vijayk wrote:I wonder what would be Ombaba's reaction if some idiot in Puke land takes law into his own hands and harms this guy. Will he be advised by Kerry et al to increase the aid or will they dare to do something severe against the Pukes?shravan wrote:Pakistan intelligence confirms Davis is CIA guy
I'd agree but this was exactly as I expected from BO. Professorial types don't usually make good leaders. Obama reminds me of the saying:Vivek_A wrote:Obama has been a complete disappointment. Hillary or McCain wouldn't let this stand.
If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything
Several American and Pakistani officials said that the C.I.A. team in Lahore with which Mr. Davis worked was tasked with tracking the movements of various Pakistani militant groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, a particularly violent group that Pakistan uses as a proxy force against India but that the United States considers a threat to allied troops in Afghanistan. For the Pakistanis, such spying inside their country is an extremely delicate issue, particularly since Lashkar has longstanding ties to Pakistan’s intelligence service, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI.
Still, American and Pakistani officials use Lahore as a base of operations to investigate the militant groups and their madrasas in the surrounding area.
The officials gave various accounts of the makeup of the covert team and of Mr. Davis, who at the time of his arrest was carrying a Glock pistol, a long-range wireless set, a small telescope and a headlamp. An American and a Pakistani official said in interviews that operatives from the Pentagon’s Joint Special Operations Command had been assigned to the group to help with the surveillance missions. Other American officials, however, said that no military personnel were involved with the team.
Special operations troops routinely work with the C.I.A. in Pakistan. Among other things, they helped the agency pinpoint the location of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy Taliban commander who was arrested in January 2010 in Karachi.
Even before his arrest, Mr. Davis’s C.I.A. affiliation was known to Pakistani authorities, who keep close tabs on the movements of Americans. 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.
And George Bush was doing what? This is an American institutional group-think that transcends personalities and political parties.Vivek_A wrote:Obama has been a complete disappointment. Hillary or McCain wouldn't let this stand.
Can you tell us of a similar situation in which GWB waffled? GUBO under Armitage first happened under GWB. TSP first sent it's forces into the tribal areas under a GUBO thread from GWB.A_Gupta wrote:
And George Bush was doing what? This is an American institutional group-think that transcends personalities and political parties.
US attempt to secure release of Davis
Tanvir Siddiqi
Islamabad—The United States has halted drone attacks in FATA in an apparent attempt to secure the release of the jailed U.S. national Raymond Davis charged with murder of two Pakistanis in Lahore.
After months of frequent strikes by unmanned U.S. aircraft on militant hideouts in tribal areas on Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, where bloodshed has hit record levels, reports of covert strikes have gone quiet for over three weeks.
According to analysts, Washington has stopped the attacks to avoid further inflaming anti-American fury in Pakistan just as it mounts pressure on Islamabad to release Raymond Davis, whose real nature of job is under consideration of the Foreign Ministry which has asked the trial court to give it three weeks time to determine whether he enjoys blanket immunity.
“This in itself raises a number of questions regarding the U.S. Pakistan strategy as it struggles to balance counter terrorism ... with its public diplomacy,” said Simbal Khan, an analyst with the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.
When you come up with gems like that, you get rewarded through CRamS's acknowledgment & kudosA_Gupta wrote: And George Bush was doing what? This is an American institutional group-think that transcends personalities and political parties.
.Looks to me like the US is preparing the grounds to sacrifice trigger happy “US Diplomat” “Raymond Davis” at the altar of the hurt honour and dignity of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.Dipanker wrote:I am guessing that this official admission that Raymond Davis worked for CIA is part of climbdown strategy adopted by US.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/world ... tml?emc=na
American Held in Pakistan Shootings Worked With the C.I.A.WASHINGTON — The American arrested in Pakistan after shooting two men at a crowded traffic stop was part of a covert, C.I.A.-led team of operatives conducting surveillance on militant groups deep inside the country, according to American government officials.
