Another crisis in Pakistan

NewsReel Blog: Will Hillary’s Islamist Snag in Pakistan, Light the Fire of Revolution?

New York Times: Pakistan Extends Jailing of American Held in 2 Deaths

Although senior Pakistani officials agree in private that Mr. Davis, who carries a diplomatic passport, is protected by the Vienna Convention, they appear unable or unwilling to enforce the protocol, according to senior American officials.

The civilian government of President Asif Ali Zardari is being assailed daily in the news media about the case, and the cause of the two dead men has been taken up by right-wing religious parties.

The Pakistani military and security apparatus appear to be willing to allow the Davis case to dominate the relationship with Washington for the moment, American and Pakistani officials said. That way, Pakistan can wring concessions on the breadth of the presence of American security officials and contractors in Pakistan, an issue that is at the center of deepening antagonism among the Pakistani public toward the United States, according to the officials.

American officials said that two armed men threatened Mr. Davis when he was driving alone on a busy Lahore road, and that he fired in self-defense.

The statement on Friday night said that Mr. Davis was assigned as an “administrative and technical” member of the staff at the American Embassy in Islamabad. But his exact duties have not been explained, and the reason he was driving alone with a Glock handgun, a pocket telescope and GPS equipment has fueled speculation in the Pakistani news media.