Diplomat: India withdraws privileges for US embassy

[webfact]

Diplomat: India withdraws privileges for US embassy
The Statesman

With the USA standing firm of going ahead with prosecuting Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade for alleged visa fraud, India withdrew another set of privileges it had so far granted the US embassy here.

India gave the US Embassy in New Delhi a week's time to close down a multi-purpose club on its premises running in violation of the Vienna Convention.

The club was meant only for use by American diplomats but was also being used by the American community living in the city.

The club includes a bar, pool, beauty parlour, restaurant, bowling alley and tennis courts.

The stand off between India and the USA which started following the arrest of Khobragade in New York on December 12 has seen India taking ‘reciprocal’ actions which have included removing traffic barricades in front of the US embassy in the Capital, withdrawal of airport passes for the US diplomats and also asking for details of the salaries that the US diplomats pay their domestic staff. It remains to be seen whether the latest actions by the Indian government will resolve the impasse.


-- ANN 2014-01-09

[geriatrickid]

There needed to be significant evidence before charges were brought.

The Indian response is bizarre, Instead of addressing the charges the Indian government with public support refuses to deal with the allegations and instead has engaged in petty retaliatory actions. Is it any wonder there is such a significant problem with corruption and rape in that country?

[Jingthing]

I don't know all the details of this case, but personally I think the U.S. government should have pursued a more "diplomatic" behind the scenes solution to the offending Indian diplomat, regardless of her actions. The relationship with India is too important. Was all this worth it?

[not5150]

I don't know all the details of this case

She wasn't a diplomat at the time of arrest, she was a consulate employee. Therefore no diplomatic immunity at the time of arrest.

India gave her diplomatic status after the arrest hoping to retroactively shield her from prosecution.

Edit - In addition, India cannot unilaterally give her diplomatic status because the United States has to accept her credentials.

Summary - The employee was caught fair and square. India is red-faced and is trying to pull a fast one.

[Jingthing]

I don't know all the details of this case

She wasn't a diplomat at the time of arrest, she was a consulate employee. Therefore no diplomatic immunity at the time of arrest.

India gave her diplomatic status after the arrest hoping to retroactively shield her from prosecution.

Yeah, that's an important detail.

Doesn't change my opinion that this wasn't worth it.

Prosecutors aren't legally obligated to pursue convictions on all cases, you know?

Probably didn't predict the blowback on this. Maybe they SHOULD have?

[not5150]

I don't know all the details of this case

She wasn't a diplomat at the time of arrest, she was a consulate employee. Therefore no diplomatic immunity at the time of arrest.

India gave her diplomatic status after the arrest hoping to retroactively shield her from prosecution.

Yeah, that's an important detail.

Doesn't change my opinion that this wasn't worth it.

Prosecutors aren't legally obligated to pursue convictions on all cases, you know?

Probably didn't predict the blowback on this. Maybe they SHOULD have?

So you support wage slavery and the treatment of the housekeeper?

[Jingthing]

I don't know all the details of this case

She wasn't a diplomat at the time of arrest, she was a consulate employee. Therefore no diplomatic immunity at the time of arrest.

India gave her diplomatic status after the arrest hoping to retroactively shield her from prosecution.

Yeah, that's an important detail.

Doesn't change my opinion that this wasn't worth it.

Prosecutors aren't legally obligated to pursue convictions on all cases, you know?

Probably didn't predict the blowback on this. Maybe they SHOULD have?

So you support wage slavery and the treatment of the housekeeper?

That's a red baiting question. Of course not. I support promoting good USA - India relations. Kick her out, discreetly, let the Indian government know why, and move on.

[Scott]

Post and reply removed.

[Shurup]

Who needs whom more, India the US or the US India, let them play this game of chopping off each other privileges and see who caves in 1st.

[NeverSure]

Not to worry. The US is a strong supporter of India and India needs the US, not the other way around.

