By Muzaffar Ahmed
It took almost six years for Raymond Davis to normalize his breath before he
launched his book full of stories of his bravery, resilience, zeal, emotions and
acts in the line of patriotism to uphold constitution of United States. After
the book becoming viral on social media in few days and reading it, one is bound
to think the motives behind such release. Its objectives seem very clear; i.e.
agitate the masses about government of Pakistan and other authorities’ decision
to spare a murderer; delude the sense of success against terrorism and frustrate
confidence of people in their Army and security agencies; create and score the
benefits of civil – military rift; highlight socio religious cleavages and their
support for extremists’ mindset and last but not the least - to project Raymond
Davis as the winner of the episode.
It is also important to relate the publishing of book which is done through
renowned propagandist publishers, L Garson and M Wright. Specially at a time
period once Pakistan is busy facing its domestic challenges (Panama-JIT issue,
re-emergence of wave of terrorism after a long pause), regional turbulences
(issues with India, Afghanistan and Iran) and international pressures (US
blaming and thrusting Pakistan responsible for its reverses in Afghanistan,
threatening for cuts in aids / grants and turn the already given aids / grants
into loans for paying back, re-commencement of drone strikes). In the prevalent
environment faced by Pakistan, the above intended objectives of the hostile
actors seem to be achieved more comfortably through release of such content.
Analyzing the literature, its context and underlying intent; it can be safely
concluded that author’s personal emotional responses related to matrimonial
romantic gestures, issues of Pakistani judicial system and other social problems
remain very much near reality; however, rest of the stories about dealings by
Polices authorities, Military and ISI are more of fabrications and twisting of
the facts on the behest of his masters. Readers must glance on book’s
credibility - ironically, last week the hard copy of book was worth $24.99,
today its $16.99. To my perception, it wouldn't be a surprise after a month, the
book being sold at $2.99 and then likely as 'buy one get one free'.
To put the records straight, the book generates many questions which need to be
answered by author and his masters. DoesUS Embassy and its Consulates employ the
security contractors at their work places – the way Raymond Davis associated
with DynCorp International was employed? For a moment, if we accept Raymond
Davis as a private security contractor and not a CIA agent, then why it turned
so desperate that the case of individual was put in US President’s daily brief (PDB)
in just days’ timeand more so, the President had to impress diplomatic immunity
for the defaulter in one of hisaddress.
An unusual fiasco and distress at state level on the issue leadscommon man to
presume that Raymond Davis was perhaps on some very confidential mission in
Pakistan–may be OBL. Why was there such a desperate need that Consulate General
Carmela had to visit Raymond every single day or alternately? Why Raymond still
didn’t clarify his job description at US Consulate Lahore in the released book?
Who fed Raymond Davis to precisely state pre and post 9/11 US aids given to
Pakistan? Why the role of ISI has been dubbed as pro-Taliban particularly at
this time?
Though, as Pakistanis, we can’t allow any outsider to demean our President,
Prime Minister, Chief of Army Staff, ISI Chief and other state authorities and
institutions, but absolving the President Zardari from the Raymond Davis episode
(acrimony for granting diplomatic immunity or not - resulting foreign minister’s
resignation)and Hussain Haqqani from issuing open visas to US citizens indicates
wicked designs of the author.Does it look sane to think thatISI Chief be
personally sitting in a court room to monitor Raymond’s prosecution activities?
If it is so then Raymond Davis has done nothing but clarified the SOPs being
followed by CIA.
Despite being emotional romanticist, propagandist and macho man, there are few
things which Raymond Davis has rightly pointed out our issues as nation. Our
slow and in effective judicial system, capacity lacking of our Police and mob
mentality as a nation in general and purporting extremism using religious
platforms in particular. His observations being a subject have their own weight.
The police officers detailed with the accused were under – confident, lacking
matching language skills, incapable to read the profile of accused and thus
forth unable to extract what actually was needed to build the case. Frustration
of even a high profile accused was genuine once he thought of years and decades
old lingering cases in Pakistani judicial system. As a nation it is our sad
story, however, just pessimism or criticism is not the solution. We need to move
forward with devotion and positive spirit.
Raymond complained for vehicles in Pakistan withdiplomatic license plates to be
pulled over frequently, stopped and then harassed to a greater degree than the
other cars on the road. Such an innocent nag by a foreigner who doesn’t realize
that a nation facing menace of terrorism for two decades due to domestic and
international intrusions and paying prices of human lives every day or week
can’t be so relaxed to let the unauthorized agents roam and act freely.
The book is not only a manifestation of 5th Generation Warfare propaganda by
hostile agencies but alsoan attempt by a person to redeem his position in the US
society which he lost after not paid enough from CIA on retirement, getting
under huge debt of $700K, separation from his wife Rebecca, 30 companies
rejected his re-employment CV, twice attempted failed suicide attempts in April
2012 and so on….
We need to be cognizant that what all had been happening in Pakistan and is
happening; are not automated snowball effect events. These all are deliberately
planned and well-orchestrated with billions of dollars investments in proxies,
civil society, media and on politicians. Further, usages of such like
individualsby hostile agencies for their agendas are not new.Thus it needs our
critical attention to safeguard ourselves from such propaganda drives.
Unfortunately, few of our politicians are getting impressed with the book and
using it as an opportunity to play their politics against oppositions and the
others are running away from their responsibilities. Getting impressed and
succumbed to falsifications of a defaulter would be tantamount to success of
hostile agencies. Above all, besides the military leadership and ISI, the
political leadership of that time played very crucial role in Raymond Davis
case; however, now taking a back seat by the political clout will be exact
fulfillment of hostile designs of their orchestrators.
As a nation we should not accept any criticism or finger pointing towards our
civil and military leadership. We have sacrificed a lot due to disunity,
extremism and terrorism. Now is the time to give strong message to these hostile
actors that we are united and they can’t subdue Pakistan with such sticks and
tricks.
The author is a freelance columnist from Sargodha.