tightrope

~snip~
Most Pakistanis are certain that had it been the other way round — a Pakistani diplomat killing two Americans in the U.S. — Washington would have moved heaven and earth to punish him as was the case when Georgian Deputy Ambassador Gueorgui Makharadze killed a girl in a driving accident in 1997. The U.S. got Georgia to waive diplomatic immunity in that case.

The vocal U.S. demands for the release of Davis and the pressure tactics only lend credence to the belief that America will resort to every means to get its man out. When no headway was made through persuasion, the U.S. began tightening the screws at various levels. A visiting congressional delegation conveyed to the Prime Minister that the Armed Services Committee may find it difficult to approve military aid and arms supply to Pakistan if the American official remained in custody. The State Department snapped all communication with the Pakistan embassy in Washington and now the U.S. has apparently put on hold all scheduled bilateral contacts.

The federal government, thus, finds itself forced to walk a tightrope. On the one hand, there is immense pressure from the U.S. — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called up President Asif Ali Zardari over the weekend and also raised the issue with the Chief of the Army Staff, Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference — amid fears of what this one incident could do to the strategic alliance. On the other, there is the clear and present danger of a street backlash if Davis is let off, similar to the street power shown by the ‘religious’ right-wing organisations over amendments to the blasphemy law.

But it is not as if Pakistan is alone in having to do a trapeze act. The U.S. also cannot afford this strain on bilateral ties as Washington has always maintained that Islamabad’s cooperation in going after terrorists who get safe havens on Pakistani soil along the border with Afghanistan is crucial to the restoration of normalcy in Afghanistan. This particularly rough patch in bilateral ties between two countries which have had a history of blow-hot-blow-cold relationship could not have come at a worse time as the U.S. hopes to begin troops withdrawal from Afghanistan in July.

http://wondersofpakistan.wordpress.com/category/news-views-analysis/

[Judi Lynn]

47. Pakistan Court Blocks Release of US Diplomat

Pakistan Court Blocks Release of US Diplomat


Looks like a six-member congressional committee headed by Darrell Issa met with Pak President Zardari yesterday and got bupkis.

~snip~
....diplomatic sources in Islamabad said that Raymond Davis had first received a three-month diplomatic visa on a diplomatic passport on request of the US State Department in September 2009. That is the only visa issued to him by the Pakistan embassy in Washington. His presence in Pakistan after the expiry of his first visa in December 2009 was neither known to nor authorised by the Pakistan embassy in Washington or the Foreign Office, sources added.

http://weaselzippers.us/2011/02/01/pakistan-court-blocks-the-release-of-us-diplomat/

[Judi Lynn]

48. Clinton ‘forced’ me to grant immunity to Davis: Qureshi

Sunday, February 13, 2011
Clinton ‘forced’ me to grant immunity to Davis: Qureshi

LAHORE: Former foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said that US State Secretary Hilary Clinton had pressurised him to sign the summary giving diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis, a US functionary who brutally killed two Pakistani nationals in Lahore, but he refused to oblige, a private TV channel reported on Saturday. Talking to high officials of Foreign Office (FO) after his farewell visit to the FO in Islamabad, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Clinton exerted pressure on him to verify the diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis, but he refused to do so. He further said that US Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter, also telephoned him and said if immunity to Davis would not be verified then Hilary Clinton would not have a meeting with him in Munich, Germany. daily times monitor

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C02%5C13%5Cstory_13-2-2011_pg1_2

[Judi Lynn]

49. Related, putting pressure on Pakistan to release Davis:U.S.-Afghan-Pakistan meeting postponed ....

U.S.-Afghan-Pakistan meeting postponed amid tensions
WASHINGTON | Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:25pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A scheduled high-level meeting among U.S., Afghan and Pakistani officials this month has been postponed, the State Department said on Saturday amid a deepening diplomatic rift over a U.S. man locked in a Pakistani jail accused of murder.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the decision to scrap the February 23-24 meeting had been taken "in light of political changes in Pakistan and after discussions with Afghan and Pakistani officials in Washington."

Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday dropped Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in a cabinet shake-up.

"We remain committed to a robust engagement between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States as we share many issues of mutual concern and benefit from being at the same table," Crowley said in a statement, adding that the United States hoped to reschedule the meeting "at the earliest opportunity."

