Posted on 01/01/2014 4:13:33 AM PST by Dartman
“The U.S. is playing games with India. But America must understand that the world has changed, times have changed and India has changed.”
Those were tough words from India’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath, but they fell on deaf ears in Washington.
At issue is the case of India’s deputy consul general in New York, Devyani Khobragade, who was arrested and handcuffed by U.S. marshals as she dropped off her daughter at school on the morning of Dec. 12.
Later, the 39-year old career diplomat was locked up, stripped naked and subjected to a search of her body cavities in what would appear to be a violation of the Vienna Convention that governs diplomats representing their countries in foreign lands. (U.S. authorities say her body cavities were visually inspected, but not searched).
‘Visa fraud’
Khobragade was charged with committing “visa fraud” to employ an Indian maid.
Both Khobragade and the Indian government have angrily denied the allegations.
New Delhi has demanded an apology while the United States has said “no” and expressed surprise at India’s outrage.
The man behind the arrest of the Indian diplomat is Indian-born Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preetinder Singh Bharara, (who prefers to be addressed as “Preet” or “Pete”).
Bharara issued an official press release defending the arrrest, slamming his critics and announcing his office’s organized crime unit was handling the case against the Indian diplomat.
While not explaining why the arrest had to take place outside Khobragade’s daughter’s school, Bharara acknowledged she was stripped naked and searched.
“It is true that she was fully searched by a female Deputy Marshal — in a private setting — when she was brought into the U.S. Marshals’ custody,” he said.
He added, “this is standard practice for every defendant, rich or poor, American or not, in order to make sure that no prisoner keeps anything on his person that could harm anyone, including himself.”
Well, perhaps not always.
Remember the Saudi princess who was holding five maids captive in Irvine, California in July 2013? She was arrested at her home, not on the street, and if there was a strip search, there were no reports of it.
What about the 49 Russian diplomats charged by Bharara with defrauding the U.S. government health care program of $1.5 million? Not one was arrested and most are now back in Russia or out of the country.
Khobragrade could have been asked to leave the United States, or, if arrested, could have been picked up at her home.
This isn’t the first time the Americans have publicly humiliated an Indian official.
In 2009, Continental Airlines’ staff frisked India’s former president A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. In 2011, the 80-year-old scientist had to endure another brush with U.S. security officials after he had boarded a flight at JFK to New Delhi.
Vacuum
This is the year (2014) that Indian and U.S. interests are supposed to converge, considering the vacuum left behind after America’s defeat in Afghanistan that has left the Taliban and al-Qaida greatly strengthened.
But all that is now in jeopardy.
An unprecedented standoff has been the result: India cannot, and will not back down; America seems unable to fathom an undaunted and assertive India; and as for Obama-appointee Preetinder Singh Bharara?
Well, “Pete” has a bright political future.
Oh yes, I'm the great Preetinder.
Preetinding that you're still around ...
This is a curious story. Would love to know more.
So would I. I’ll have to look around. It seems odd that this occurred Dec. 12 and we’re just hearing about it now.
The more that comes out about this, the more astonishing it is.
Our uniformed law enforcement are more and more using intimidation and terror. (Look at the Elian Gonzales photos from the Miami raid during Clinton’s years. A machine gun pointed at a terrified little boy.)
The trouble with these techniques is they become the first use response for everything. If there was a question about a diplomat, you send them a letter or have somebody in the state department visit them. You should NEVER arrest a diplomat. Especially one who is not accused of a violent or dangerous crime.
I believe this was deliberately done to piss off India. Incidentally, there were several American companies competing for big military contracts in India. I think we can kiss billions of dollars goodbye.
The US has already lost a major deal involving new fighter jets because of this incident. I hope India really takes the US to the cleaners on this incident and does not back down.
There is no excuse whatsoever why the diplomat had to be arrested at her child’s school and then bodily searched. None whatsoever.
This is an outrage to the nth degree!
Seriously?
Almost daily stories on FR.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3102658/posts
And, BTW, Not Guilty!
Here is a more in depth article about what happened
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/devyani-khobragade-case-12-key-questions-and-their-answers/440695-2.html
and here is an opinion piece from The Times Of India
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/the-irreverent-lawyer/entry/devyani-khobragade-india-s-diplomatic-nightmare
Thanks.
Seriously. I did a search using key words.
Yer right, not guilty :)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3102717/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3103536/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3105444/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3105812/posts
We were traveling in India for 2 weeks during this situation. According to the Indian press and TV news, Indians are outraged...and rightfully so. The Clown Prince nobama administration is deaf to the problem they caused. Could this be because Clown Prince nobama and his Clown Car administration love moozlums (i.e., Pakis)?
Bump to your post.
Just saying...
Maybe I am different, but to me the charges were trivial compared to the reality of strip searching a Diplomat.
She gave a Visa to a maid so she could get her place cleaned and they arrested her and strip searched her? Crazy.
Did they think she had the maid hidden in her Vagina?
Diplomat’s housekeeper kept ‘like a slave’
Bill Sanderson
December 22, 2013
http://nypost.com/2013/12/22/indian-diplomat-treated-housekeeper-like-a-slave/
http://nypost.com/2013/12/21/mumbai-mob-storms-dominos-over-diplomat-charges/
> on East 64th Street, dozens of domestic workers surrounded India’s consulate, protesting the slave wages Khobragade allegedly paid to maid Sangeeta Richard, 42.
Hindus and Moslems have not gotten along for a long time.
India is an enthusiastic supporter of the War on Terror.
US-Indian relations were great under the Clinton and Bush presidencies.
But these days our government has shown more sympathy for the other side (e.g., Egypt, Syria, Libya).
Could there be a connection?
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