On Obama's Secret Service.

February 28, 2011 at 10:23 A.M. As I was working on a draft of this essay, my cable signal was obstructed. I was forced to reboot my computer. I will try to complete this draft of my text from my home. I will then "move on" to public computers at several locations in Manhattan in an effort to post this text.

I can never be sure whether computer wars in violation of U.S. criminal laws will allow me to return to these blogs or continue writing. I will do my best to correct any "errors" inserted in this essay, including alterations of the spacing between paragraphs during the drafting of the text.

Salman Masood & Pir Zubair Shah, "C.I.A. Drones Kill Civilians In Pakistan," in The New York Times, March 18, 2011, at p. A4. (Our response to Pakistan's freeing of Mr. Davis was to fire robot bombs at a gathering of civilians seeking peace with the Taliban killing 28 out of 32 people present, some of whom may have been Taliban supporters, and generating strongly-worded condemnations from Pakistani military and intelligence officials.)
Carlotta Gall & Mark Mazzetti, "C.I.A. Security Officer Is Freed In Pakistan as Redress Is Paid," in The New York Times, March 17, 2011, at p. A1. ("Carlotta Gall" and "Manohla Dargis" may be pseudonyms for Iliana Ros Leghtinen, or someone on her staff, whose contribution of articles to the Times probably constitutes a conflict of interest for the would-be Republican "Secretary of State." We already have a very good Secretary of State. We should only have one such official in every administration.)
Arthur S. Brisbane, "An American in Pakistan," in The New York Times, February 27, 2011, at p. 8. ("Week in Review," Sunday Edition.)
Jane Perlez, "Pakistani Spy Agency Demands That C.I.A. Account for Contractors," in The New York Times, February 26, 2011, at p. A4.
"Pakistan Says Bureau Seeks Split From CIA," in The Record, March 1, 2011, at p. A-12. (Disaster for U.S. in the region.)
"Pakistan: Charges Delayed for American in Shooting," in The New York Times, March 9, 2011, at p. A10. (Delays will allow for continuing multiple levels of interrogation.)
Slaman Masood, "Bomb Kills 24 Near Spy Office in Pakistan," in The New York Times, March 9, 2011, at p. A26. (Message.)

"ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's chief spy agency has demanded an accounting by the Central Intelligence Agency of all its contractors working in Pakistan, a fallout from the arrest last month of an American involved in surveillance of militant groups, a senior Pakistani intelligence official said Friday."

"Angered that the American, Raymond A. Davis, worked as a contractor in Pakistan on covert C.I.A. operations without the knowledge of the Pakistanis, the spy agency estimated that there were 'scores' more such contractors 'working behind our backs,' said the official, who requested anonymity in order to speak candidly about a delicate matter between the two countries."

"In a slight softening of the Pakistani stance since Mr. Davis's arrest, the official said that the American and Pakistani intelligence agencies needed to continue cooperation, and that Pakistan was prepared to put the episode in the past if the C.I.A. stopped treating its Pakistani counterparts as inferior."

American intelligence and State Department officials at the middle level are often the self-important and smug types who could not have survived law school without one's help. Persons whose snotty disdain for all others on the planet explains much of the hostility towards Americans in the world. ("Little brown men are only objects for us.")

I suspect that much of my experience of censorship and sanctioned criminality from New Jersey's goon squad results from demonstrating, publicly, the imbecility of the nation's -- and The Nation's -- political nomenklatura. I plan to continue pointing out the stupidity of such people. ("Incoherence in 'The New York Times'" and "Manohla Dargis Strikes Again!")

" ... 'Treat us as allies, not as satellites,' said the official of the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI. 'Respect, equality and trust are needed.' ... " ("How censorship works in America" and "What is it like to be tortured?")

I will pass over in tactful silence the usual rhetoric spouted by a red-faced spokesperson for the C.I.A. named: "George Little." Mr. Little said we have a wonderful relationship with our little brown friends in Pakistan and that some of his favorite people are Pakistanis. Right. Thanks, George.

What Mr. Little could not say is that the U.S. rightly fears that sharing secrets with Pakistan's intelligence community is also sharing information with the Taliban and others in the world who do not wish us well. Worse, not sharing intelligence and undermining the credibility of the Pakistani government with its people weakens a nuclear power with a powerful fundamentalist Islamic sector within its own political community. This is "unwise" -- to put it mildly. How would we like to see the Taliban with access to one hundred nuclear weapons? Not so much, eh?

At issue in this continuing controversy is America's relationship with other countries and colleagues in governments from all over the world. After all, we sought the indictment of Pakistan's intelligence chief a few weeks ago in Virginia -- or at least the man's presence as a witness in a federal courtroom -- and we were turned down with a chuckle by that official. What a surprise. Now we want that person's help in dealing with this crisis. It appears to many observers that the various factions in America's political system do not talk to one another and seek to undermine one another's efforts, deliberately, regardless of the national interest.

