You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
India-Pakistan
Kerry seeks to mollify India after diplomat's arrest in New York
2013-12-19
[LATIMES] Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Wednesday "expressed his regret" to a senior Indian official about the treatment of an Indian diplomat who was incarcerated
Yez got nuttin' on me, coppers! Nuttin'!
last week in New York, although he didn't concede that U.S. authorities had broken any rules during her detention, the State Department said.

Kerry's telephone call sought to calm a diplomatic furor over the treatment of Devyani Khobragade, a deputy consul general who was arrested and charged with visa fraud Thursday.

Indian officials have protested that she was strip-searched and jugged
Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit!
with the general prison population at a federal building in Manhattan, in violation of diplomatic rules, while she waited for her case to be handled. She was released on bail the same day.

Kerry telephoned Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon to say he "empathizes" with Indian outrage over the case, according to a State Department statement. But, the statement added, Kerry also "understands very deeply the importance of enforcing our laws and protecting victims" and "expects that laws will be followed by everyone here in our country."

In addition to the visa fraud allegations, federal authorities have charged Khobragade with breaking U.S. law by paying her housekeeper only $3.31 an hour, a third of the federal minimum wage.

Indian authorities have demanded an apology from the State Department. In retaliation for the incident, they removed security barriers around the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, asked that special airport passes issued to U.S. diplomats be returned and sought to block duty-free imports of alcohol for the embassy.

Kerry thought the phone call was "positive" and hoped the incident wouldn't damage relations between the two countries, officials said. The Indian Foreign Ministry said it was committed to providing "full security" for all diplomats.

But it was not immediately clear whether the call would ease tension in India, where leaders across the political spectrum have been demanding retaliation against the United States.

Earlier Wednesday, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Kurshid said he would bring the 39-year-old Khobragade back to India "to restore her dignity."

National media had reported a plan to shift her to a United Nations
...a lucrative dumping ground for the relatives of dictators and party hacks...
post that would provide greater legal immunity. But Marie Harf, the State Department's deputy spokesperson, said U.S. officials had received no notification that such a change was planned.

Harf said U.S. officials continue to examine how the diplomat's case was handled, but have found no reason to suspect that rules were broken. The U.S. Marshals Service maintains that Khobragade was treated like any other suspect.
Posted by:Fred

#14  OTOH DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > WON'T APOLOGIZE OR WITHDRAW CHARGES: US | FIRSTPOST.

Yokay, I'll bite, iff this is the case then what did SecState Jaawhn just do vee "expressing his regret" to India NSA Menon???

plus

* SAME > [PTI] DEVYANI ARREST: INDIA SAYS JUST ["unambiguous US ..."] REGRET NOT ENOUGH, US NEEDS TO ACCEPT ITS MISTAKE.

IIUC, India has formally rejected US SecState "Presidential" Kerry's apology - METHINKS NEW DELHI WANTS TO HEAR FROM POTUS BAMMER PERSONALLY???

["KILL BILL" SEXY SLINKY KILLER TEEN-BABE "GOGO" TO "THE BRIDE" = [Sarc laugh]"YOU CALL THAT BEGGING - SURELY YOU CAN BEG FOR YOUR LIFE BETTER THAN THAT"!].
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-12-19 23:45  

#13  Dr Khogragade is also from India's Dalit (formerly called untouchable) community. She was cavity searched, not simply strip searched.

Ah, so she's from one of the scheduled castes/scheduled tribes & other backwards classes, is she?

She doesn't hold a candle to most of the Bollywood Babes. I'm Miss I'm Important copped an attitude and ran her mouth. My wife says the Indian media is whipping the low IQ bunch into a frenzy.

Doesn't take much. Saw some pictures of folks I'd bet a weeks pay they were illiterate, carrying professionally produced signs. In English, no less.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man   2013-12-19 21:25  

#12  The difference between diplomatic immunity and consular immunity is a peek up the poozle when placed in the pokey.
Posted by: SteveS   2013-12-19 21:15  

#11  As Deputy Consul General she only has immunity as regards her official duties. She was arrested by state department diplomatic security service agents.
Posted by: John Frum   2013-12-19 20:28  

#10  Whatever happened to diplomatic immunity?
Posted by: Fred   2013-12-19 20:12  

#9  Dr Khogragade is also from India's Dalit (formerly called untouchable) community. She was cavity searched, not simply strip searched.
Posted by: John Frum   2013-12-19 19:08  

#8  Three months ago a parking area used by Indian Embassy cars in DC was opened to all cars.The Indians consider this a security hazard and want exclusive access restored. The removal of the security barriers outside the US embassy stems from this.
Posted by: John Frum   2013-12-19 18:57  

#7  
Posted by: Glolurt Smith8631   2013-12-19 18:24  

#6  One more opportunity to insult a former member of the British Empire.

And the Pakis hate the Indians so we know whose side Zero is on.
Posted by: AlanC   2013-12-19 14:50  

#5  I guess only representatives from terrorist-sponsoring countries get to enjoy diplomatic immunity anymore.....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2013-12-19 14:19  

#4  The U.S. Marshals Service maintains that Khobragade was treated like any other suspect.

They didn't send an armed team to break down her door at 3am, though.
Posted by: Pappy   2013-12-19 12:43  

#3  Kerry pivots. The only good Indian is a ....... Whewwww, frigging Iran, that was a close one.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-12-19 10:55  

#2  There is probably a good Bollywood career waiting for Devyani Khobragade if the diplomat thing doesn't work out.
Posted by: JohnQC   2013-12-19 10:49  

#1  D *** NG IT, just admit it - she's a Hottie, + the Boyz wanted to ask her out on a date.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-12-19 01:47  

00:00