looking up the chain of command

Following up on the Raymond Davis case....

The other day we noted the possibilities under discussion for releasing Davis.

1. Trading Davis for Aaifa Siddiqui, which the US refuses to consider because she is innocent and therefore she can never be released lest she reveal the ABSOLUTELY DIABOLICAL treatment she has endured at the hands of the US military and judicial systems.

2. Quashing a case brought by the relatives Rabbi Gavriel Noah Holtzberg and his wife Rivka, who were both gunned down by militants at the Chabad House in Mumbai against the ISI chief in a New York court.

3. Paying blood money to the victims’ families, who under a Pakistani law can pardon Mr Davis if asked.

Apparently the favored route is paying blood money. Would it be too much to ask to set an innocent woman free, whose life has already been destroyed, or to ask some Chabadniks to drop their lawsuit? Apparently yes. Better to pay blood money and make the problem go away. That's the sort of creative thinking the evil are known for.

But the families might not cooperate. That would throw a spanner in the works.

LAHORE, Pakistan — Since his brother was shot and killed by an American CIA contractor last month, scores of Islamist politicians have met with Waseem Shamzad in his bare sitting room to bring sympathy, offers of help and a stark message: if U.S. envoys come offering "blood money" to get their man out of jail, tell them to go away.
Shamzad and two other families mourning a dead relative because of the shooting say America has not offered compensation yet, but Pakistani officials have suggested such payments could help end a crisis that has exposed the fragility of ties between the two nations.
While the United States insists Raymond Allen Davis, the detained CIA contractor, has immunity from prosecution, his lawyer said Friday that "bloody money" was "not just a good way, but the best way" to resolve the issue. The United States has not commented on whether it intends to try that approach, either formally or as a way of cooling popular anger if Davis is freed on other grounds.
The families, meanwhile, say they want justice, not money.

Dead ends.

In reading the accounts and developments and analysis of this situation, we note some interesting details.

Time to rip the masks off! by Maimuna Ashraf of Pakistan Observer

International Media and many Pakistani security analysts are suggesting that US government is in panic because Raymond Davis is an agent of Black water or from Joint Special Operations Command Pakistan Unit (JSOC), which is an armed group of American armed forces. Main objectives of JSOC are to overthrow government, establishment of terrorists groups against anti-US states and searching of nuclear arms. It is an intelligence terrorist group of American army. Pakistani security analysts are saying that from the past JSOC is working against Pakistan through Afghanistan and it is involved in insurgency inside Pakistan . 

You may recall the Final Solution Frenzy series put out by News Central Asia?

In those reports we learned more about JSOC and Pakistan.

Our experts in Washington and Moscow agree that JSOC (Joint Special Operations Command) is at the root of most of what is happening now in Pakistan and Iran and what is likely to happen after July 2010. It is necessary to underline that JSOC operates outside the US military chain of command.

JSOC is run by Vice admiral William McRaven, who answers to the head of US Special Operations Command, Admiral Eric T Olson. It is located at Pope Air Force Base and Fort Bragg in North Carolina, USA.

JSOC commands and controls the Special Mission Units (SMUs) that are responsible for highly classified operations, a euphemism for engaging in terrorism and blaming it on someone else.

Army’s Delta Force, Navy’s Seal Team 6, and a joint unit engaged in clandestine operations are all part of JSOC.

Because of the fact that both Robert Gates and Michael Vickers have deep roots in CIA, the SMUs of JSOC operate in close collaboration with CIA. In fact, their personnel are co-opted so frequently that it is impossible to draw a line between DoD and CIA as far black operations are concerned, told our Washington expert.

Blackwater (now Xe) is still the main contractor for outsourcing terrorism.

JSOC operates under the umbrella of USSOCOM (US Special Command Operations Command), the main unit of the sprawling empire of Michael Vickers.

We would like to underscore that even though most of the elements would be in place by July 2010 for something big to happen, it doesn’t mean that something drastic would necessarily happen in July 2010. The essence of this report is that the USA would be in a position by July 2010 to impose Final Solution on Pakistan and Iran.

All of that lines up with what we know of the Davis case.

Time to rip the masks off!

Subsequently now the ground realities are revealing that Davis is the head of much larger snake, the evidence, equipments and data that come out so far almost confirms his link with Tehreek-e-Taliban terrorism inside Pakistan as different attacks took place inside Pakistan on security establishment of Pakistan and as well as his link with the drone attacks are also almost confirmed.