More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/12/us-afghanistan-pakistan-usa-idUSTRE71B26W20110212?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

[Judi Lynn]

50. Lahore Shooting: US consulate refuses to hand over accused

Lahore Shooting: US consulate refuses to hand over accused
Published: February 9, 2011



Policemen stand next to a car, which police said a U.S consulate employee was travelling in
when he was engaged in a shoot-out, after it was brought to a police station in Lahore. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

The US consulate refused to hand over the remaining accused in the Lahore shooting incident to the Punjab Government on Wednesday.

The Punjab government had barred three more Americans from travelling outside Pakistan on February 7 owing to their involvement in the Lahore shootings. They are accused of running their vehicle over a motorcyclist while trying to rescue Raymond Davis, a detained US citizen, who was involved in a shootout that killed two other men.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that the consulate had been asked by the Punjab government to hand over the vehicle and the driver responsible for motorcyclist Ibadur Rehman’s death minutes after Davis had shot dead two people on January 27.

This is the second time that the US consulate has refused the provincial government’s demand, Express 24/7 reported.

More:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/116453/lahore-shooting-us-consulate-refuses-to-hand-over-accused/

[Judi Lynn]

51. Widow of Mohammad Fahim had only been married 6 months before he was murdered,

and she committed suicide. This is extremely wrong. It needs to be treated with respect.


Shumaila, widow of Faheem, one of two Pakistanis killed by a U.S diplomat, lies on a
bed as she brought to a hospital for treatment after attempt suicide in Faisalabad, Pakistan


Faisalabad, Shumaila the wife of the innocent Fahim (who was shot dead by Raymond Davis) committed suicide.
before dying in the hospital she said that if Fahim was not in us then i also have no rights for live un this
world. After the pressure from the american govt there are rumors that raymond davis will be released and for
these reasons Shumaila suicide, Shumaila and Fahim were married 6 months ago and after her husband,s death she
became very depressed and she wanted justice from the Pakistan Government.
Widow of Pakistani Shot by Raymond Davis Committed Suicide
Written by Malik Ayub Sumbal
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 16:31

~snip~
She was taken to a hospital just after she took the pills, and doctors tried to save her life, but after 12 hours of fighting to keep her alive, she died. Moments before ingesting the pills, she recorded her last statement with a local television channel, “I was shocked and decided to kill myself. We want blood for blood. More than one week has been passed but the government has failed to give me justice.”

According to the sources and the media reports, Mrs. Faheem feared the government would change its stance on the Raymond Davis issue, and believed the Pakistani government was preparing documents to give Davis diplomatic immunity. She did not want to see Davis’s release with her own eyes. After the death of Mrs. Faheem, there were several protests against the government and the United States. The people asked the government for the trial of Raymond Davis.

The issue of Raymond Davis has been straining relations between the United States and Pakistan. According to the latest reports and news from well-placed sources, the government has actually prepared the documents to give Davis diplomatic immunity, but the suicide of Shumaila further complicated the issue.

The Pakistani government is in a tough situation. The public wants Davis tried and convicted. On the other hand, the United States continues its efforts to free its imprisoned citizen and is now reportedly issuing veiled threats. The United States has postponed all bilateral contacts until Davis is freed. President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to Washington, the next round of U.S.-Pakistan strategic dialogue and trilateral talks involving Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United States have been put on hold until the situation is resolved.

More:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/world-mainmenu-26/asia-mainmenu-33/6251-widow-of-pakistani-shot-by-raymond-davis-committed-suicide

[Judi Lynn]

52. Free Davis or Pakistani envoy will be booted out: US

Free Davis or Pakistani envoy will be booted out: US

Washington/Islamabad, Feb 11 : The US has threatened to oust the Pakistani ambassador and close down US consulates in Pakistan if Islamabad does not immediately free Raymond Davis, whose killing of two Pakistanis has sparked a major diplomatic row.

ABC News quoted Pakistani officials as saying that Obama's national security advisor summoned ambassador Husain Haqqani to the White House Monday evening to convey the president's tough message -- free Davis or face the consequences.

Haqqani, however, denied this, saying via Twitter that no US official "has conveyed any personal threats 2 me or spoken of extreme measures".

The latest twist in the Davis saga came even as the American was remanded to 14 days of judicial remand Friday. Two Pakistani officials involved in the negotiations about Davis said National Security Advisor Tom Donilon told the envoy that he would be kicked out of the US, American consulates in Pakistan would be shut, and a planned visit by Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to Washington would be axed if Davis was not released by end of Friday.

