Did They Put a Bounty on Bin Laden...

[Ben]

... or did this guy read one to many adventure paperbacks?

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100615/ap_on_re_as/as_pakistan_bin_laden_hunter

American claiming to be hunting bin Laden arrested
By RIAZ KHAN and MUNIR AHMED, Associated Press Writers Riaz Khan And Munir Ahmed, Associated Press Writers 59 mins ago

PESHAWAR, Pakistan – An American armed with a pistol and a 40-inch (102-centimeter) sword was detained in northern Pakistan and told investigators he was on a solo mission to kill Osama bin Laden, a police officer said Tuesday.

The man, identified as 52-year-old Californian construction worker Gary Brooks Faulkner, said he wanted to cross over into the nearby Afghan province of Nuristan because he had "heard bin Laden was living there", according to officer Mumtaz Ahmad Khan.

Faulkner was picked up in a forest in the Chitral region late on Sunday, he said.

"We initially laughed when he told us that he wanted to kill Osama bin Laden," said Khan. But he said when officers seized the pistol, the sword, a dagger and night-vision equipment, "our suspicion grew."

He was questioned Tuesday by intelligence officials in Peshawar, the main northwestern city.

Faulkner told police he visited Pakistan seven times, and this was his third trip to Chitral, which is a mountainous region that attracts adventurous Western tourists and hikers. Unlike much of northwestern Pakistan, it is considered relatively safe for foreigners.

Chitral and Nuristan are among several rumored hiding places for the al-Qaida leader, who has evaded a massive U.S. effort to capture him since 2001. The focus of that hunt has been along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

Bin Laden is accused of being behind the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, as well other terrorist acts. Washington has offered a bounty of $25 million for information leading to his capture.

Khan said Faulkner was also carrying a book containing Christian verses and teachings.

When asked why he thought he had a chance of tracing bin Laden, Faulkner replied, "God is with me, and I am confident I will be successful in killing him," said Khan.

Faulkner arrived in the Chitrali town of Bumburate on June 3 and stayed in a hotel there.

He was assigned a police guard, as is quite common for foreigners visiting remote parts of Pakistan. When he checked out without informing police, officers began hunting for him, said Khan.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said the mission had received notification from Pakistani officials that an American citizen had been arrested. He said embassy officials were trying to meet the man and confirm his identity.

[RaspberrySurprise]

I do believe there was, I think it was around a million plus too.

[Antibubba]

The question is, is he a nut?

Per APS definition, it depends on the handgun caliber: if he had a 9 mm, this guy needs the rubber room.  If 45 acp, they need to let him "escape", because he is one hard core operator.

 

[never_retreat]

[White Horseradish]

So why did this guy get arrested?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

its 25 mill

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1337039820070713

[Iain]

So why did this guy get arrested?

Several good reasons, not the least of which would have been for his own safety.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Several good reasons, not the least of which would have been for his own safety.

yea i have two friends with large families in baluchistan and for a fleeting moment i thought about playing tourist for 25 mill.  then i started to speculate on whether i'd be killed as soon as i stepped out my vehicle or would they enter the vehicle to kill me and said pass

[roo_ster]

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac68/justin_mickey/the-usrsf-code-named-bubba-my-advic.jpg

A buddy of mine, who has now passed on, used to support the cause of the Irish (that wanted to separate from the UK) in N Ireland.  He'd talk about and like to NorAID, etc., and even helped found a chapter of some pro-Irish-separatist organization in Arkansas.

When I heard that, I could not contain myself:

Dadgum!  And I thought "RIRA" stood for "Redneck Irish
Republican Army."

It is best, I suppose, to admit when one has been mistaken.

His response was..."colorful."

[White Horseradish]

Several good reasons, not the least of which would have been for his own safety.

That makes no sense. If he is not concerned about his safety, why should anyone else be?

[Iain]

That makes no sense. If he is not concerned about his safety, why should anyone else be?

Heh.

And if you're not joking, then the Pakistani govt has no business being concerned about foreign nationals wandering about their country playing Dog the Bounty Hunter? Ascribing the most positive motive possible to that rather questionable institution, I expect they'd rather not have an international incident over some sort of execution video appearing on the internet.

[AJ Dual]

yea i have two friends with large families in baluchistan and for a fleeting moment i thought about playing tourist for 25 mill.  then i started to speculate on whether i'd be killed as soon as i stepped out my vehicle or would they enter the vehicle to kill me and said pass

I think the guy has a generous helping of "teh craxy". (What does the "X" stand for? X-tra CRAZY!") He was also armed with a sword.  And the indigenous people who's whole culture there is based much more on bluff, honor "face", and appearances, respect/fear teh craxy and big blades even more than they do American Predator drones.

