Grossman's unachievable goal

As expected, Marc Grossman's maiden visit to Pakistan as United States special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan was monopolised by the saga swirling around the arrest and trial of CIA contractor Raymond Davis.
Of course, the role he inherited from his predecessor, Richard Holbrooke, covered a wide canvas touching upon literally all aspects of the Pak-US relationship, especially in the context of the ongoing war in Afghanistan, the conclusion of which, on a positive note is of strategic interest to both the countries in particular and the region in general. But Grossman was on a more specific and difficult mission. Even when his point of view was conveyed in thick diplomatic jargon, he failed to hide his one-point agenda (at least of now) that instant release was the American demand, in keeping with their "mutual interest", which he believed provided for enduring ties.
Pakistan gave him no hope, as it maintained its stand that the matter is in the court of law and 'let's wait for the verdict.' That's the cul-de-sac in which the Pak-US bilateral relation is presently trapped. On the face of it, Raymond Davis committed the murder of two Pakistanis and is indirectly responsible for the third death.
The crime took place in the heart of Lahore in broad daylight witnessed by scores of people. His plea that he acted in self-defence doesn't hold water, as the victims received more bullets while fleeing from the scene. But the case has become complicated by the American embassy and US government describing Davis' status differently at different times. Also, the US Consulate's persistent refusal to hand over the other vehicle involved in the incident and; disclose the identity of its four occupants has added to the confusion.
Equally disturbing is the contradictory positions taken by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and the then foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the question of diplomatic immunity to Raymond Davis. If Pakistan's final position on this issue has been determined, we don't know. However there is no such confusion on the part of general public in Pakistan, which considers Raymond Davis committed double murder with an unauthorised weapon.
The people of Pakistan would like to know after all, what is the real worth of the alleged criminal that Americans have put its decade-old assiduously built relationship with Pakistan at stake. Who is the real Raymond Davis and what was his task in Pakistan? In this background the only viable course is to await the court's verdict.
Unfortunately the incident has happened at a critical stage in the Afghan war. The US has announced its withdrawal schedule to begin in a few months. Given intra-Afghan political wrangling, amply demonstrated by the inordinate delay in the elected parliament's normal functioning, and the clear display of failure of the newly raised army units and police which have failed to deliver it would suggest that when the coalition is gone, the fate of the costly foreign intervention is doomed to fail.
What effects the failure would have on Pakistan is one of its principal concerns. On the other hand, there seems to be dwindling support in Pakistan for its alliance with the West in this venture. That the Obama administration should cancel the scheduled round of its review in a huff said more about the 'transactional' nature of this bilateralism.
Before more water flows under the bridge, there is an urgent need to revisit the relationship in a bid to give it a realistic orientation. Pakistan cannot be dictated, a fact that comes to the fore in the light of the Raymond Davis saga. That some hidden political understanding and doctored version of the Vienna convention would help level the ground for an unpopular decision will not work; its aftermath would further endanger the civilian set-up.