More:
http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-145196.html

[Judi Lynn]

53. Don't free Davis, warns ex-spy chief (Lead)

Don't free Davis, warns ex-spy chief (Lead)

Islamabad, Feb 10 : Former army officers will "take action" against the government if Pakistan releases US official Raymond Davis who shot dead two Pakistanis, ex-spy chief Hamid Gul has warned.

"If the government shows any softness in the case of Davis, former army officers would play their role in the defence of national interest," Gul told some 200 men and women in Islamabad Wednesday."Enough is enough! Americans killed our men and yet our government is apologetic," Gul said.

"We don't want any hostilities with the US but we warned Americans that do not test our nerves too much," said the former head of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) who is known to be bitterly anti-America.

The arrest of Davis, an American employee of the US diplomatic mission in Pakistan, after he shot dead two Pakistani men on a motorcycle Jan 27 in Lahore, has triggered a major row between Washington and Islamabad. Davis opened fire when the two men, who some reports now say were Pakistani intelligence operatives, came close to his car. The American has said he fired in self-defence because he thought they were robbers.

More:
http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-144280.html

[Judi Lynn]

55. Pak police says it has proof that US diplomat's shooting was 'clear murder'

Pak police says it has proof that US diplomat's shooting was 'clear murder'

Lahore, Feb 11 : Double murder-accused US diplomat Raymond Davis intentionally killed two Pakistani men in Lahore and the act was not committed in self-defence, Capital City Police Officer Lahore Aslam Tareen has said.

Washington maintains that the US official has diplomatic immunity and shot the two Pakistanis in “self-defence” last month, when they tried to rob him.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, the CCPO said that the police had completed its investigation on the Davis case and submitted the interim challan to the court.

"The police investigation and forensic report show it was not self-defence," Geo TV quoted Tareen, as telling the news conference.

"His plea has been rejected by police investigators," he said. "He gave no chance to them (the two killed men) to survive. That is why we consider it was not self-defence. We have proof it was not self-defence. It was clear murder."

More:
http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-145132.html

[Judi Lynn]

56. After Darrell Issa went to twist arms in Pakistan for Davis' release, ANOTHER U.S. group followed:

Raymond Davis Update: Victims Were Spies, Second House Junket and Widow Suicide
By: Jim White Monday February 7, 2011 6:51 am

~snip~
Following on the heels of last Tuesday’s Congressional delegation led by Darrell Issa lobbying for Davis’ release, we learn that only three days later, a new delegation met with Prime Minister Gilani on Friday. From the US Embassy in Pakistan:

In a meeting today with Prime Minister Gilani, a bipartisan U.S. Congressional delegation protested the continued illegal detention of the American diplomat in Lahore. U.S. Representatives Buck McKeon (Republican, California), John Kline (Republican, Minnesota), and Silvestre Reyes (Democrat, Texas) called on the Government of Pakistan to abide by its obligation under international and Pakistani law to recognize his diplomatic immunity, and immediately release him.

Dawn provides details from a source claiming to have been at the meeting:

The House Armed Services Committee delegation took the toughest line in its meeting with Prime Minister Gilani on Friday, where it was reportedly communicated to Pakistani leadership that it might be difficult for the committee to approve military aid and arms supply as long as its official remained in detention.

This same article has very interesting details coming from further investigation into Davis. After stating that at the time of his arrest, Davis was carrying an ID card stating that he worked for the US Consulate in Pershawar, the article suggests that Davis had documentation for working simultaneously at three different locations. It continues:

Some of the other information shared with by the investigators confirmed the previously known information that he had a military background and was posted with US Regional Affairs Office, which is linked by many analysts to CIA.

A US Department of Veteran Affairs card and Department of Defence contractor card were also in possession of Davis, which only adds to the confusion over his identity. The contract documents in Davis` possession revealed that he was on an annual contract with a fee of $200,000.

Having multiple sets of identification documents would seem to provide further evidence for Davis being an intelligence operative, although having them together in one place comes off as very amateurish tradecraft, in my opinion. With hints of both CIA and Blackwater-like postings, it seems unlikely we will ever know for sure what Davis’ official function was at the time of the shooting. Especially with the Defense Department contractor status, I wonder if that would place him in the category of people whom Buck McKeon is arguing should remain in Pakistan in the video above, where he argues against a Dennis Kuchinich resolution for withdrawing DoD personnel from Pakistan.

