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Islamabad: Americans Dressed as Afghans Caught With
Illegal Weapons and Explosives
8 November 2009 Americans
Dressed
FOUR American
citizens were caught red-handed by Capital Police in
the early hours of Tuesday for photographing sensitive
buildings. All four were dressed in traditional Afghan
outfits and were found to be in possession of illegal
weapons and explosives.
According to
details, police personnel deployed here at Nawaz Chowk,
sector F-8, intercepted two suspicious vehicles in the
early hours of Tuesday. During the search, police
recovered weapons from their custody. The riders of
these vehicles were found to be American citizens.
They were all dressed as Afghans.
The number plates on both vehicles (IDM 2030 & LG 501)
were found to be fake. The police personnel called for
backup when the Americans refused to allow them to
search the car. High Ranking Capital Police officials
reached the site within minutes and had the vehicles
searched, recovering 2 M-16A1 rifles, 2 handguns and 2
hand-grenades.
The police held the American citizens in custody for
an hour before the Interior Ministry interefered and
had them released without charge even as preliminary
investigation was being carried out.
http://www.nation. com.pk/pakistan- news-newspaper-
daily-english- online/Politics/ 28-Oct-2009/
Nabbed-with- illegal-arms- again
Interior
Ministry Covering Up For US Mercenaries And Terrorists
In 2005, Iraqi
Police arrested and locked up TWO British operatives
in Basra who were dressed in local Arab gear, shooting
at innocent civilians in a busy market with automatic
rifles and driving a vehicle laden with explosives,
intended to go off in the middle of the busy market.
British tanks tore into the prison and rescued both
these men. In Pakistan, it seems all the Americans
need to do is make a call to the Interior Ministry and
have their terrorists released.
PKKH Editorial
There have been several incidents during the last few
months of foreigners carrying illegal arms in the
federal capital. Some foreigners were found not only
carrying illegal weapons, but also threatening,
harassing and frightening the public in Islamabad. The
law enforcement agencies have been particularly
efficient in tightening security measures around the
city as a response to citizen complaints.
In the most recent incident, four American nationals
who were disguised as Afghans were caught with illegal
arms on Tuesday at a posh sector of Islamabad
inhabited mostly by senior Pakistani diplomats and
politicians. The police personnel intercepted two
suspicious vehicles and recovered illegal weapons from
in posession of the Americans in both vehicles.
The Americans were also seen taking photographs of
buildings around the area while some videos of
sensitive locations in Islamabad were also found with
them. During the preliminary investigation, the
Americans falsely claimed that they were US Marines –
and were taken to the police station for further
investigation. After the personal intervention of
those high up in the Interior Ministry, the Americans
were allowed to leave without being charged. Some
sources disclose that the US Embassy officials
intervened in the matter by contacting higher-ups of
Pakistan's Interior Ministry and had the culprits
freed.
The Interior ministry, when approached for comments on
this story, affirmed once again that there existed no
law in Pakistan that might allow any foreigner or
diplomat, including Americans, to move on busy roads
of federal capital with illegal arms.
It was not the first incident of such kind in the
Federal Capital where foreigners were picked up by
police for posession of illegal arms. It has become
almost a norm that police intercepts foreigners
violating national laws including posession of illegal
weapons, and are freed after Pakistani "influentials"
come to their rescue.
Some days ago, police officials deployed at a security
check post in Islamabad stopped two Dutch personnel
and recovered sophisticated weapons including hand
grenades, bombs, and sophisticated guns from their
custody. The police lodged a formal complaint,
however, no action was initiated on directions of
Interior Ministry and the matter was hushed.
William Ven and Tomas Smith were the two Dutch men
caught roaming around with sophisticated weapons,
bombs and hand grenades in a blue BMW, registered
number of which was IDL 4191. Sources on the condition
of anonymity reveal that both officials were working
for the notorious Blackwater Co. (Xe) and were almost
certainly out on an assassination mission, target of
which is still unknown. Sunny Christopher, a U.S.
embassy official who was following the blue BMW was
out there to provide cover.
Before the security agencies could confirm their
connection with Blackwater (Xe), the interior ministry
again came to their rescue and saying that the men
were `Dutch embassy officials' – which appears to be
an attempt to cover up Blackwater's questionable
activities on the media. During the past few weeks the
local media had been particularly vocal on the
Blackwater issue and this incident would have further
fueled calls for action against the various US-linked
private security companies operating on Pakistan soil
involved in suspicious activities. What's not so
surprising is that no probe was done with the alleged
`Dutch diplomats' and no explanation or apology was
offered.
Both dutch men were released a while later after the
U.S. embassy intervened, and were put on the next
flight out of Islamabad immediately.
What is particularly alarming is that such incidents
continue to occur in the nation's very own capital
city while government in their attempts to temporarily
`settle' the matter issues hollow statements. Federal
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, has stated on many
occasions that no foreigner would be allowed to carry
illegal arms. "The violators would be dealt with an
iron hand," he adds.
However the Americans have relentlessly continue to
violate the the law of the land and no iron hand
strikes – and in fact the violators are given a safe
passage each time.
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