The story of Raymond Davis: an agent working for the CIA who killed 2 Pakastani ISI agents

[no limit]

I didn't see this story until today because of the total media blackout here in the US. It gives us an insight in to the CIA that is extremely rare.



Based upon its reporters' interviews with both Pakistani and US sources the Guardian today http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1359003/Ex-Special-Forces-soldier-Raymond-Davis-held-murder-Pakistan-IS-CIA-spy.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">is reporting that a man arrested in Pakistan for murdering two Pakistani intelligence agents is in fact a CIA spy. The man, Raymond Allen Davis, was arrested on January 27th with items which included GPS chips that according to Pakistani investigators were being used in identifying targets for drone attacks in the tribal region, a Glock handgun, a flashlight that attaches to a headband, a pocket telescope, a large number of cellphones, including at least one satellite phone, a collection of batteries, buckets of bullets, both for the Glock and a Beretta allegedly used by Davis to kill the two motorcyclists, and a quantity of M-16 shells.

This is the ID card recovered from Davis:



After the incident before his arrest Davis called in backup although to who is unknown. As a result a white SUV with fake license plates rushed through the streets of Lahore driving on the wrong side of the road. In their rush to get to Davis they killed a bystander on a motorcycle. Not much information so far has been provided on who was driving the SUV and whether or not they are in custody.

It has been reported that CIA drone attacks in Waziristan, which had been occurring at the average rate of two to three per week since 2008, have stopped since Raymond Davis was arrested. The last reported drone attacks took place on January 23, four days before the Raymond Davis incident.

This story has been largely ignored by US media. The Guardian is also reporting that several US news organizations have learned on their own that Davis is a spy, but are voluntarily withholding the information from the American public "at the request of the Obama administration. This story has been getting lots of attention in Pakistan with protesters storming the streets in order to prevent Davis from being handed over to the US.

This is truly a one of a kind story that has sparked an international diplomatic crisis. Unfortunately our media has largely ignored it. For a full background on the events that took place Wikipedia has a nice write up:

On January 27, 2011 a U.S. citizen said to be a consultant for the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, killed two armed men in the Pakistani city of Lahore.<1><2><3> The identification papers he submitted to the Pakistani police are in the name of Raymond Allen Davis, although initially it was categorically stated by the US State Department that this name was not correct.<4> He is now facing two separate criminal charges, one of double murder and the second of illegal possession of a firearm. The incident led to a diplomatic furor and deterioration in the ties between Pakistan and USA which hit a new low. The US government maintains that Davis is protected by diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Conventions and has demanded that he be released from custody immediately.<5> Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that according to official records and experts in the Foreign Office, Davis is "not a diplomat and cannot be given blanket diplomatic immunity". It has been suggested that Qureshi's stand on the issue lead to his being dropped by the government.<6><7><8><9> The incident also led to widespread protests in Pakistan demanding action against Davis.<10> US president Barack Obama asked Pakistan not to prosecute Davis and treat him like a diplomat and said “There’s a broader principle at stake that I think we have to uphold.”<11> The Pakistani Foreign Office stated that “this matter is sub judice in a court of law and the legal process should be respected.”<12> The American focus has been on the claimed diplomatic status. Pakistani media and officials dispute the claim of immunity from a murder charge, allege that Davis was involved in clandestine operations and question the scope of Davis' activities in Pakistan.<13><14> According to the British newspaper, The Guardian, Raymond Davis was an employee of the CIA while his two victims were operatives of Inter-Services Intelligence.<15>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Allen_Davis

[Angry Dragon]

1. Du had a OP about this just recently

In it it was stated that US news had the information but the administration asked them to hold back on it because they felt it would stir up hostility towards America

[no limit]

2. It's nice to know that when a US president asks our free media to do something they comply

[TreasonousBastard]

3. NPR covered this, and would not say it outright but left it pretty clear...

that this guy is more than just a diplomat.

BTW, everyone can happily complain about the press and its constraints in something like this, but it's a huge "Oh Shit!" moment when one of our spooks gets caught in a place as volatile as Pakistan.

The White House ain't a good place to be at such times. Just be happy enough it's not your job to figure a way out of the mess.

[Poll_Blind]

4. You don't by any chance have a link to that NPR story on-line do you?

If not I'll try to dig it up- thanks for the tip about it!

PB

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Use the search box at npr.org-- a whole page of links shows up.

[Poll_Blind]

6. Danke! I read the original story a week or two ago (or whenever) and it struck me and....

...probably a lot of other readers that there was something fishy going on.

Thanks again!

PB

[Hutzpa]

7. What I don't understand is why would the Pakistani Government

act as if America is the enemy, aren't they suppose to be working in tandem with us on the fight
against terrorism, what happened to all the billions of dollars thrown at them by Bush, has it
dissipated into thin air, and why would they act as if this dude is the criminal.

I have always maintain a personal acknowledgment that you can never trust the Pakistani Government
when it comes to fighting terrorist, they will take your money and run.

[no limit]

8. The problem is that according to the Pakistani authorities this guy was in contact with the taliban

So if you don't trust the Pakistani government in fighting terrorism you also have to ask what was a covert CIA agent doing working with the Pakistani taliban?

[Hutzpa]

11. I did not know that

but I also know that would be further from the truth as the Pakistani Government is working overtime to
paint this guy and the American government into a corner.

[upi402]

9. Yahoo News ran an AP story on this - outing this guy's ID????

If this guy is still in the hands of the Pakistani ?police? or whoever, doesn't The Guardian need to refrain from publishing his ID until he stands trial or is released?

[no limit]

10. Didn't the ID come from Pakistani authorities?

Im talking about the DoD ID, maybe we aren't on the same page. Sorry.