We cannot win without Pakistan. Eventual release of Mr. Davis in exchange for what amounts to a bribe will only make it more obvious that we have lost Pakistani public opinion. This recent episode of legal overreaching by U.S. officials is not irrelevant to Mr. Davis's dilemma nor to the likely unfolding of events on the world stage. I am also aware of the likely exposure to forms of "impaired questioning" by Mr. Davis in captivity that he may not remember, but that will have devastating longterm effects on his life -- even if he is released tomorrow and returns home immediately. ("Havana Nights and C.I.A. Tapes" and "What is it like to be tortured?")

Having been subjected to similar horrors by a hypocritical and criminal U.S. state legal system in New Jersey -- also being censored and suppressed or ignored in America, every day, in violation of the law -- I sympathize with Mr. Davis, a fellow American, who may well disagree with every word that I have uttered or published. I will plead for his release, knowing the anger and justified sense of violation felt by persons in Pakistan. I share that anger and sense of violation. ("New Jersey's 'Ethical' Legal System.")

I know what it is like to be treated as garbage, collateral damage, insignificant detritus of the lofty goals and objectives formulated by self-styled "important persons" (usually incompetent officials) who see themselves, absurdly, as our "superiors." Jose Diaz-Balart? Mr. Davis, unlike his superior officer in the agency for which he works in Washington, is unlikely to have attended Yale University. However, it is Mr. Davis and others, like him -- with whom I am proud to be associated -- who will pay the ultimate price for the mistakes of the idiots in high office in America. ("Stuart Rabner and Conduct Unbecoming to the Judiciary in New Jersey" and "No More Cover-Ups and Lies, Chief Justice Rabner!")

Ordinary Americans have a lot in common with people in Pakistan trying to recover after the recent floods, dealing with the reality of terrorism and war, struggling to educate their children and feed themselves. Ordinary Israelis and Palestinians are the people killed, equally, by terrorist bombs and rockets fired into Hebron. I am on their side.

I often disagree with the policies of the Israeli government as, indeed, do many Israelis. I also frequently disagree with the actions of America's government. This does not prevent me from liking and identifying with most of the Americans that I meet and come to know. I suspect that my reactions would be similar if I visited Israel.

We are involved in an undeclared and illegal war in Pakistan. Remember Cambodia? As part of this war effort, we are dropping robot bombs and otherwise killing members of the civilian population of that country, including children and old people who have nothing to do with the Taliban. This is one reason -- together with our much publicized indulgence in torture and humiliation of Muslims in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo -- for the hatred of America and indulgence in anti-Western ideologies, only some of which are Islamic fundamentalist, by about one billion people in the area and more throughout the world.

All of the upheavals in the Islamic world at the moment, however they fall out as regards the local political leadership, are to a substantial degree anti-American. Interruptions in the oil supply to the world will destroy any economic recovery for us and kill Mr. Obama's reelection plans. This is not a situation that can be ignored. I am not surprised about the "no fly zone" over Libya.

I urge those who are filled with understandable anger at U.S. policies to consider that Mr. Davis has nothing to do with formulating those policies. Mr. Davis is a loyal American asked to serve and doing his duty. This service is something which any of us who love this country -- even if we have no illusions about the occasional stupidity or criminality of some of our leaders -- may be asked to do and would not hesitate to do because we are Americans before we are Republicans or Democrats. This American loyalty does not include committing war crimes or other atrocities, such as Mi Lai or Abu Ghraib. The U.S. robot bombs may fall into the category of crimes against humanity. ("Does Senator Menendez Have Mafia Friends?" and "Law and Ethics in the Soprano State.")

Mr. Davis, like those Pakistani civilians, can count on family members and loved-ones, also many friends (like me) who have never met him, who worry about him and hope for his immediate release and return to America. I would also be proud to call Mr. Davis a friend. Mr. Davis was obviously protecting his own life when he engaged in gun fire with Pakistanis, men who were probably involved in an effort to trap this soldier, as he was pursuing an investigation of covert efforts against both Pakistan's and the United States' interests. Please grant diplomatic immunity to Mr. Davis and return him to America's embassy. (Thank you to Pakistan for making exactly this decision.)

The ripple effects of our increasingly disastrous efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Pakistan -- like our dismally failed inhuman embargo against Cuba -- are generating a response against us that will not go away. Bolivia, Venezuela, Latin America generally is vehemently anti-embargo favoring national autonomy and dignity for Cuba. Most of the world condemns our illegal robot bomb campaign. ("Time to End the Embargo Against Cuba" and "Fidel Castro's 'History Will Absolve Me.'")

In terms of international law, Pakistan is correct that the U.S. has no right to conduct covert operations within its territory without the permission of the relevant Pakistani officials. The U.S. is concerned (for excellent reasons) that sharing too much information will result in leaks and the loss of American lives, but excluding Pakistan's military and intelligence communities in dangerous local operations may cost us more lives and international humiliation. I suggest that closely-kept secrets sharing and high level, selective, quasi-investigative and police actions must be cooperative matters, or they will fail for both America and Pakistan.