Thus now the issue is not just limited to the assassination of those two boys on the streets of Lahore but now it is of to identifying the much larger network of CIA inside Pakistan, that is why we find every day our security establishment more tighten the security around Davis. This is the reason that America wants Raymond as soon as possible, and due to these realities whole episode is coming up with two interesting hypothesis, first says that any Mission Impossible type scenarios can took place in order to rescue Davis, while the other says there are great chances that even the CIA can make plots to assassinate him just to make him silent because he knows much to disclose and there is much more to this incident than we are just seeing. As Pakistani security analyst are of the view that the backup vehicle which comes to rescue Davis didn’t come to rescue Davis it came to rescue a much larger target sitting in the vehicle next to him, the rescue vehicle smashed person and gone in other direction while the Davis went in other direction just to distract the attention.

That's interesting. So Davis went one way and the SUV (larger target?) went another way, and the upshot was that the SUV and passengers escaped.


So who could this big fish be? We don't know, but if it's true that Davis was Pakistan CIA chief, as reported here, it would have had to be a big fish indeed.


Let's look at an early report of what happened.


January 28, 2011. American kills two 'robbers,' aide's car crushes another to death.

Eyewitnesses said a speeding white-coloured Honda Civic car, bearing number LEC-5545, reached Qartaba Chowk (Mozang Chungi), and had to stop at the red traffic signal at around 2:30 pm. In the meantime, two young men riding a black Honda 125 motorcycle, allegedly chasing the car, came in front of it. According to a police official, as one of the motorcyclists tried to whip out his pistol, the US Consulate official opened indiscriminate fire on them from inside the car. As a result, both fell on the road in a pool of blood. The alleged killer came out of his car, took their pictures and made a movie on his cell phone. In the meantime, the official through a wireless set called a backup squad. The incident resulted in severe traffic jam and minutes after the incident, at around 2:40 pm, the backup cruiser bearing a ‘fake number plate’, LZN-6970, reached the spot. After seeing the traffic jam, the driver of the backup vehicle violated one-way by crossing the median and hit a motorcyclist. The mob tried to capture the accused US official, but he along with the backup vehicle managed to flee the scene. Rescue 1122 reached the spot and shifted the injured people to the Services Hospital, where all three died.

We note here that they must have fled the scene IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.

Police, after being informed by a traffic warden, chased the US official’s car and managed to seize it near Old Anarkali. The US official was taken to the police station along with his car and later shifted to the US Consulate by DSP Safdar Raza Kazmi. However, the backup vehicle could not be seized.

The US Consulate quickly claimed no link to or knowledge of the SUV or its occupants.

However, we then learned that these unidentified people went to the safehouse, then the consulate, and then they were evacuated out of Pakistan altogether.




Now it's official... Raymond A. Davis is CIA and ex-Blackwater/XE, we learn about the colleagues:

At the time of his arrest, Davis was based at a house with five other CIA contractors as well as a 'Blue Badger' (referring to coloured badges worn by CIA personnel) a US official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. It was members of this team that were driving the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado that ran over and killed motorcyclist Ibad-ur-Rehman. When they were unable to extract Davis before he was arrested by police, they left the scene and retreated back to their safehouse. There, within hours, they had destroyed all sensitive documents, abandoned it, and retreated to the US consulate for safety.

Gatekeeping commenced immediately.

Was Davis providing security to a much larger target?

A former member of the US Army Special Forces, Davis was hired as a contract employee of the CIA's Global Response Staff (GRS), a unit that is responsible for providing security for agency employees and facilities in other countries. Members of the GRS most often accompany CIA case officers, who meet with clandestine sources. Until last August, Davis was stationed in Pakistan as an employee of the company once known as Blackwater, now called Xe Services, and contracted to the CIA. According to a former Blackwater executive, the CIA terminated the company's GRS contract in Pakistan, accusing the security company of failing to provide adequate services. The agency then moved to hire all the former Xe/Blackwater security personnel directly as independent contractors. As a GRS officer, Davis made $780 per day working as a security guard for the agency's clandestine case officers.

Another blogger who claims to have sources in intelligence reports that Davis was part of Task Force Orange, a unit that infiltrates foreign countries, tails people, and plants devices for the NSA.

It maintains its own fleet of airplanes at a Washington-area airport. 