For instance the US is preparing to sell India rockets which will reach China with nuclear warheads - something India doesn't have now.

The US sell India some of its best military hardware. Right now they are in negotiations to sell India that new Boeing P-8A Poseidon long range submarine destroyer which is the latest and greatest at many things from sub destroying at long range to providing intelligence and being a communications center for all other hardware in the area. Link

This will blow over.

[marcusd]

I don't know all the details of this case

She wasn't a diplomat at the time of arrest, she was a consulate employee. Therefore no diplomatic immunity at the time of arrest.

India gave her diplomatic status after the arrest hoping to retroactively shield her from prosecution.

Yeah, that's an important detail.

Doesn't change my opinion that this wasn't worth it.

Prosecutors aren't legally obligated to pursue convictions on all cases, you know?

Probably didn't predict the blowback on this. Maybe they SHOULD have?

India is misbehaving. They are acting like spoilt brats instead of stating their diplomat or whatever should abide by laws.

Then they would look more reasonable and official and then they could go behind the scenes to quash this if needed.

Now all they look is stupid and foolish on the world stage.

Its a case of ..we will do what we want or we will throw a tantrum.

I think India needs the USA more than the USA needs india

Sent from my RM-892_apac_laos_thailand_219 using Tapatalk

[h90]

There needed to be significant evidence before charges were brought.

The Indian response is bizarre, Instead of addressing the charges the Indian government with public support refuses to deal with the allegations and instead has engaged in petty retaliatory actions. Is it any wonder there is such a significant problem with corruption and rape in that country?

What evidence would be enough to make a naked full body search several times?

[Credo]

If you are arrested and detained, depending on where you are, you will be searched before you are locked up. Perhaps the law should be waived for people from the Indian Subcontinent because they don't like it?

[Scott]

Inflammatory post removed.

[rogerdoger10]

The Indian response has a lot to do with the fact that this isnt the first time an official representative has been treated this way, there are many incidents such as these which have occurred including one where the former president of India APJ Abdul Kalam Azad was frisked at the airport in New York . Another incident involved the Indian ambassador to US Meera Shankar, who was pulled out of line and given the full monty by security. Clearly they have had enough and think that the US is ignoring their requests to treat their diplomats with a little more respect. Of course the question is if all this is exclusively being done to Indian diplomats only, or have reps of other European countries which are US allies (or any other country for that matter) also been dished out such treatment in the past?

[Thai at Heart]

I don't know all the details of this case

She wasn't a diplomat at the time of arrest, she was a consulate employee. Therefore no diplomatic immunity at the time of arrest.

India gave her diplomatic status after the arrest hoping to retroactively shield her from prosecution.

Yeah, that's an important detail.

Doesn't change my opinion that this wasn't worth it.

Prosecutors aren't legally obligated to pursue convictions on all cases, you know?

Probably didn't predict the blowback on this. Maybe they SHOULD have?

Well, employing people like this is illegal and is one step away from people trafficking. Why it only caught the Indians so far I don't know. Maybe she was the biggest offender.

[ttthailand]

I say start shutting down those call centers putting millions out if work until India takes responsibility for those who do wrong, no matter what their status. The US can not stand by and let other countries dictate its laws. Screw these people. Shut them down !!!

[kingstonkid]

Not to worry. The US is a strong supporter of India and India needs the US, not the other way around.

For instance the US is preparing to sell India rockets which will reach China with nuclear warheads - something India doesn't have now.

The US sell India some of its best military hardware. Right now they are in negotiations to sell India that new Boeing P-8A Poseidon long range submarine destroyer which is the latest and greatest at many things from sub destroying at long range to providing intelligence and being a communications center for all other hardware in the area. Link

This will blow over.

Just what the world needs rockets for nukes in India. That has to be the stupidest thing that they could give them.. Remember India developed the bomb and Pakistan then built one. You have 2 countries side by side that hate each other and are always trying to one up the other.

