Pakistan, two U.S. contractors detained
It aggravates the crisis between Pakistan and the United States after the arrest of another alleged American contractor in Peshawar, caught with expired residence permit for four months. It 's the second U.S. citizen to go to jail in less than a month after Raymond Davis, of the CIA considered the number one in Pakistan, the criminal justice after having killed two suspected robbers in the center of Lahore, having been found in possession of photographs of secret bases, weapons and other material alleged espionage. The two cases are straining relations between Washington and Islamabad, a U.S. ally in combating Islamic extremism, and have also caused a break between their intelligence services that could lead to a "war of spies." Today, the CIA chief, Leon Panetta, telephoned his counterpart of the ISI intelligence service, Ahmed Shuja Pasha, to assure the cooperation of Washington in the current proceeding, and possibly even convince the Pakistani authorities to ensure immunity Diplomatic Davis, hitherto denied despite strong pressure from the White House. It will be the Lahore High Court to decide on March 14, while for March 3 has already set a new hearing of the trial for double murder and illegal possession of weapons. A confirmation of the tension between the two intelligence services, there is also a revelation of the New York Times according to which the ISI had asked the CIA a list of contractors employed in Pakistan, which often operate under false identities to support air operations with drones in the north-west or protection of the nuclear arsenal. According to official data of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published yesterday, about 2,570 foreigners working in embassies and consulates, 851 are American, of which 554 have diplomatic immunity (the Italians are 61 including 34 diplomats). The issue is becoming more complex, however, after the detention of Mark Aaron De Haven, who works for a private company in Islamabad, the Catalyst, which provides security services. The man was caught with expired business visa since last Oct. 23. The citizen U.S., married a local woman and converted to Islam (as Aaron), has been arrested in an apartment complex in Peshawar, the turbulent city of the province's Pashtun-Kybher Pakhtunkhwa. The judge who extended his custody for two weeks, said the authorities had not renewed the permit. There are still no official confirmation of U.S. diplomats who have requested access to the prisoner. But some Pakistani media have reported that police found in his possession "important documents".
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