More:
http://my.firedoglake.com/jimwhite/2011/02/07/raymond-davis-update-victims-were-spies-second-house-junket-and-widow-suicide/

http://maureenholland.files.wordpress.com.nyud.net:8090/2011/01/225px-buck_mckeon.jpg http://cdn.wn.com.nyud.net:8090/pd/f4/9d/56cad4f82e608d44eabc60c6abec_grande.jpg

http://www.esquire.com.nyud.net:8090/cm/esquire/images/Er/esq-07-2011-crooked-congress-darell-issa-010311-lg.jpg

The self-appointed authors of U.S./Pakistan foreign policy.

Who are Rep. Buck McKeon (R), Rep. John Kline (R), Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D), and Rep. Darrell Issa (R)?

[bobthedrummer]

57. You are truly awesome Judi Lynn-Thanks!!!

:fistbump:

[Judi Lynn]

58. You were right to point out the lack of information here on this American's attack on 2 Pakistanis.

Here's an editorial from today:
Hearts & minds campaign?By Syed Talat Hussain | From the Newspaper
(2 hours ago) Today

~snip~
The uncontrollable outrage that creeps into every discussion about the possibility of setting Davis free is not just because the information trickling about his activities in Pakistan is completely scandalous bordering on the seditious.

It is in part a reaction to the murder and mayhem in Mazang. In part it is now also because of the tragic suicide of the widow of one of the victims of Davis’s precision shooting. The plight of the deceased widow has sown the seeds of grief and anger in the hearts of even housewives.

The demand for punishment for Davis is no longer a subject of conversation of macho nationalists or media sensationalists. The homes of ordinary folk too are alight with fiery commentary at the mere mention of the name of the former US military man, who has had special warfare training at Fort Bragg.

This nationwide welling up of anti-US emotion pushes further down the already declining US ratings in Pakistan. This is major damage to the ‘hearts and minds’ outreach programme that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been spearheading to fashion a better image for her country in Pakistan.

More:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/02/14/hearts-minds-campaign.html

[slackmaster]

60. Very sad. It seems her husband got involved with the wrong crowd, and made some poor choices.

Now she has paid the ultimate price.

[Nihil]

63. His worst "choice" was to "choose" to sit on his bike with his back to a cold-blooded murderer.

Davis should rot in jail for the rest of his life (and so should any politician
who tries to bully the American Exceptionalism card through for a mercenary).

[bobthedrummer]

61. She had been married for less than a year...n/t

[Judi Lynn]

62. John Kerry heads to Pakistan over US gunman

John Kerry heads to Pakistan over US gunman
Kerry will meet government officials to reassure them of long-term US commitment to Pakistan

AFP
Published: 12:56 February 15, 2011

Islamabad: Senator John Kerry is to visit Pakistan late Tuesday on a mission to resolve a diplomatic row over a US official accused of murdering two Pakistanis.

The chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee helped spearhead a record $7.5 billion aid package for Pakistan and is respected in the nuclear-armed country on the front line of the US-led war on Al Qaida.

He will meet government officials to reassure them of long-term US commitment to Pakistan, said a spokeswoman for the US embassy in Islamabad.

"He's coming tonight to speak with government officials about the relationship and reaffirm support for the strategic relationship," said spokeswoman Courtney Beale

More:
http://gulfnews.com/news/world/pakistan/john-kerry-heads-to-pakistan-over-us-gunman-1.762430

[bobthedrummer]

64. So Carmela Conroy, the State Dept. and who knows what all else have failed-now it's Kerry's turn n/t

[Judi Lynn]

66. Such conspicuous scheming. Makes them look like idiots. n/t

[Blue_Tires]

68. +1

[Judi Lynn]

65. Pakistan says U.S. prisoner Davis has immunity

Pakistan says U.S. prisoner Davis has immunity
1 hour 7 mins ago

An American jailed for shooting two Pakistanis is shielded by diplomatic immunity, the Pakistani government said on Wednesday, a move that may help end a bruising row between the troubled allies. Skip related content

A local court, however, has to decide the fate of Raymond Davis, the U.S. consulate employee who shot and killed two Pakistani men in the city of Lahore last month in what he said was a robbery attempt.

"We will present all relevant laws and rules about immunity before the court and will plead that prima facie it is a case of diplomatic immunity. But it is for the court to decide," a senior Pakistani government official said on condition of anonymity.

The row over the detention of the U.S. national is the latest issue straining ties between two nations that are supposed to be working in concert to stamp out a tenacious Islamist insurgency.

More:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22/20110216/tsc-uk-pakistan-usa-011ccfa.html

[Nihil]

67. Or, more accurately, "A Pakistani says U.S. prisoner Davis has immunity"

>> ... But it is for the court to decide," a senior Pakistani government
>> official said on condition of anonymity.

Wheels within wheels ... dark actors ... as any Mafioso knows, there are ways
to get the verdicts you desire ...

[Xenotime]

69. Spreading the hearts and minds of people around the world.

[bobthedrummer]

70. ^

[Judi Lynn]

71. Sen. Kerry strikes upbeat tone in Pakistan spat

February 16, 2011
Sen. Kerry strikes upbeat tone in Pakistan spat
By HEIDI VOGT,MUNIR AHMED .

(AP) ISLAMABAD (AP) — U.S. Sen. John Kerry said Wednesday he is hopeful that Washington and Islamabad can make progress "in the next few days" toward resolving the bitter dispute over an American embassy worker detained in Pakistan. Kerry, who rushed to Pakistan to try to prevent a diplomatic meltdown over the continued detention of American Raymond Davis, sounded upbeat at the end of two days of meetings with senior Pakistani government officials and opposition powerbrokers.

The U.S. says Davis shot two Pakistanis in self-defense as they tried to rob him Jan. 27, and that his detention is illegal under international agreements covering diplomats. Pakistani leaders, fearful of stoking more outrage in a public already rife with anti-U.S. sentiment, have said the matter is up to the courts to decide.

~snip~
Although the U.S. says he's an embassy employee, he apparently had been attached for a while to the consulate in Lahore, further adding to the confusion about his status since consulate employees do not always get the same level of diplomatic protection as embassy staffers.

The AP also obtained a photocopy of an ID and a salary document that Davis apparently gave Pakistani authorities, showing that he was scheduled to be paid $200,000 from Sept. 21, 2010, until Sept. 20, 2011, for "overseas protective sec. svcs.," training, administration work and insurance and travel expenses.

Davis is identified as a Defense Department contractor on the ID card.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/16/ap/world/main20032425.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

72. Pakistani court delays case of detained American

Pakistani court delays case of detained American
By Babar Dogar
Associated Press / February 17, 2011

LAHORE, Pakistan—A Pakistani court has delayed a hearing on whether an American detained for fatally shooting two Pakistani men has diplomatic immunity.

Deputy attorney general Naveed Inayat Malik says the court will wait until March 14 to allow the government more time to prepare its opinion on whether the U.S. Embassy worker qualifies for diplomatic protections.

The decision was made at a short hearing Thursday.

The government had requested an adjournment to complete its opinion.

The U.S. says Raymond Davis shot the armed men in self-defense as they tried to rob him Jan. 27, and that his detention is illegal under international agreements covering diplomats. Pakistani leaders have said the matter is up to the courts to decide.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2011/02/17/pakistani_court_delays_case_of_detained_american/

[Judi Lynn]

73. Pakistan court adjourns US immunity case

Pakistan court adjourns US immunity case
Published on 17 February 2011 - 6:47am

A Pakistan court on Thursday put off ruling whether a US official accused of double murder has diplomatic immunity, threatening to prolong a crisis with Washington for another month.

The court adjourned until March 14, prolonging tensions between the United States and Pakistan, where an anti-American population of 167 million is ruled by a weak and unpopular government closely allied in the US war in Afghanistan.

~snip~
US Senator John Kerry, who is respected in Pakistan for negotiating a $7.5 billion aid package, made a 24-hour visit to express regret for the killings and promised that Davis would face a criminal investigation at home.

The United States has postponed a round of high-level talks with Afghanistan and Pakistan following failed attempts to get Davis out, and US lawmakers have threatened to cut payments to Pakistan unless he is freed.

More:
http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/pakistan-court-adjourns-us-immunity-case-1

[bobthedrummer]

74. "Come you masters of war. You that build the big guns. You that build the death planes.

You that build all the bombs.

You that hide behind walls.
You that hide behind desks.
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks.

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy.

You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly.

Well like a Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe

But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain.

You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
And then you sit back and watch
When the death count gets higher.

And you hide in your mansion
All the young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud.

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world..."
(Masters of War excerpt by Bob Dylan)

[bobthedrummer]

75. ^

[bobthedrummer]

76. So today the official US word is that "Raymond Allen Davis" is a CIA contract agent that used to

work for Blackwater/Xe.

I'm against people getting away with murder and its aftereffects with their "national security" shield.

Kick.