American on solo mission to kill Bin Laden

[jollyjacktar]

Shared with the usual caveats...  Mods please feel free to move as necessary.

American man was on solo mission to snag bin Laden
Pakistanis pick up construction worker armed with gun, sword
By MUNIR AHMED and RIAZ KAHN The Associated Press
Tue. Jun 15 - 6:13 AM
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — An American armed with a pistol and a 40-inch 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 was identified as 52-year-old Californian construction worker Gary Brooks Faulkner, said officer Mumtaz Ahmad Khan.

He 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 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.

Police alleged the American intended to travel to the eastern Afghan region of Nuristan, just across the border from Chitral.

The area is among several rumoured hiding places for the al-Qaida leader, who has evaded a massive U.S. effort to capture him since 2001. Bin Laden is accused of being behind the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, as well other terrorist acts.

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.

 

[Jarnhamar]

That's awesome.
I wonder what kind of pistol and sword it was.

 

[REDinstaller]

I'm sure that he will be persona non gratta in Pakistan along with free escorts to the US.

 

[SeanNewman]

Very interesting.

The first question one must ask is if he can even communicate using any of the dialects.  Even if he was ballsy enough to be a one-man spec op, it would be kind of hard to get anything done if you can't even talk to locals.

 

[57Chevy]

Apparently he has a new name: Pakistani Doc

  (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

Faulkner underwent a medical exam Wednesday. A Pakistani doctor determined that he has psychological problems and has been undergoing dialysis every 20 days, said a senior Pakistani intelligence official, who is not identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/06/16/pakistan.us.detention/index.html?iref=24hours

 

[blacktriangle]

Very interesting.

The first question one must ask is if he can even communicate using any of the dialects.  Even if he was ballsy enough to be a one-man spec op, it would be kind of hard to get anything done if you can't even talk to locals.

Hire an interpreter.

(I doubt there would be many takers, though.)

 

[FastEddy]

Hire an interpreter.

(I doubt there would be many takers, though.)

Maybe not so crazy, if he dawned a Turban and Raggedy Robes (he certainly looks the part) and stumbled into a Rebel Camp and convincingly screaming Jihad Jihad down with America. Maybe, just maybe, he could have infiltrated into their circle. Of course I'm simplifying this.  Then playing the game, he might even get to being introduced to his target, who probably would of heard about this Crazy American.  Maybe the CIA are/have been entertaining this tactic for some time. Oh!, he has Mental problems and Suicide Bombers don't ?.

The worst thing that could have happened, he could have been shot. Isn't that whats happening to us ?, in far greater numbers I'm sad to say.

Not for the lack of effort, but we haven't been very successfull so far, considering all our Military might.

Anybody who wants to take Bin Laden out, I'd say Good Luck, maybe this Guy wasn't the right Candidate.

Just a thought, Cheers.

 

[57Chevy]

Inside One American's Hunt for Bin Laden:

How close did Gary Faulkner, the shaggy Colorado construction worker arrested in Pakistan on Sunday, come to tracking down his prey, Osama bin Laden in the mountains along the Afghan border? Very close, according to his brother, Scott, a physician in Fort Morgan, Col. Scott says that during his last two visits to Pakistan, wanna-be bounty hunter Faulkner had located a cave on an 18,000 ft mountain where he saw "a bearded man in a white robe speaking on a walkie-talkie".


The 52-year old American was arrested in a forest in northwestern Pakistan while trying to cross into Afghanistan's wooded Nuristan province, a known lair of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. Police thought he was joking about hunting bin-Laden until they searched Faulkner and found a pistol, a 40-inch sword, a dagger, a pair of handcuffs, a small chunk of hashish, and Christian literature (presumably for his own inspiration rather than to convert the al-Qaeda leader). "I was surprised to hear that Gary had been caught in a forest," his brother told TIME. "Everything Gary had told me about this cave was that it was on a barren, high mountain with no trees. Maybe he found out that bin-Laden had moved on."

(article continues)

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1998036,00.html?xid=rss-topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29#ixzz0rQ5vDaQs

            (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

 

[LineJumper]

That's some brass.