Speaking of airports, the US has had free access to use the Gammon Gate of the Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) in Islamabad from 9/11 until October 2009, when Pakistan tried to reassert some control over who and what was coming into and out of their country.

Gammon Gate of the BBIA, which was basically meant for food catering services and had a direct outside airport link without passing through immigration and customs checks, was specified for the US officials and for the UN officials too. This special facility allowed the Americans to have unchecked arrivals and departures to and from the Islamabad Airport.

The facility was massively misused and there were reports of even unauthorised and undeclared import of sensitive material and equipment, including weapons. This fact had raised serious alarm bells ringing among the Pakistani authorities and forced them to withdraw the facility but after a lot of damage was already done.

So, theoretically, the private fleet of airplanes could travel between Washington and Islamabad, ferrying anything and anyone conceivable, with impunity. People? Weapons? Drugs?

The excellent article goes on to describe how DynCorp's local Pakistan partner, Inter-Risk, requested and received from the US Embassy fifty prohibited bore weapons licenses. In fact, Pakistan appears to be absolutely flooded with prohibited bore weapons.


Why should Pakistan, a SOVEREIGN COUNTRY, be expected to compromise its security for the US?


The Davis affair reveals that the US has been completely abusing Pakistan. And for their part, many officials in Pakistan have gone along with this abuse, like a battered wife. The dynamic is totally sick. It has also been obvious for a long time for people with eyes to see. Unfortunately, many people prefer to remain in denial. 


"Hypocrisy in America is now so commonplace it is no longer noticed."


Davis case has thrown overboard America's rules on terrorism

State terrorism by USA, Israel and India and their uncanny fondness for secret wars are not covered under punishable acts of terrorism. Drone attacks enjoy immunity and so does Raymond Davis like killers who are behind most terrorist attacks in Pakistan. Reportedly Davis was the chief coordinator and intelligence provider for drone attacks. This is evident from the fact that after the last drone attack in North Waziristan on 23 January, the next one took place on 21 February. Davis arrest had disturbed the whole network and it took CIA one month to reassemble the network under another Davis....While Davis has confessed his crime, the driver and occupants of back up SUV are runaway proclaimed offenders. Carmella comes under the felony of harboring the accused, refusing to hand them over to police and then facilitating their escape. She is also responsible for the conduct of Davis since he was employed under her. The framers of terrorism laws have themselves got caught up in the jumble of their own laws. Instead of feeling ashamed, Obama downwards are all breathing over the neck of already harassed rulers of Pakistan to immediately free Davis or face the consequences. 

An excellent commentary by Asif Haroon Raja. Read in full.

LAHORE 2/25/11: US Consul General in Lahore, Carmella Conroy Friday visited Raymond Davis in Kot Lakhpat prison and remained with him for more than 4 hours, Geo News reported. According to sources, Conroy and Davis also had two one-on-one sessions. The US CG in Lahore arrived at Kot Lakhpat prison along with four other officials at 9:00 AM and initially had a two-hour meeting with Raymond Davis.

 Carmela Conroy has a glamorous job.

http://diplopundit.blogspot.com/2010/10/happy-glad-to-see-lot-of-familiar-names.html

Part 2 of an interview:



Paraphrase: There's a lot of talk about security identities like Blackwater and their embedding in the US Consulate. Could you please clarify what is going on?

QUOTE, Carmela Conroy: "Are you talking specifically about Blackwater?"

Paraphrase: I'm talking about all of them, under various names. Are they operating in Pakistan and within the US Consulate?

QUOTE, Carmela Conroy: "No. We do not employ Blackwater or XE Security, or any name that it might be going by here in the Consulate General in Lahore. And Ambassador Patterson has also stated that we do not employ them at the Embassy either."

Paraphrase: So there is no presence of US security in your consulate in Pakistan.

QUOTE, Carmela Conroy: "That's correct."

Part 1 of the interview:



Paraphrase: While working here, do you have any security concerns about working in Lahore specifically? (approximately 1:50)

QUOTE, Carmila Conroy: "No. We receive really good support from the Punjab police department. We've got very professional security staff who are helping us out here, and so, we take reasonable precautions, like anybody does. But otherwise, we find that we're able to do our work here, and go about our business."

Part 3 of the interview:



She's not sure why some Pakistanis don't trust the US.

On the floods:



On the Pakistani fashion industry:

And the award goes to.....