BACK TO THE TOPIC

There are other ways that this could have been handled and i am sure the State dep't people in the US did not want this to go public.

the problem is that in cities like NYC you have people that are trying to make a name for themselves and get into the spot light. They don't give a crap about what happens.

The solution would have been to simple cancel the visas deport them back to India and let India sort out the issue. Part of this was an Indian woman that saw a chance to blackmail her employer to get money and for a chance to get asylum in the US so she could bring her family over.

I am willing to Guarantee that she knew before hand what she was going to get paid and the benefits that she would get and that it probably was better than anything she could have gotten in India.

[lovetotravel]

The Indian response has a lot to do with the fact that this isnt the first time an official representative has been treated this way, there are many incidents such as these which have occurred including one where the former president of India APJ Abdul Kalam Azad was frisked at the airport in New York . Another incident involved the Indian ambassador to US Meera Shankar, who was pulled out of line and given the full monty by security. Clearly they have had enough and think that the US is ignoring their requests to treat their diplomats with a little more respect. Of course the question is if all this is exclusively being done to Indian diplomats only, or have reps of other European countries which are US allies (or any other country for that matter) also been dished out such treatment in the past?

It also isn't the first time Indian "diplomatic" staff have been accused of human rights abuses:

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-devyani-khobragade-case-third-instance-of-maids-accusing-indian-diplomats-1937735

Seems to be quite common among foreign diplomats in the US:

http://www.smh.com.au/world/foreign-diplomats-accused-of-human-trafficking-assault-in-us-20131231-hv77g.html

[Suradit69]

Not to worry. The US is a strong supporter of India and India needs the US, not the other way around.

For instance the US is preparing to sell India rockets which will reach China with nuclear warheads - something India doesn't have now.

The US sell India some of its best military hardware. Right now they are in negotiations to sell India that new Boeing P-8A Poseidon long range submarine destroyer which is the latest and greatest at many things from sub destroying at long range to providing intelligence and being a communications center for all other hardware in the area. Link

This will blow over.

"For instance the US is preparing to sell India rockets which will reach China with nuclear warheads - something India doesn't have now."

If the US is selling military hardware to anyone it's because the US sees an advantage in doing so. At times this has been the case even with Iran or Iraq.

India does need to understand that it is not Israel however. The US Federal government will tolerate unending crap from Israeli politicians and still send them more aid than they give some US states for security, but the Indian Lobby is not running the US. That's the Israeli Lobby.

WASHINGTON: US secretary of state John Kerry has proposed a 16% cut in the American aid to India, reflecting the transition from a traditional "donor-recipient" relationship to a "strategic partnership" between the two countries.

"With respect to India, for the fiscal year 2014, the State Department request is $91 million. This represents a 16% decrease from the fiscal levels 2012 (the previous actual spending)," a senior state department official told PTI.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-15/india/38555267_1_health-sector-health-programme-india

[rogerdoger10]

The Indian response has a lot to do with the fact that this isnt the first time an official representative has been treated this way, there are many incidents such as these which have occurred including one where the former president of India APJ Abdul Kalam Azad was frisked at the airport in New York . Another incident involved the Indian ambassador to US Meera Shankar, who was pulled out of line and given the full monty by security. Clearly they have had enough and think that the US is ignoring their requests to treat their diplomats with a little more respect. Of course the question is if all this is exclusively being done to Indian diplomats only, or have reps of other European countries which are US allies (or any other country for that matter) also been dished out such treatment in the past?

It also isn't the first time Indian "diplomatic" staff have been accused of human rights abuses:

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-devyani-khobragade-case-third-instance-of-maids-accusing-indian-diplomats-1937735

Seems to be quite common among foreign diplomats in the US:

http://www.smh.com.au/world/foreign-diplomats-accused-of-human-trafficking-assault-in-us-20131231-hv77g.html

By all means if she is guilty, she should be punished, however I wouldn't go so far as to agree with those allegations just yet, there was some talk of extortion and how the money was transferred to the maid's account as well. Also if it were this black and white then it probably wouldnt have come this far, clearly the rules regarding how diplomatic persons are treated and which laws govern their payments are open to interpretation. My point was that the Indians are seeing a seething arrogance in the way their officials reps are being treated, their initial response was more towards how the diplomat was arrested rather than what she was arrested for.

