Raymond Allen Davis incident

Raymond Allen Davis
Born (1974-10-02) October 2, 1974 (age 50)
Wise, Virginia, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPrivate security contractor[1]
Employer(s)Central Intelligence Agency, based at the American consulate in Lahore[1]
Criminal charge(s)Double homicide, illegal possession of a firearm
Criminal statusPardoned and released after payment of diyya to victims' families[2]
Spouse
Rebecca Davis
​
​
(m. 2004; div. 2013)​
[3]

Raymond Allen Davis is a former United States Army soldier, private security firm employee, and contractor with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).[4] On January 27, 2011, Davis shot two men in the back, killing both, in Lahore, Pakistan. At least one of the men was armed. Immediately after the shooting, a car coming to aid Davis killed a third Pakistani man, Ibadur Rahman, in a hit and run while speeding on the wrong side of the road.[5] In the aftermath of the incident, the U.S. government contended that Davis was protected by diplomatic immunity because of his employment with the American consulate in Lahore. However, he was jailed and criminally charged by Pakistani authorities with two counts of murder and the illegal possession of a firearm.[6][7][8] On March 16, 2011, Davis was released after the families of the two killed men were paid US$2.4 million in diyya (a form of blood money compensation in Islamic law). Judges then acquitted him on all charges, and Davis immediately left Pakistan.[9][10][11][12]

The incident led to a diplomatic furor and deterioration in Pakistan–United States relations. A major focus of the incident was the U.S. government's assertion that Davis was protected under the principle of diplomatic immunity due to his role as an "administrative and technical official" attached to the American consulate in Lahore.[4] The United States claimed that Davis was protected under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and demanded he be released from custody immediately.[13] Barack Obama, then-President of the United States, asked Pakistan not to prosecute Davis and recognize him as a diplomat, stating, "There's a broader principle at stake that I think we have to uphold."[14] Pakistani officials disputed the claim of immunity from a murder charge, asserting that Davis was involved in clandestine operations, and questioned the scope of his activities in Pakistan.[15] The Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated that "this matter is sub judice ["under adjudication"] in a court of law and the legal process should be respected."[16] Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stated that, according to official records and experts in the Foreign Office, Davis was "not a diplomat and cannot be given blanket diplomatic immunity"; Qureshi claimed that his stand on the issue allegedly led to him being sacked as the foreign affairs minister.[17][18][19]

The aftermath of the shooting led to widespread protests in Pakistan, demanding action against Davis.[20]

Almost a month after the incident, U.S. officials revealed Davis was a contractor for the CIA after it was reported in The Guardian.[4][21] According to The Telegraph, he was the acting CIA Station Chief in Pakistan.[22]

An unnamed official with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) stated that Davis had contacts in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border and knew both of the men that he had shot. He stated that the ISI would investigate the possibility that the encounter on the streets of Lahore stemmed from a meeting or from threats to Davis.[23] Some media outlets have suggested, according to anonymous sources, that data retrieved from Davis's phones and GPS device indicated that he had been to Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and some areas in the tribal belt of the country that have been the subject of U.S. drone attacks.[24] These attacks were interrupted for several weeks after Davis's arrest[25] before resuming on March 18, 2011, in a strike at Datta Khel.

  1. ^ a b Miller, Greg (February 21, 2011). "U.S. officials: Raymond Davis, accused in Pakistan shootings, worked for CIA". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  2. ^ "CIA man free after 'blood money' payment". Al Jazeera. March 16, 2011. Archived from the original on April 8, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011. The practice of pardoning those accused of murder under such an arrangement is permitted under Pakistani law.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Davis was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Walsh, Declan; Ewen MacAskill (February 20, 2011). "American who sparked diplomatic crisis over Lahore shooting was CIA spy". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on August 1, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  5. ^ Issam Ahmed (January 31, 2011). "US consulate employee kills two in Pakistan: What we know". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on March 11, 2011. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference dawn_28 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "US official Raymond Davis on Lahore murder charges". BBC News. January 28, 2011. Archived from the original on April 5, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  8. ^ Perlez, Jane (January 29, 2012). "US Seeks Release of Official in Pakistan". The New York Times. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  9. ^ Carlotta Gall, Mark Mazzetti (March 16, 2011). "Hushed Deal Frees C.I.A. Contractor in Pakistan". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  10. ^ Issam Ahmed. "CIA contractor Raymond Davis freed from Pakistan jail on 'blood money'". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on March 20, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2011.
  11. ^ "CIA contractor Ray Davis freed over Pakistan killings". The BBC. March 16, 2011. Archived from the original on April 15, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  12. ^ "CIA contractor Raymond Davis freed after 'blood money' payment". The Washington Post. March 16, 2011. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  13. ^ Perlez, Jane (February 9, 2011). "Mystery Over Detained American Angers Pakistan". The New York Times. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  14. ^ "Obama Says Pakistan Must Not Prosecute Imprisoned Diplomat". Bloomberg Businessweek. February 15, 2011. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  15. ^ Crilly, Rob (February 10, 2011). "Detained US official 'in telephone contact with Islamic terror group'". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  16. ^ "Law must take its course in US diplomat case: FO spokesman". The Express Tribune. January 29, 2011. Archived from the original on April 5, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2011.
  17. ^ "Records did not support diplomatic status for Davis: Qureshi". Deccan Herald. India. February 13, 2011. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
  18. ^ "Qureshi wants to know why he was sacked as FM". The Indian Express. India. February 15, 2011. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved February 15, 2011.
  19. ^ "Double murder-accused American has 'no complete immunity': Shah Mehmood Qureshi". Newkerala.com. February 16, 2011. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  20. ^ "Pakistan extends US man's detention". Al Jazeera English. February 11, 2011. Archived from the original on March 17, 2011. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  21. ^ Miller, Greg (February 22, 2011). "U.S. officials: Raymond Davis, accused in Pakistan shootings, worked for CIA". washingtonpost. Archived from the original on April 30, 2011. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
  22. ^ Rob Crilly (February 22, 2011). "Raymond Davis 'was acting head of CIA in Pakistan'". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on March 10, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2011.
  23. ^ "Pakistan's intelligence ready to split with CIA". China Daily. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  24. ^ Asad Kharal (February 25, 2011). "Data retrieved from Davis's phones, GPS device". The Tribune. Archived from the original on April 15, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2011.
  25. ^ Saud Mehsud (February 21, 2011). "First U.S. drone attack in Pakistan in weeks kills 7". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved March 5, 2011.