US Pays Blood Money for Release of CIA Agent

Raymond Davis, a contract CIA agent, shot and killed two Pakistani men he said were trying to rob him. He was held by Pakistani authorities and faced almost certain execution until the United States agreed to pay the families of the two men compensation of $2.34million; not directly of course, because deniability must always be maintained when it comes to covert matters. The Pakistan government will make the payment, but the US will reimburse Pakistan at a latter date. Raymond Davis was released from prisonWednesday and Secretary Clinton was able to deny the United States paid 'blood money' or diyat in an NPR interview. The payment of diyat allows the heirs of the men to release Davis of any legal responsibility for the killings. Forty-seven witnesses came forward to state Davis did not shoot the two young men in self defense as he maintains. The two dead men were allegedly ISI or Pakistani intelligence agents. Interestingly, Madam Secretary Clinton recently said she has no interest in serving a second term in the Obama administration. Do tell!

Update: The UN Security Council today voted 10-0 to impose a no-fly zone over Libya. The resolution also authorizes "all necessary measures" to protect civilians from harm. The tyrant Muammar Qaddafi is close to quashing the rebellion as his forces battle towards the rebel capital of Benghazi. Their siege of Ajdabiya, a city of 100,000 to the south of Benghazi, continues midst mounting civilian casualties. Rebels are still holding outin Ajdabiya and Misrata in the west against superior government firepower. شاء الله

On another diplomatic front, European leaders are befuddled by United States reluctance to push for a no-fly zone over Libya. Secretary Clinton met with G8 foreign ministers on Monday in Paris, but refused to push forward with a no-fly proposal in the face of German and Russian opposition. President Sarkozy, whose government has officially recognized the rebels as representatives of the Libyan people, asked Clinton for more US action. The Secretary of State only replied, "There are difficulties". Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, John Kerry, repeated his call for action at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He said, "The Arab League's call for a U.N. no-fly zone over Libya is an unprecedented signal that the old rules of impunity for autocratic leaders no longer stands...The world needs to respond immediately to avert a humanitarian disaster." Nice try, Senator, but it might already be too late.

a Harrier launches from Kearsarge

Nevertheless, the UK and France appear ready to play an operational role in a UN sanctioned aviation embargo. One possible scenario would be the stationing of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaul, now in the northern Mediterranean, off Benghazi to fly air cover over the rebel held city, while British Harrier jets fly off of US amphibious attack ship, USS Kearsarge, patrolling just off the Libyan coast, to engage Qaddafi aircraft and other targets.  Kearsarge passed through the Suez canal accompanied by the USS Ponce this week,  steaming towards the North African coast.