[rogerdoger10]

Not to worry. The US is a strong supporter of India and India needs the US, not the other way around.

For instance the US is preparing to sell India rockets which will reach China with nuclear warheads - something India doesn't have now.

The US sell India some of its best military hardware. Right now they are in negotiations to sell India that new Boeing P-8A Poseidon long range submarine destroyer which is the latest and greatest at many things from sub destroying at long range to providing intelligence and being a communications center for all other hardware in the area. Link

This will blow over.

"For instance the US is preparing to sell India rockets which will reach China with nuclear warheads - something India doesn't have now."

If the US is selling military hardware to anyone it's because the US sees an advantage in doing so. At times this has been the case even with Iran or Iraq.

India does need to understand that it is not Israel however. The US Federal government will tolerate unending crap from Israeli politicians and still send them more aid than they give some US states for security, but the Indian Lobby is not running the US. That's the Israeli Lobby.

WASHINGTON: US secretary of state John Kerry has proposed a 16% cut in the American aid to India, reflecting the transition from a traditional "donor-recipient" relationship to a "strategic partnership" between the two countries.

"With respect to India, for the fiscal year 2014, the State Department request is $91 million. This represents a 16% decrease from the fiscal levels 2012 (the previous actual spending)," a senior state department official told PTI.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-15/india/38555267_1_health-sector-health-programme-india

Mate, the US will never sell ballistic missiles to anyone, the best they have done is given some Trident SLBMs to Britain which are housed in their strategic subs, besides they cant sell any rockets as they are signatories to the Missile Technology Control Regime. There is some military hardware being sold to India but most of it are assault rifles, cargo planes and howitzers.

India looks at most offers from US with suspicion anyways as they see them with attached threads, case in point, the US offering in their 15 billion dollar MMRCA aircraft deal were rejected pretty quickly in favor of the French.

[khunken]

As Jingthing says - this could have been handled (with real diplomacy) better by both sides.

As for India 'needing' ballistic warheads to reach China - they don't. What it really means is that the US wants to use India in their Chinese containment policy. As India & China have a common border it is clear that the need is not India's.

[Credo]

The point is that this is not a diplomat. This is someone employed by the embassy who does not have diplomatic immunity and who has been charged with a crime. She was handled in the same manner as other people being charged and jailed would be handled.

I find it interesting that there is so much furor over the treatment of this lady and so little criticism of the maid who brought the charges.

I might also add that visa fraud is quite serious and as another poster noted, this gets pretty close to human trafficking.

[oops]

The Indian response has a lot to do with the fact that this isnt the first time an official representative has been treated this way, there are many incidents such as these which have occurred including one where the former president of India APJ Abdul Kalam Azad was frisked at the airport in New York . Another incident involved the Indian ambassador to US Meera Shankar, who was pulled out of line and given the full monty by security. Clearly they have had enough and think that the US is ignoring their requests to treat their diplomats with a little more respect. Of course the question is if all this is exclusively being done to Indian diplomats only, or have reps of other European countries which are US allies (or any other country for that matter) also been dished out such treatment in the past?

The biggest problem is, like most countries, they feel ok with cheating us out of our money and making laws which don't allow us to prosper in the their countries which I might add have been doing this for centuries,. With lobbyist who lobby for aid and forgiveness of debt, for special privileges in America that wouldn't allow you to do the same in their country . They do many things in our coutry and get away with it. They run companies both small and big that we are not allowed to do in their country. Just like here in Thailand we have to have something like 4 employees for every foreign worker, pay income tax on what they think we would make in our own country. The rules are different for anyone from outside their country but once they step into America, they want not only equal rights but special rights.

