Terror Suspect Escapes In Pakistan

(AP)  Rashid Rauf, a British suspect in an alleged plot to blow up trans-Atlantic jetliners, escaped from police custody in Pakistan on Saturday, officials said.

Rauf escaped after appearing before a judge at a court in the capital, Islamabad, said Khalid Pervez, a city police official.

Pervez said Rauf managed to open his handcuffs and evade two police guards who were taking him back to jail in the nearby city of Rawalpindi.

"We do not know how he escaped. But we do know he has escaped and the two policemen have been taken into custody for negligence," Pervez told The Associated Press.

Federal Interior Secretary Kamal Shah said he had been informed of the escape, but said he had no details.

The British government this week denied media reports that Rauf was to be extradited from Pakistan as part of a secret deal involving the arrest in Britain of two suspects wanted by Pakistan.

"I don't know anything - I'm shocked," Rauf's father, Abdul Rauf, told The Associated Press by telephone from Birmingham, 200 miles (321 kilometers) north of London.

Rauf, who also has a Pakistani passport, was arrested by Pakistani intelligence agents in August on a tip from their British counterparts.

He has been described as a key suspect in a purported plot to blow up jetliners flying from Britain to the United States, which prompted a major security alert at airports worldwide and increased restrictions on carry-on items.

Rauf was arrested and charged in Pakistan with possessing chemicals that could be used in making explosives and with carrying forged travel documents.

The prosecution later withdrew the case against him and held him accountable only for possessing bomb-making materials and living in Pakistan without valid documents. Later, a higher court - acting on an appeal by Pakistani authorities - suspended the anti-terrorism court's ruling until Jan. 15.

A judge then extended his detention until Jan. 19.

Rauf had remained in jail awaiting a decision on a British extradition request. He had arrived in Pakistan soon after his uncle was stabbed to death in 2002, and British authorities had asked Pakistan to extradite Rauf in connection with the murder inquiry.

His lawyer, Hashmat Habib, has sought to block the move, saying the two countries did not have an extradition treaty and that Rashid had already been found innocent of involvement in terrorism.

Habib said Saturday that his client had been brought to court in connection with the extradition proceedings, but he did not know how Rauf had escaped.

The British government this week denied media reports that Rauf was to be extradited in exchange for two suspects wanted by Pakistan.

Faiz Baluch, 25, and Hyrbyair Marri, 39 - both of London - were arrested last week and jointly charged under Britain's Terrorism Act after being accused of inciting terrorism and murder in Pakistan and of having links with an international terrorist group. Both claim they are peaceful activists calling for the independence of Baluchistan, a troubled province of Pakistan.

[toolmangler-2009]

Terrorism exists, and the Muslim extremist are the current idiots to inherit the mantle. This is a centuries old endeavor by the commercial world and everybody else in power, They say that George Orwell fore-told Big Brother, he didn''t. He reported the the final phase of an existing fact. We are living his book right now. The Christians had held the mantle of ''misdirection''(Crusades) and someone else will carry it later when the ''Islamic'' phase is complete. Earth is "The Emerald city" and war is the ''Green Curtian'' you do not look behind.

[Con Mohrat]

-Did you mean he looks like Jesus in J-C Super Star? Or one of his disciples?
Posted by grazinggoat

~~~~~~~~~~~

grazinggoat, I thought the answer would have been obvious. The gentleman''s honker is not conducive to waterbording.

[hungry1968]

But hey, don''''t worry about it, it''''s all good. Terrorism doesnt exist (according to the likes of HUNGRY1968/SGTRDS/ICEMAN/JH6379/ZOOTALLU
RES/SMIRK5/FEELFREE/USAYESTERDAY/FORMRUS
MCSGT/TUCKERNDFW and others).

Ask yourself this question: Now why would we want to chase down a terror suspect when terrorism doesnt exist?

Man, stupid liberal idiots.....they indeed make the world a greater place, dont they?

Posted by poopusbuttus at 02:47 AM : Dec 16, 2007




Wow!! Even when I''m not here, I still give you an excellent argument and intimidate you!! LOL!!! What a moron!!

Anyway, I never once said that terrorism doesn''t exist, as your lie above states. I said that the war on terrorism is in Afghanistan, and we should have had a surge there until we got bin Laden and all of those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Then, if we needed to "nation build" we could have did it there. Instead Bush pulled most of the troops out of the war on terror, to instead create a war against people that did nothing to us, and posed no threat to us, while letting the actual terrorists escape.

That''s only the 50th time I''ve said it - do you have it straight now?

[poopusbuttus]

Dude, this creep''s got a bigger schnozz than Bin-Laden. He probably sniffed his way out of prison.

But hey, don''t worry about it, it''s all good. Terrorism doesnt exist (according to the likes of HUNGRY1968/SGTRDS/ICEMAN/JH6379/ZOOTALLURES/SMIRK5/FEELFREE/USAYESTERDAY/FORMRUSMCSGT/TUCKERNDFW and others).

Ask yourself this question: Now why would we want to chase down a terror suspect when terrorism doesnt exist?

Man, stupid liberal idiots.....they indeed make the world a greater place, dont they?

[grazinggoat]

With a face like that, where is he going to go ??
Posted by j-whitman at 09:38 PM : Dec 15, 2007

-Did you mean he looks like Jesus in J-C Super Star? Or one of his disciples?

[beehive21-2009]

They let him go,he knows somebody,connected.

[j-whitman]

With a face like that, where is he going to go ??

[harp1963]

If this guy doesn''t use "Breath-Right Strips" he should. He could probably peck someone to death if his suicide bomb doesn''t go off.

[ndjam]

Musharraf and Bush have this world wrapped around their finger. The U.S pays Musharraf $55 million a year and Musharraf does exactly as hes told. This is another one of the Musharraf and Bush tactic to install fear to the U.S population. Lets allow a nobody to escape from prison and then we''ll tell everyone how dangerous of a terror expert that this insect looking person is. Meanwhile President Musharraf continues to oppress the people of Pakistan and Pres. Bush supports him. Democracy???? Where???

[sgtrds]

The irony of Pakistan is that we are dumping tons of money, arms, and military personel to train these "allies" and they are probably taking our money, arms, and training expertese and helping Al Queda.

Posted by harp1963 at 06:22 PM : Dec 15, 2007

I tjhink the bulk of the $1 billion dollars a year we send them is going into Musharraf''s bank account in the Middle-East somewhere. Then when it looks the worst for him he can take the money and run to live out his life as a rich man on the money he''s stolen. It''s called The Bush/Cheney Option, since it''s their plan.