I don't doubt the outcome if the guy actually did make contact with AQ or Taliban, but I suspect he gave off more than sufficient 'vibes' to keep any locals who may be predisposed to do something nasty at bay... 

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

the locals are very flexible  they would slit his throat quietly while he slept or shoot an rpg into an airliner filled with innocent folks in order to kill him. not a problem for them

[280plus]

Bin Laden's plan is backfiring on him. He figured with his impetus all the nuts in America would go after the .gov in a similar fashion but it looks now like at least some of our nuts have turned their attention toward him instead. 

Faulkner effed up though. Why would you state clearly "I'm here to kill Bin Laden"? Wouldn't t make more sense to say something like "Just taking in the flora and fauna of your beautiful homeland."
all friendly like? 

[Jamisjockey]

Several good reasons, not the least of which would have been for his own safety.

For his own safety is possibly the worst reason.

I expect they'd rather not have an international incident over some sort of execution video appearing on the internet.

Probably a little closer to the truth.  Probably some weapons charges in there somewhere.  There is also that you can usually be booted from a foriegn country for whatever reason they see fit.

[HankB]

Several good reasons, not the least of which would have been for his own safety.

Or even worse . . . what if he was successful? 

(Of course, the most likely outcome is that he'd be dead, possibly after killing a few non-Taliban Pakistanis . . . )

[Scout26]

Given the fact that I've got a terminal illiness, I've thought about/seriously considered cashing in and going to A-stan/Pak to hunt Bin Laden.  I figure what the heck.  A chance to put my name in the history books and give the family $25extra-large   The fact that I couldn't hike the mountains anymore made me reconsider.   

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Given the fact that I've got a terminal illiness, I've thought about/seriously considered cashing in and going to A-stan/Pak to hunt Bin Laden.  I figure what the heck.  A chance to put my name in the history books and give the family $25extra-large   The fact that I couldn't hike the mountains anymore made me reconsider.   

that kinda thinking should keep our politicians awake at night trying harder. there are guys out here who are inclined to take things personal and if you take away the threat of punishment there is not much holding us back

[Boomhauer]

Once again, Darwin is thwarted...

[Tallpine]

So why did this guy get arrested?

He might embarass the US Military 

[sanglant]

correction, he might embarrass the idiots setting our ROE.

[MicroBalrog]

The problem is.

To successfully pull this off, one would need to have a massive compendium of skills.

At a minimum,  one must be fluent in 1-2 local languages, know the lay of the land, and be reasonably trained with firearms/mountain survival. Even having just one of these skills is rather rare. Together, Pushtu-fluent gunslingers/montaineers are hard to come by.

Unless they're actually Pakistani/Afghani, which is who the award is aimed at.

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

even assume all those skills you also need to be very very lucky.  if no ones dimed him yet for 25 mill thats not an accident

[roo_ster]

Given the fact that I've got a terminal illiness, I've thought about/seriously considered cashing in and going to A-stan/Pak to hunt Bin Laden.  I figure what the heck.  A chance to put my name in the history books and give the family $25extra-large   The fact that I couldn't hike the mountains anymore made me reconsider.   

I'll chip in for a few bottles of O2.

that kinda thinking should keep our politicians awake at night trying harder. there are guys out here who are inclined to take things personal and if you take away the threat of punishment there is not much holding us back

99.9% of policritters probably can't wrap their minds around such a thought, so they go blithely through life sucking up perks and assaulting questioners.

[AZRedhawk44]

Heh.

And if you're not joking, then the Pakistani govt has no business being concerned about foreign nationals wandering about their country playing Dog the Bounty Hunter? Ascribing the most positive motive possible to that rather questionable institution, I expect they'd rather not have an international incident over some sort of execution video appearing on the internet.

Sounds to me like the Pakistani government is covering up for Bin Laden, if they interfere with such an attempt.

They've already proven several thousand times over that they have little respect for the lay folks they are supposed to represent and protect... however, if an American mercenary makes a stupid mistake and kills a non-combatant then they can make an example of him after the fact.

I see no reason for the Pakistanis to stop this guy... other than they are covertly sheltering Bin Laden.  Or, our government sees it as useful to keep Bin Laden alive as a figurehead, but on the move eternally and in a perpetual state of defeat.