The New York Times had agreed to temporarily withhold information about Mr. Davis’s ties to the agency at the request of the Obama administration, which argued that disclosure of his specific job would put his life at risk. Several foreign news organizations have disclosed some aspects of Mr. Davis’s work with the C.I.A.
On Monday, American officials lifted their request to withhold publication.
NEW YORK - A leading US newspaper Monday urged the Obama administration to quietly help India and Pakistan resolve their differences over Afghanistan and Kashmir, saying such a move would be the “biggest game-changer” in the region facing nuclear arms buildup.
“There is a lot the Obama administration can do quietly to press the countries to work to settle differences over Afghanistan and the disputed region of Kashmir,” the New York Times said in an editorial on Monday as it welcomed the decision by Islamabad and New Delhi to resume peace talks.
.A dubious assumption.shiv wrote: I put it to you that the only reason why India has pulled through is because of political representation of most, if not all groups.
Surely that is RAW and not RAOThe Associated Press learned about Davis working for the CIA last month, immediately after the shootings, but withheld publication of the information because it could endanger his life while he was jailed overseas, with at least some protesters there calling for his execution as a spy.
The AP had intended to report Davis' CIA employment after he was out of harm's way, but the story was broken Sunday by The Guardian. The CIA asked The AP and several other U.S. media outlets to hold their stories as the U.S. tried to improve Davis' security situation.
:Read it all:Davis was attached to the CIA's Global Response Staff, which provides security overseas to agency bases and stations, former and current U.S. officials told the AP. In that role, he was assigned to protect CIA personnel. One of their duties includes protecting case officers when they meet with sources. On the day he was captured, he was familiarizing himself with the area.
"Davis is a protective officer, someone who provides security to U.S. officials in Pakistan," the U.S official said. "Rumors to the contrary are simply wrong."
In a YouTube video of local police interrogating him, Davis says he's a consultant and he's with the "RAO," a reference to the American Regional Affairs Office. Davis also said at one point he was attached to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
Bush declared Pakistan to be a "major non-NATO ally" and funneled huge sums to Pakistan, even while Mushy & co were executing his treaty of Hudaibiya idea and growing Taliban while Bush's attention was focused on Iraq. Does anyone think that the Taliban active in Afghanistan were invented on Nov 4, 2008 on the day Obama got elected?Vivek_A wrote:Can you tell us of a similar situation in which GWB waffled? GUBO under Armitage first happened under GWB. TSP first sent it's forces into the tribal areas under a GUBO thread from GWB.A_Gupta wrote:
And George Bush was doing what? This is an American institutional group-think that transcends personalities and political parties.
Vikram you ask a lot of questions and every single one of them could do with a one page or a two page reply. And when you say that you have not seen a reply and therefore you consider your viewpoint as being correct - I can only say that you are welcome to hold that viewpoint because what you are using is a rhetorical tactic and not a real quest for an answer. I will reply to that in my own time. American arms have been "game changers" - for India - but your acknowledgement of that is neither necessary nor important. And that makes my response temporally unimportant. I am unable to put the facts together at a time of your choosing (ie when it is convenient for you to ask, and follow that up with a demand for an answer or else..) - but will do so at a time of my choosing.VikramS wrote: I also wish that the fissures break the cycle and go parabolic. I am not sure whether that will happen if the US cedes. As I have written earlier, I believe that there is much greater chance of TSP following its destiny if the US calls the shots. As Johann put it, the TSPA now draws more mileage from fighting the US than supporting it. If these dynamics continue something will have to give. I just hope it is not the US' will to fight out the TSPA.
