Pakistan TV Footage Shows Detained American
Thursday, February 10, 2011|
Spicy NewsAn American who shot dead two Pakistanis tells police he's a consultant for the U.S. consular general in Lahore and pleads with them to find his passport, according to footage purportedly showing his encounter with security officials soon after the late January shootout.
The clip first aired Wednesday night by the private Dunya television channel could deepen the mystery surrounding what's become a major diplomatic dispute between the United States and Pakistan, whose alliance is considered key to success in the war in Afghanistan.
The U.S. has demanded that Pakistan release the American, saying he has diplomatic immunity and shot the armed Pakistanis in self-defense on Jan. 27 in Lahore because they came up to his car and tried to rob him. To pressure Pakistan for his release, the U.S. has begun curbing contacts with Pakistani leaders and lawmakers have even threatened to cut off billions in aid to the nuclear-armed Muslim nation.
Pakistani leaders, eager to avoid a backlash among a population where anti-Americanism is rife, have avoided definitive statements on the status of the American, whom they've identified as Raymond Allen Davis, and say the matter is up to the courts. Davis faces potential murder charges, and his next court appearance is set for Friday.
The brief footage was apparently shot by a cell phone lying on a table in a room at a police station in Lahore. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified and the faces that appear are darkened. But Davis' face is somewhat visible and it matches pictures taken of him after the incident.
By Thursday, the clip was available on YouTube.
Speaking in a clear American accent, with a slight Southern twang, Davis says at one point he's with the U.S. Embassy, which is in Islamabad, but also says later that he's doing consulting work for the consular general, who is based in the U.S. consulate in Lahore. He also says he's with the "RAO," an apparent reference to the Americans' Regional Affairs Office.
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