:threat:

 

[Rogo]

I guess you have to appreciate his desire but like really...?  How does a construction worker with no foreign tongue or training of any sorts figure that he will be able to do better than thousands of coalition forces and many mulitnational intelligence services.


I don't mean to talk down about this but this is something that I feel ought to be left to trained members of say the CIA or whatnot.      Even if he did get him as a vigilante, the ends don't always justify the means.

 

[McD]

I guess you have to appreciate his desire but like really...?  How does a construction worker with no foreign tongue or training of any sorts figure that he will be able to do better than thousands of coalition forces and many mulitnational intelligence services.


I don't mean to talk down about this but this is something that I feel ought to be left to trained members of say the CIA or whatnot.      Even if he did get him as a vigilante, the ends don't always justify the means.

Really? What difference would it make if he killed him, or if a Canadian/Dutch/German/Brit/Aussie bullet took him out

My hat is off to this guy, he went over 3 times to try to kill him. Balls. Thats enough to say this "construction worker" had an idea of what he was doing. No?

Vigilante? How is he really punishing him illegally? Murder? Goodluck, making that stick.

Theres a $25 Mil reward for this guy for a reason. Not just to see where he was at certain times, and ask "why so serious?". Worse that could have happened was he met his end in a bad way or put allied troops in danger attempting a rescue...Arguably completely unacceptable and reckless, but I dont think those folks would mind a few live targets...Im out of my lane here on that though.

Its not like a brutal publicised murder of this man would deter any suburbanite to go hunt Bin Laden anymore than going solo to Pakistan / Afghanistan already does. Clearly a fate he accepted or believed he was exempt from.

Regardless, he went for it. Guy has balls. Chirp him if you want...You're allowed.

 

[bdave]

How does a construction worker with no foreign tongue or training of any sorts figure that he will be able to do better than thousands of coalition forces and many mulitnational intelligence services.

Faulkner underwent a medical exam Wednesday. A Pakistani doctor determined that he has psychological problems [...]

 

[blacktriangle]

Scott says that during his last two visits to Pakistan, wanna-be bounty hunter Faulkner had located a cave on an 18,000 ft mountain where he saw "a bearded man in a white robe speaking on a walkie-talkie".

Kinda like this...me thinks he was watching South Park.

 

[Jarnhamar]

I guess you have to appreciate his desire but like really...?  How does a construction worker with no foreign tongue or training of any sorts figure that he will be able to do better than thousands of coalition forces and many mulitnational intelligence services.

He believes in his cause.

 

[Rogo]

Very true, I guess I figure that him being "missing" probably caused the embassy or consulate more trouble than any intelligence he found out on his troubles.  I do admire his determination (whether he has a psychological issue or not), just I feel if everyone did this it would be counter productive.

 

[spear]

Looks like some failed James Bond caught red handed.  :-X

 

[57Chevy]

Bin Laden Hunter Gary Faulkner Plans to Continue Mission:

Gary Faulkner , the American who was detained in Pakistan while on a one-man mission to kill Osama bin Laden , is resting back home in Colorado today but told ABC News he plans to return to Pakistan and continue the hunt for the world's most wanted man.

On his way home, an obviously exhausted Faulkner said he is undaunted by critics who maintain that a civilian with no formal training attempting to track down the elusive al Qaeda leader was mission impossible

"It's not like people think it is I woke up one day and said, 'I've got nothing better to do with my life, why not this?'" he said. "People who think it's unrealistic never get off their couch and [stay] in front of the TV set and the movies and do something with their life."

Faulkner told ABC News he left the 40-inch sword in Pakistan because he said he might need it again after he rests and receives medical treatment for an ailing kidney. For him, killing bin Laden is a "personal endeavor."

"Right now, I'm out of wind," he said. "I need dialysis and some rest. Thank you and for all those who had something negative to say -- sucks to be you."

(repeated info removed) (watch video on link)

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/gary-faulkner-osama-bin-laden-hunter-lands-us/story?id=10999671


              (Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)

 

[Rogo]

Man has balls, and what he said about all the people (chair commanders) in front of the tv sets (and computers) i felt to be pretty true.  I have changed my attitude towards this guy.