I do not believe that the US arms aid to TSP is a game changer; further the kind of arms the TSP is getting are available from other sources. I have requested a detailed analysis of the arms and the impact the US contribution has had but I have not seen one. I presume that it is a tacit admission that at the end of the day the US arms may alter the tactical process but do not affect the strategic balance.
but that is debatable. It is important to stop giving these people free arms. Let them learn to work and earn money to pay someone for arms. I can see the logic in this but I also see this as a very dangerous attitude. India will have to hinge its own safety on the success_and_goodwill of the US. I do not see the US game plan in Pakistan succeeding in the long term. And in the ong term Indian power must be ready to take on threats from any quarter and not assume that any power such as the US is more friendly and desirable.Sidhant wrote: So the if the choice is among choosing the lesser evil, I think US is better.
In the discussion in the 'Managing Pakistan's Failure' thread a few weeks back, when I had not seen this Dr. KS's interview, I said,RamaY wrote:Dr K Subrahmanyam: They wanted to become a nuclear weapon power, which is the price the Americans had to pay in order to get Pakistani support. They had to look away from the Chinese arm in that.
. . . the US and Pakistan came to an understanding on this issue before Pakistani collaboration was cemented in the US obsession to defeat the USSR and dismantle communism.
It was a performance in enlightened feudalism that has all but vanished in India’s Punjab.
So here too they wish to compete with us, they have Bilawal as against our 'clown prince' ?Anujan wrote: BENIS Dhaaga material: Mirwaiz discusses grave issues of Cashmere with......wait for it.....wait for it.....Blahwall Bhutto!!
Midlevel Taliban Admit to a Rift With Top Leaders
By CARLOTTA GALL
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Recent defeats and general weariness after nine years of war are creating fissures between the Taliban’s top leadership based in Pakistan and midlevel field commanders, who have borne the brunt of the fighting and are reluctant to return to some battle zones, Taliban members said in interviews.
After suffering defeats with the influx of thousands of new American troops in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand last year, many Taliban fighters retreated across the border to the safety of Pakistan. They are now coming under pressure from their leaders to return to Afghanistan to step up the fight again, a Taliban commander said. Many are hesitant to do so, at least for now.
“I have talked to some commanders, and they are reluctant to fight,” one 45-year-old commander who has been with the Taliban since its founding in 1994 said in an interview in this southern city. He spoke on condition he not be identified because he was in hiding from American and government forces. “Definitely there is disagreement between the field commanders and the leaders over their demands to go and fight.”
The differences point not just to the increasing stresses on the battlefield for midlevel Taliban commanders like him, but also to the difficulty of ending the insurgency as long as the Taliban’s top leadership has sanctuary in Pakistan, which has long protected and sponsored the Taliban.
Secure across the border, and tightly controlled by Pakistan’s military and intelligence agencies, the top Taliban leadership remains uncompromising. At the urging of their protectors in Pakistan, Taliban members say, they continue to push midlevel Taliban commanders back across the border to carry on the insurgency, which extends Pakistan’s influence in southern Afghanistan.
This makes sense. Altho its not clear to me why you say this. The reason it makes sense to me is because the US is being increasingly viewed as a waning power. The shock-and-awe campaigns are a distant memory. Unless US makes a show of strength soon, PA is going to get bolder.Johann wrote:The PA is going to reject America before America rejects the PA.
PESHAWAR: A suspected US missile strike has killed nine people in a tribal region near the Afghan border.
It was the second missile strike in roughly 24 hours. The first killed seven alleged militants.
Official sources said four missiles hit a house late Monday in Spalga village in the North Waziristan tribal region.
How about some RSS walahs and BJP people openly asking release of RD and mildly warning with the consequence if he is not released. This will enrage the common abdul on the street. Since SDREs are threatening them to release RD, their determination to hold RD increases, complicating the egos of GUBO, PA and civilian scrap goat government. Left have the tamasha from their on.Anujan wrote:India should help them with this. Covertly and overtly. For a start, let us produce a lot more opinion columns about how Paki H&D is being threatened by Unkil. Let us write how unfair Unkil is, making Pakis kill their own brethren.
A post of mines on Paki forum!Anujan wrote:For a start, let us produce a lot more opinion columns about how Paki H&D is being threatened by Unkil. Let us write how unfair Unkil is, making Pakis kill their own brethren.
