U.S. Man Arrested In Pakistani Hot Spot

Officers Probing Why 20-Year-Old Was In Border Region Frequented By Taliban, Al Qaeda

(AP)  A 20-year-old American man was arrested late Monday at a checkpoint near the Afghan border in a tribal region where Pakistani troops are fighting Taliban and al Qaeda militants, police said.

Officers were investigating what the man was doing in the border area, which is believed to be a possible hiding place for Osama bin Laden and other foreign extremists, said one officer, Pir Shahab.

He said the man — identified on his passport as Juddi Kenan — did not have permission to be in the region as is required by Pakistani law. He was arrested at a checkpoint trying to enter Mohmand agency, Shahab said.

"He is holding an American passport, which shows him as a resident of Florida," Shahab said.

Another police official, Marjan Khan at the station in Sarrokali, said the man was wearing traditional Pakistani clothes and appeared to be a civilian. "He has told us that he was a student at a community college in Florida, and wanted to enter the tribal region to see a friend." Khan said the man carried a laptop and a travelling bag, adding that he had been shifted to an unknown place for more questioning, also by intelligence agencies.

A U.S. embassy spokesman said he had no information on the arrest.

Asked whether he was believed to be a journalist, a tourist, a researcher, or a suspected militant, Shahab said: "These are the questions we are trying to investigate."

Militants in the tribal regency are blamed for rising attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pakistani authorities often claim to kill or arrest foreign extremists, mostly from Afghanistan, the Middle East and Chechnya, in the area.

[petro49l]

Why occupy Afghanistan? Al Qada is dedicated to growing potent poppies for making tar and china white heroin. There is no reason to bug OPEC for petroleum. It makes better sense to due business on this side of the ocean. The narcotics profits fund terror activities all over the world. Al Qada Drug Dealers are attempting to put South Americans off the streets in the United States. This country should not give way to foreign traffickers of dangerous substances.

[babooph]

The German video of Walkers capture was MUCH more interesting-PRIOR TO THE US PROPAGANDA SYSEM DOCTORING IT-see that & you will know why there was no public trial !!![I saw it overseas-then after the US hatchet job on it]

[KLHILL]

Osama is dead, and has been for some time. We are chasing a ghost.

[questionnews]

He''s just a guy who got tired of paying his local dealer and decided to get his smack (That''s heroin for all you church folk)direct from the supplier. It''s just good business!

[caliengineer]

Oh, me? Yeah... um... I''m just going into this hot spot of death so I can, uh... hang out with my buddy! yeah, that''s the ticket... see my friend!

[lean12]

patriot75...Very suspicious indeed...! wow are you paranoid or what?.