Arrest of deputy consul causes spat with India

Dumb action that caused more harm to the US than good:



India retaliates against US over diplomat arrest, removes security barriers at embassy

Quote:

The Indian government retaliated Tuesday against the United States for the recent arrest and strip search of an Indian envoy -- going so far as to remove the concrete barriers at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and, reportedly, demanding American diplomats return their ID cards. The clash between the two supposed allies escalated rapidly on the heels of last week's arrest of Devyani Khobragade, India's deputy consul general, in New York. She was accused of submitting false documents to obtain a work visa for her Manhattan housekeeper. But Indian officials claimed she was arrested Thursday as she dropped off her daughter at school, kept in a cell with drug addicts before posting $250,000 bail, and strip-searched. The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed Tuesday that she had been strip-searched. This treatment in particular fueled outrage in India, and contributed to the diplomatic stand-off on Tuesday. The Indian Express, a major Indian newspaper, reported Tuesday that U.S. consular staff and their families were told to return their ID cards, and that American officials were asked for detailed information about Indians they employed. The newspaper also reported that the demands could be a "precursor" to reviewing other immunity and benefits of American officials in India. Press Trust of India reported that the Indian government also moved to withdraw airport passes for American diplomats. Further, police removed the traffic barricades near the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, a demand by the Indian government in retaliation for Khobragade's treatment, PTI reported. The barriers were a safety measure.

Diplomatic immunity is there for a reason. In this case, it's hard to even see what purpose is served by this arrest. I predict the charges will be dropped. If they are not dropped, the consequences for our diplomats in India could be pretty bad.



What was it all about? According to the story:

Quote:

Prosecutors in New York say Khobragade, 39, claimed she paid her Indian maid $4,500 per month but actually paid her less than the U.S. minimum wage. In order for diplomats and consular officers to get a visa for their personal employees, known as an A-3 visa, they must show proof that the applicant will receive a fair wage, comparable to employment in the U.S., U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement last week. Federal prosecutors say Khobragade told the housekeeper she would be paid 30,000 rupees per month -- about $573, or $3.31 per hour. The woman worked for the family from about November 2012 through June 2013, and said she worked far more than 40 hours per week and was paid even less than 30,000 rupees, prosecutors said. Khobragade has pleaded not guilty and plans to challenge the arrest on grounds of diplomatic immunity, her lawyer said last week.

Low wages certainly by American standards, but actually quite high compared to the average in India, which is around 50,000 rupees per year. 30,000 rupees per month would be 360,000 per year or 7 times the average for India.



So she lied on the document for the visa? Who cares? Is that worth putting the lives of our diplomats at risk? Yes, we could retaliate back, but that would just be an eye-for-an-eye thing, where both sides are harmed and nobody wins. We already have more than enough problems in foreign relations without creating new ones.

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