[F430murci]

I say start shutting down those call centers putting millions out if work until India takes responsibility for those who do wrong, no matter what their status. The US can not stand by and let other countries dictate its laws. Screw these people. Shut them down !!!

Please do this! I will happily pay more for products just to never again get routed through an Indian call center when trying to get through to customer support. Come to think of it, this is reason enough for me to completely severe our ties with that whacky country and keep jobs in the US.

If chick broke the law she should not get special treatment. End of story. Move on India. If they want to take away our club, so be it. Move on US.

[kamahele]

The Indian response has a lot to do with the fact that this isnt the first time an official representative has been treated this way, there are many incidents such as these which have occurred including one where the former president of India APJ Abdul Kalam Azad was frisked at the airport in New York . Another incident involved the Indian ambassador to US Meera Shankar, who was pulled out of line and given the full monty by security. Clearly they have had enough and think that the US is ignoring their requests to treat their diplomats with a little more respect. Of course the question is if all this is exclusively being done to Indian diplomats only, or have reps of other European countries which are US allies (or any other country for that matter) also been dished out such treatment in the past?

This woman was not a diplomat but an employee. She was treated with more respect when she was arrested than an American would have been. Human trafficking is a serious charge and India's response has been that of a child throwing a tantrum. The government removed protective barricades from in front of the embassy in protest which endangers not only the American diplomats and employees but the untold numbers of Indians who are applying for visas.

[Halion]

I don't know all the details of this case, but personally I think the U.S. government should have pursued a more "diplomatic" behind the scenes solution to the offending Indian diplomat, regardless of her actions. The relationship with India is too important. Was all this worth it?

If we extrapolate your position on this then you are suggesting that the this should have been "hushed up" or as you put it "diplomatic" covert solution.

Utter nonsense. No one should be outside or exempt from the rule of law. India is simply making a mountain out of a molehill as the circumstances put them in bad light..Simply apologize and move on. This assistant is not worth the trouble which is being instigated by India.

[Loptr]

I don't know all the details of this case, but personally I think the U.S. government should have pursued a more "diplomatic" behind the scenes solution to the offending Indian diplomat, regardless of her actions. The relationship with India is too important. Was all this worth it?

JT, you should know by now that's not the way things work anymore. No, this lady was held in custody at the airport, was strip searched and had a cavity search performed on her. The charge is visa fraud for falsifying stated wages of maids in her employment. For this, she has someone shine a light up her bum.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/us-indian-cultural-political-divide-revealed-by-diplomats-arrest/2014/01/07/121c701a-77c2-11e3-b1c5-739e63e9c9a7_story.html

Much like US customs recently seized and destroyed 11 hand-made, priceless flutes owned by a performer traveling into the US. Their excuse, the flutes were made of a plant matter on the banned list for importation, Bamboo.

[jayboy]

I don't know all the details of this case

She wasn't a diplomat at the time of arrest, she was a consulate employee. Therefore no diplomatic immunity at the time of arrest.

India gave her diplomatic status after the arrest hoping to retroactively shield her from prosecution.

Yeah, that's an important detail.

Doesn't change my opinion that this wasn't worth it.

Prosecutors aren't legally obligated to pursue convictions on all cases, you know?

Probably didn't predict the blowback on this. Maybe they SHOULD have?

Well, employing people like this is illegal and is one step away from people trafficking. Why it only caught the Indians so far I don't know. Maybe she was the biggest offender.

I have no knowledge of any previous such cases but on the evidence I have seen the circumstances are very indicative of the absurd entitlement Indian middle class expect.By this I mean it is beyond imagination that a similar lower level diplomat from say Japan,France,Russia,China, the UK or Canada would feel the neeed (or be able to afford) taking a personal servant on an international posting.My reaction is why doesn't this woman do her own cleaning, ironing, cooking like everybody else?