Mr. Christie, if New Jersey's cybercrime campaign continues, then the only possible conclusion for observers is that corruption is ineradicable from your state's institutions, including law enforcement and courts. A "good cop/bad cop" routine will not fool anyone, Chris. ("Will Governor Christie End the Nightmare?")

When combined with the lack of progress on the Palestinian issue, also Israel's perceived disdain for the Arab world and the opinions of the global community, the ingredients are present for the equivalent of a nuclear explosion in the Middle and Far East. Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, soon Syria and Jordan, or (worse!) Saudi Arabia -- all of these countries are experiencing convulsions of a genuinely populist sort that are profoundly anti-American and Israeli because the U.S. is correctly seen as supporting oppressive regimes in many of these countries.

Gadhafi declared today that he would not leave office because his people "love him." What is most frightening in this statement is that, I believe, Gadhafi is sincere in making this declaration that he may genuinely believe to be true. ("Is Senator Menendez a Suspect in Mafia-Political Murder in New Jersey?" and "Does Senator Menendez Have Mafia Friends?")

We support repressive regimes because those who rule in such regimes see it as convenient to assist U.S.-Israeli geopolitical objectives in the area -- often more lucrative also for those at the top of the societies -- usually at the expense of the legitimate aspirations and needs of their own people. Democrats look the other way when it comes to New Jersey's embarassing display of legal and political corruption because any Democratic presidential candidate will need New Jersey's machine and money generated by top fund raiser Bob Menendez to win at the national level. There may be a price to be paid in terms of loss of respect and legitimacy for this selective inattention over decades to computer crime, censorship, strong-arm tactics, theft from the public treasury, perhaps worse offenses defined as "business as usual" by New Jersey's Democrats. ("New Jersey is the Home of the Living Dead.")

America is perceived as utterly disdainful of the masses in the region and world. This disdain may be true of Washington, D.C. "elites," but it is not true of most intelligent Americans who are concerned about the plight of others in the world and, in the deepest sense of the word, are "pro-democracy" everywhere. We'd like some more democracy at home, too. Some freedom of speech for the "little people" would be nice. ("What is it like to be censored in America?")

Smug, self-important, arrogant officials (like the morons arguing with me about philosophy who knew -- and still know! -- nothing about the subject), Georgetown folks, regard the little brown people, or most of humanity, as in need of guidance and instruction "if they are to serve our interests" which is what the Western, white, male God intends for the planet. This is to say nothing of Newt Gingrich. Is Newt really running for president? Talk about delusional.

China finds all of this amusing. I am still amazed at the disconnection between such government people and the vast majority of the population in America. Millions of Americans pay a terrible price for the catastrophes created by "the best and the brightest" in every generation. ("Manifesto for the Unfinished American Revolution" and "Why I am not an ethical relativist.")

It is the task of the media to serve as a watchdog for those millions of Americans and not to serve as an adjunct of the government. American government officials cannot dictate what is reported by U.S. media, nor how things are reported, nor can such officials be in the business of covering themselves by inserting text in newscopy for a small fee paid to our (often corrupt) so-called "independent press." ("Manohla Dargis Strikes Again!" and "Incoherence in 'The New Yorker'" and "Let's win one for the gipper.")

Many of the items in the Times recently are obvious and disgraceful examples of government officials writing about themselves or inserting their words in what purports to be an independent news publication. Not reporting on the alleged C.I.A. affiliations of Mr. Davis because the White House asks you to avoid doing so will fail to deceive the people. It was obvious what Mr. Davis was doing in Pakistan and why he was doing it. Do not insult the intelligence of Pakistanis or of any of us who are readers of world press coverage of such events by failing to mention such an obvious fact on the assumption that we need the Times to point out such things. (Again: "Let's win one for the gipper" and "Incoherence in 'The New York Times.'")

By doing what you are asked to do by the American President or State Department, journalists lose credibility, endanger Mr. Davis much more -- since Pakistan will assume that he has something important to hide -- and fail to discharge a most important responsibility of journalists. To sound pompous and self-satisfied about such incompetence makes things worse, Mr. Brisbane.

America's orchestrated media silence about my situation, for example, is underlining the U.S. media's corruption and sold-out status to the world. ("What is it like to be tortured?" and, once more, "What is it like to be censored in America?" then "How censorship works in America.")

"What is the purpose of this supposedly independent paper -- to ask permission of the government before reporting what the government is doing?"

This excellent question is posed by Kevin Maher, of Geneva, Illinois. The question has not been effectively answered by the press. Jessica Ostrower, of San Clemente, California, concurs:

"The New York Times is now quite obviously and by its own admission, in the business of concealment."

This is not the newspaper that published the Pentagon Papers, covered Watergate fearlessly, or investigated the secret war in Cambodia. "What a falling off was there ..."