In Pakistan, a CIA contractor and former Blackwater operative accused of fatally shooting two men has been freed from prison and flown out of the country. Raymond Davis was released after the victims’ family members accepted a “blood money” settlement of a reported $2.3 million. The Pakistani government proposed the deal after the United States insisted Davis is a diplomat entitled to diplomatic immunity. There are reports the victims’ relatives were put under intense pressure to accept the settlement. In Washington, U.S. Department of State spokesman Mark Toner denied rumors the U.S. government footed the bill.

Mark Toner: “I have said all I’m going to say, which is that the U.S. did not pay compensation to the victims’ families. We respect Pakistan for resolving the case within its own legal system. As I’ve stated, we strongly made the case throughout this process that Mr. Davis was a diplomat and, as such, should be subject to diplomatic immunity. But the case was resolved within their own legal system. We respect that.”

Davis’s case has sparked outrage in Pakistan. On Wednesday, police used tear gas to disperse some 200 protesters who gathered outside the U.S. consulate in Lahore. More protests are expected today. In other news from Pakistan, at least 35 people have been killed in a suspected U.S. drone attack in North Waziristan province. Pakistani intelligence officials say the victims were Taliban fighters.