U.S. puts pressure on Pakistan to release detained American

WASHINGTON – In a sign of new and serious tensions between the United States and a key counterterror ally, the Obama administration has suspended some high-level contacts with Pakistan and may downgrade the status of an upcoming meeting to boost pressure on the government to release a U.S. Embassy employee who killed two Pakistanis, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

The dispute over the arrest of the man has become a crisis in U.S.-Pakistan relations and officials said they feared it could threaten future cooperation in a critical theater of the war against extremists and al-Qaida unless it is resolved quickly. Two top Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee said U.S. aid to Pakistan is in jeopardy if the American is not released.

The detainee case has clouded prospects for three-way strategic talks between Afghanistan, Pakistan and the U.S. that are set for Feb. 24 in Washington.

While officials said the talks are still scheduled, they said the discussions could be postponed or downgraded to a lower level if the case has not been resolved by then.

Washington insists the detained American has diplomatic immunity and shot the Pakistanis in self-defense as they tried to rob him at gunpoint. The U.S. says the man’s detention is illegal under international agreements covering diplomatic ties.

“We continue to make clear to the government of Pakistan that our diplomat has diplomatic immunity, in our view was acting in self-defense and should be released,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.

But Pakistani leaders, facing a groundswell of popular anger triggered by the incident, have avoided definitive statements on the status of the American, whom they have identified as Raymond Davis. Davis’ next court appearance is set for Friday.