ON THE U.S. VIEW OF REVOLUTIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

QUESTION: …so, basically, the United States feels that any – if any of these people in any of these countries feel – if the majority of the people feel that their leader should step down, they should step down?

MR. TONER: That’s not what we’re saying at all. Again, these people do have the right, though, to freedom of assembly, and that the government should allow them to exercise that right.

ON IRAN

QUESTION: Do they want a bomb or not? Do they want a bomb?

MR. TONER: Ask Ahmadinejad.

ON PAKISTAN

QUESTION: And what kind of consular access have we had to [American contractor alias ‘Raymond Davis,’ who murdered between two and three Pakistanis last month]?”

MR. TONER: I’m not sure when the last consular access was, but I believe it’s been pretty steady throughout.

Huma Dar has provided a summary of initial consular access to “Davis” following the crime in Lahore:

The [U.S.] Consulate immediately sends an SUV that allegedly proceeds to jump the median on a major road, traveling against the oncoming traffic, running over and killing yet another motorcyclist, Ibad-ur-Rehman — who was getting married in another two months.”

An audience member at the State Dept. press briefing meanwhile encourages the U.S. to make basic distinctions in its endeavor to recuperate “Davis”:

QUESTION: …there’s two different things. I mean, there’s diplomatic immunity… and there’s innocence. I mean, are you trying to get him released based on diplomatic immunity or on his innocence?

MR. TONER: Well, it’s a fair question, Elise. Our fundamental argument here remains the fact that, under the Vienna Conventions, he should have full diplomatic immunity and should be released immediately, and we call on the Pakistani Government to do so. That said, we’re also saying that he was obviously innocent of any criminal action and was simply defending himself in a botched robbery.

QUESTION: And your evidence of that is this police report?

MR. TONER: Obviously, our conversations with him, police report, other evidence. I don’t know exactly what all that – all the evidence is.