Frankly speaking, I don’t think Mr. Raymond Davis enjoys diplomatic immunity. Diplomatic immunity does not come from possessing a diplomatic passport, but rather from having a diplomatic visa given by the host country – in this case Pakistan.
If he had enjoyed diplomatic immunity – that means having had a diplomatic visa, he would have long been gone back by now. SMQ has categorically said, that RD was not given any diplomatic visa.
Now the he could have been given a diplomatic visa by Pakistan Ambassador Hussain Haqqani, but that did not happen when RD traveled to Pakistan, perhaps for reason, that usually one is open about who the various diplomats are at various embassies, but as RD’s presence was not to be publicized too much, one thought otherwise and he did not apply for a diplomatic visa.
Whatever!
So Pakistani People should know that Raymond Davis is not a diplomat, does not have diplomatic immunity. And if their Government send back RD, it would be another sign of the Pakistani Government having sold their souls to America.
The least the Pakistanis should demand in return is the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, the daughter of Pakistan.
If RD is released, it would only encourage Americans to come into Pakistan and shoot Pakistanis at will. The death of two loyal ISI agents who were only doing their patriotic duty of protecting Pakistan’s security interests within Pakistani territory, should not go unavenged. Justice must be done. The courts should be allowed to do their work!
I like how yindoos don't let Paki "liberals" drink their tea in peaceRajeshA wrote:A post of mines on Paki forum!Anujan wrote:For a start, let us produce a lot more opinion columns about how Paki H&D is being threatened by Unkil. Let us write how unfair Unkil is, making Pakis kill their own brethren.Frankly speaking, I don’t think Mr. Raymond Davis enjoys diplomatic immunity. Diplomatic immunity does not come from possessing a diplomatic passport, but rather from having a diplomatic visa given by the host country – in this case Pakistan.
If he had enjoyed diplomatic immunity – that means having had a diplomatic visa, he would have long been gone back by now. SMQ has categorically said, that RD was not given any diplomatic visa.
Now the he could have been given a diplomatic visa by Pakistan Ambassador Hussain Haqqani, but that did not happen when RD traveled to Pakistan, perhaps for reason, that usually one is open about who the various diplomats are at various embassies, but as RD’s presence was not to be publicized too much, one thought otherwise and he did not apply for a diplomatic visa.
Whatever!
So Pakistani People should know that Raymond Davis is not a diplomat, does not have diplomatic immunity. And if their Government send back RD, it would be another sign of the Pakistani Government having sold their souls to America.
The least the Pakistanis should demand in return is the release of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, the daughter of Pakistan.
If RD is released, it would only encourage Americans to come into Pakistan and shoot Pakistanis at will. The death of two loyal ISI agents who were only doing their patriotic duty of protecting Pakistan’s security interests within Pakistani territory, should not go unavenged. Justice must be done. The courts should be allowed to do their work!
This has a lot to do with Pakistan feeling over-confident that as long as USA is in Afghanistan, there is not much America can push Pakistan on.Anujan wrote:RD affair should be carefully analyzed, it is several layers like an onion.
<snip>
3. Then I feel that there is a message, including to countries like India that Unkil can do diddly squat about things like pressurizing Pakis to rein in terror or bring Mumbai perpetrators to justice when Unkil is powerless to rescue his own man.
Violence against women makes up 95 per cent of cases of violence reported in Pakistan. These statistics are even more chilling, bearing in mind that 70 per cent of cases of violence against women do not get registered. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimates that a rape occurs in Pakistan every two hours and a gang rape every eight hours.
Aurat Foundation’s report titled Situation of Violence against Women in Pakistan 2010 discloses that Punjab dominates with 2,690 registered cases out of a total of 4,069 incidents in various parts of Pakistan.
Interior Ministry documents placed before the National Assembly in 2008 revealed that a staggering 7,546 women were raped in a mere 24-month span between 2007-2009, a rate of 314 rapes every month.