Raymond David: American Herald or a Hunter?
By Ayesha Zee Khan
As if Lahore had not seen enough of bloodshed and killing! Only a day after the bloody suicide bomb blast in Urdu Bazaar Chowk the city took another jolt on its chest. The noon of 27th January 2011 brought an end to three Pakistanis lives in the heart of Punjab, Lahore, and the Capital of the province. Thursday afternoon saw the American Diplomat Raymond Davis in the congested area of Mazang, Lahore where he shot two individuals on a motor cycle in the back. 14 bullets were shot by Raymond on these young men who were pronounced dead later in a nearby hospital. The two young men; Faizan Haider and Sunny, according to him and the first initial reports by the police stated as robbers who were after his money. According to the diplomat they tried to rob him and he opened fire in self defense.
While fleeing the scene of the crime Raymond hit another motor cyclist Ibad-ur- Rehman and crushed him with his high speed car. Ibad was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his fatal injuries. Another SUV followed David in high speed in the rushed up area of Mazang Crossing. Police found from Davids car a semi automatic gun, a digital camera, three mobile phones, a state of the art wireless set and money. He was arrested by the local police and taken to the Anarkali Police Station for questioning.
The earlier reports revealed that no case was first being registered against David; later the police was ready to register
an FIR against unknown persons. The bereaved family of Ibad (the third motorcyclist who got crushed by the speeding cars) refused to take his body from the hospital demanding that the American be put behind bars and a case should be registered against him only instead of unknown persons. That is why there was public outrage which they demonstrated on the streets of that particular area where the incident happened. As a precaution the police shifted David to an unknown location after that.
As the reports came in, the two motorcyclists: Faizan and Sunny; were both coming back from a legal proceeding at the local court. Faizan was carrying a licensed gun as his elder brother had been murdered on the 9th Muharram and he had the weapon on him due to self protection. Faizan is said to be a shop owner of a mobile phones where as Sunny was identified to be with the sensitive government agencies. The third victim, Ibad, was a local trader going to the nearby busy wholesale market of Shah Alam to buy some goods for his business.
Raymond David in his forties is recognized by the American Consulate in Lahore as their Technical Advisor. As the case unfolds, he was with CIA and now currently the operations head with the Black Water. A temporary two-month visa was issued in his name by the Pakistani High Commission. He fluently speaks Urdu and Pashto. The suitcase full of money caught with him is thought to be a payment that he was about to do for a criminal gang. Living in Lahore, he came into contact with the local criminal gangs that operate here seeking their help to create an air of chaos in the city of Lahore. Driving through the congested area of Mazang in Lahore was David looking for a new spot of the next bomb blast or was he coming back after some meeting with the agents or was he in hurry to reach at a meeting site?
The US foreign office in Washington is reluctant to take any information out now since according to them its a sensitive issue. They even said that Raymond David isnt his real name. His real identity is being kept a secret by the US. Which makes one certain that the alleged man is a key operative with the Black Water and was on a mission for the next terror attack in the city of Lahore. Telling his wrong identity to the Punjab Police, is he trying to safeguard his Black water operations damage control?
Are Pakistani Diplomats in the US allowed to carry semi automatic weapons while driving through the streets of Washington DC? If such an incident happened in the New York City would the US media and the Government had remained quiet and all hushed up about it? Well, of course not. They would have started a media campaign against Pakistan and its nationals, declared them religious fanatics and thrusted the well known slogan of; Do More down the throats of Pakistani Government.
If frail Dr Afia Siddiki can be jailed for 86 years for attacking a US marine where no one was killed or injured. Monsieur Raymond David or whatever his identity is should be put in the slammer for 86 years. If Emal Kansi can be lifted from Pakistan, tried in the US courts and then hanged in the US similar should be the fate of this American. Can Pakistani Diplomats in Washington DC go on a rampage (turkey shoot) on the streets of their capital? Driving through wrong way in a one way street, running over a geriatric woman travelling in a taxi and a motorbiker and then claim self defense.
The World and the US should recognize one thing: Pakistan is not to be taken as a testing ground. This is a sovereign nation with its legal system that is well functioning and a media that is not state sponsored. Pakistan has done enough to please the US on its wild goose chase which is never ending. They should get this thing clear in their minds Pakistan has the capacity to deal with its enemies in or beyond its borders. Pakistan is a nuclear state, with the most trained army of the world protecting it day and night. Such dubious incidents only clarify the nature of negativities Pakistan is dealing with day in day out. The US should not expect any favors from the Pakistanis on this incident and thats the bottom line.
Source:
http://www.islamabadtimesonline.com/raymond-david-american-herald-or-a-hunter/
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif speaks to media representatives during a press conference in Islamabad.AFP/File photo
